Energy: Resources, technologies and the environment PDF

This book is an introduction to the questions that everyone naturally asks about energy. It provides the necessary foundations for a proper understanding of the subject without overemphasising one energy source over others. The author provides much useful and pertinent data for analysing energy problems, and offers simple, clear and reliable information for the reader to form his own opinion in the light of his own criteria and values. A clear description of the current energy context and the main sources of energy (fossil fuels, renewable energy and nuclear) is followed by the main uses of energy and an emphasis on energy storage, which is the most difficult problem to resolve. Problems of the impact of energy use on the environment and health are outlined, and the book concludes with a succinct summary of future prospects. This book shows clearly that every energy source has its own advantages and disadvantages, and there is no perfect source of energy that would enable us to meet all our needs, at low cost and without any impact on our environment or health. We need to avoid all dogmatism and attempt to tackle the problems in the most objective way possible. This book is a step in this direction, and I hope that it proves useful to all those interested in the complex but fascinating subject.

Author

Christian Ngô