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Friday, October 28, 2011

The quest : energy, security and the remaking of the modern world

View full image by Daniel YerginThe quest for energy is quite simply the quest for power, argues energy expert Yergin. Unanticipated events manmade and natural, from the coup in Egypt whose ripples threaten to destabilize oil production in the Middle East to the earthquakes that destabilized Japan's nuclear energy plants can pivot the world's economy as more and more emerging nations demand more energy. Yergin, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Prize (1991), begins by detailing how the energy system of oil, gas, and electrical power has fueled the economic growth of the modern world. He goes on to provide a close examination of the concerns about the environment, terrorism, geopolitics, and economics that will affect changes in energy sources. He offers context for growing scientific concern about climate change, China's huge stores of coal reserves that make it self-sufficient but threaten the environment, and new perspectives on energy, from Brazil's rising role as ethanol producer to growing investment across the world in renewable energy sources, including solar and wind power. A comprehensive, accessible look at energy. --Booklist (Check Catalog)