Ten Technologies To Save The Planet [Paperback]

'Ten Technologies is superb - it cuts like lightning through the myths and muddled thinking surrounding energy issues. It is vital, topical, and a very fresh approach' Mark Lynas. '[A] brilliantly concise and clear-eyed account' Fred Pearce, New Scientist.

A good story for once: introducing the innovators and innovations that will tackle climate change head-on

Everyone agrees we need to slash global greenhouse emissions. But how do we actually achieve that? Politicians can set targets and consumers can try to live greener lives. But the world will only avoid runaway global warming with the help of technological breakthroughs. In this fascinating book, Chris Goodall profiles ten technologies to watch, explaining how they work and telling the stories of the inventors and entrepreneurs driving them forward. Some of Goodall's selections, such as the electric car, are familiar. Others are more surprising. Algae, for example, can soak up carbon dioxide and produce fuel, while charcoal made from waste vegetable and forestry matter can lock carbon into soils and reduce the need for fertilizers. Cutting-edge and accessible, this is popular science at its most crucial.

"Rewarding and essential, Ten Technologies combines rigorous research and an accessible tone." BBC Green Not all the news about climate change is bad. Scientists and entrepreneurs around the world are making rapid progress in working out how to keep the economy moving at the same time as reducing greenhouse gases. Could giant solar farms in the Sahara provide all of Europe's energy? Can we really expect to make petrol from wood and straw? Could burying charcoal help solve global warming? And can green energy actually help to revive the world economy? Combining cutting-edge analysis and the fascinating stories of inventors, scientists and entrepreneurs, Ten Technologies to Save the Planet answers these and many other questions, and busts a raft of myths along the way. Assessing everything from electric cars and carbon capture through to tidal turbines in the violent waters of the Pentland Firth, Chris Goodall doesn't pretend that the road ahead is easy, but he shows that we have the technology in development to address climate change. Engaging and authoritative, this is popular science writing at its most crucial.

Chris Goodall is a world-leading expert on climate change solutions. He writes an environment column in the Independent on Sunday and regularly features on Newsnight and other television shows. His book, How to Live a Low-carbon Life, won the 2007 Clarion award for non-fiction, and he publishes Carbon Commentary, a website providing incisive appraisal of climate issues.