Chivers - NoNonsense Renewable Energy

About the author

Danny Chivers is an environmental writer, researcher, professional carbon footprint analyst, activist and performance poet. He holds a BSc in Environmental Biology, an MSc in Nature, Science and Environmental Policy and an MProf in Leadership for Sustainable Development. He has carried out studies into the climate impact of electrical product manufacture, agriculture, food processing, international development NGOs, local authority carbon monitoring, retailers, offices and the UK government. He has created an interactive emissions model of the UK economy for The Guardian website, co-founded Cyc du Soleil (Britains first mobile solar-and-cycle-powered performance stage), taken part in the Climate Camps at Heathrow, Kingsnorth and central London, and reached the semi-finals of the BBC Radio 4 National Poetry Slam. He is the author of The NoNonsense Guide to Climate Change: The Science, the Solutions, the Way Forward (New Internationalist 2010).

About the New Internationalist

New Internationalist is an award-winning, independent media co-operative. Our aim is to inform, inspire and empower people to build a fairer, more sustainable planet.

We publish a global justice magazine and a range of books, both distributed worldwide. We have a vibrant online presence and run ethical online shops for our customers and other organizations.

Independent media: were free to tell it like it is our only obligation is to our readers and the subjects we cover.

Fresh perspectives: our in-depth reporting and analysis provide keen insights, alternative perspectives and positive solutions for todays critical global justice issues.

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Renewable Energy

Cleaner, fairer ways to power the planet.

Published in 2015 by

New Internationalist Publications Ltd

The Old Music Hall

106-108 Cowley Road

Oxford OX4 1JE, UK

newint.org

Danny Chivers

The right of Danny Chivers to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing of the Publisher.

Cover design: Andrew Smith, asmithcompany.co.uk

Series editor: Chris Brazier

Series design by Juha Sorsa

Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bell & Bain Ltd, Glasgow who hold environmantal accreditation ISO 14001.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.

A catalog for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

(ISBN ebook 978-1-78026-244-4)

Contents

by Kim Bryan

Current use worldwide

Big dams and climate change

Current use worldwide

Sources in the moon and the sun

Why we shouldnt answer the wrong question

Power for a bigger population

A fairer world

Democratizing energy as well as politics

Positive alternatives from India to Scotland, Indonesia to Germany

Five ways forward

Action groups

Danny Chivers packs a lot in to 170 pages! From the types of renewable technologies on offer to the challenges of their implementation and suggested action steps for the reader, NoNonsense Renewable Energy offers a fantastic introduction to this essential topic.

The climate science could not be clearer: human influence on the climate system is substantial and is still growing. The 2014 report released by scientists from the IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) said: If left unchecked, climate change will increase the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for people and ecosystems. The business-as-usual scenario is not an option if we are to avoid the most devastating effects of climate change; we need a rapid transition to a clean, efficient, renewables-based energy system.

Skillfully written to make the subject of renewable energies accessible and engaging, this book is a vital tool for anyone interested in climate-change solutions. From solar, wind, hydroelectric, heat pumps, wave and tidal to fuel crops and energy from waste, Danny Chivers covers the technologies on offer, their historical use and their potential in rolling out a 100-per-cent renewable future. Importantly, he also explores the costs, risks and drawbacks associated with each technology.

Along with the practical side of renewables, he also explores the potential for, and the barriers to, a clean-energy future. As the author points out, it is not technology that is standing in the way of making a transition to a sustainable society, but a political and economic system which, in its thirst for profit, overrides sustainable solutions.

Who has power over the power? is a key question asked by the book. Simply shifting power generation to a 100-per-cent renewable scenario replicates our current (unjust) energy system as long as large energy corporations remain in control of that power. The democratization of our energy and our politics needs to happen in parallel, and for that transition to happen there must be a decisive shift in power towards people, communities, small local businesses and workers.

The last chapter of the book, Making it happen, really is the icing on the cake; it is one thing to present useful information but it is truly wonderful when a book leaves you feeling empowered and ready to take action. With its suggestions for 5 ways forward and a list of action groups to look up, the chapter provides plenty of tools to get started in making a change.

Society is standing at a crossroads, and change is coming whether we like it or not. We can either change by choice now, or change by force at some point in the future. Building a sustainable future is within our reach, but to do so we need to build a massive and informed movement for change. New Internationalists