One of the most important issues facing humanity today is the prospect of global climate change, brought about primarily by our prolific energy use and heavy dependence on fossil fuels. Fueling Our Future provides a concise overview of current energy demand and supply patterns. It presents a balanced view of how our reliance on fossil fuels can be changed over time so that we have a much more sustainable energy system in the near future.
Part I. Setting the Scene:
1. Introduction
2. The energy conversion chain
3. Energy and the environment
Part II. The Global Energy Demand and Supply Balance:
4. World energy demand
5. World energy supply
Part III. New and Sustainable Energy Sources:
6. Non-conventional fossil fuels
7. Renewable energy sources
8. Nuclear power
Part IV. Towards a Sustainable Energy Balance:
9. The transportation challenge
10. Achieving a sustainable energy balance
Index
Robert Evans is the Methanex Professor of Clean Energy Systems and founding Director of the Clean Energy Research Centre in the Faculty of Applied Science at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. He was previously Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Associate Dean of Applied Science at UBC. He is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the UK Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and the US Society of Automotive Engineers. Prior to spending the last 25 years in academia he worked in the UK Central Electricity Research Laboratory, for the British Columbia Energy Commission, and the British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. He is the author or coauthor of over 130 publications, and holds four US patents. This book is derived partly from an introductory course he has taught at UBC for many years.
"Delightfully written in a non-technical and accessible style, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers, both with and without scientific backgrounds. It is steady-paced and well grounded, providing much solid information in a coherent and useful way which really makes it possible for the layman to think about the subject matter."
– Journal of Environmental Conservation
"The book is very good to read with a preface, a glossary, an index and an appendix with energy factors. [...] It is written in a non-technical style for a wide range of readers both with and without [a]scientific background."
– Meteorologische Zeitschrift