Sustainable Energy Resources: Library Resources

For those with an interest in exploring energy resource options and technologies with a view toward achieving sustainability. Clearly presents the trade-offs and uncertainties inherent in evaluating and choosing different energy options and provides a framework for assessing policy solutions. Includes illustrative examples, problems, references for further reading, and links to relevant Web sites.

A collection of articles debating the pro/cons and viability of many alternative energy methods, including nuclear, solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal.

Contains several pro-con articles on sustainable energy issues, including: "Solar energy can effectively provide electricity" vs. "Solar energy is inefficient and impractical"; "Wind power is affordable and environmentally friendly" vs. "Wind power is unreliable and not environmentally friendly"; "Biofuels can replace gasoline" vs. "Biofuels are impractical".

Three-volume set introduces students to issues surrounding both current energy sources and alternative energy options. Primary focus is on newer options to meet ever-growing demand, including wind and solar energy, fuel cells, hydropower, geothermal power and biomass energy. Entries discuss the science behind the energy source, notable scientists and scientific discoveries, current examples of use, and the issues, challenges and obstacles to large-scale use.

Explains how geothermal energy is made and used, with chapters on current and possible future use.

Discusses using water as a source of energy and possible future developments in hydropower technology.

Discusses energy consumption's influential political figures and principal challenges (including issues specific to the U.S.) while clarifying conservation solutions. Includes illustrative tables and offers a glossary of essential terms. Each of its eight chapters concludes with two pages of reference material.

State of the World 2008 describes new innovations in sustainability--from microfinance to closed-loop manufacturing and the use of trusts to protect common resources--as well as identifying the obstacles that prevent a critical mass of people and organizations from moving toward sustainability, and rallying coalitions of stakeholders that can produce win-win solutions and strategies for achieving specific sustainability goals.

Presents a substantive and viable plan for solving the biggest issues facing the United States--the failing economy and our devastated environment. From a distance, it appears that these two problems are separate, but when we look closer, the connection becomes unmistakable.