Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
missing the point, 22 Mar 2008
There is much to admire in this book but it is sadly underestimating the scale of the problem.It is understandable that we should pursue alternative energy production considering the massive pollution and problems fossil fuels have caused and that we are on the verge of 'peak oil.But it is logistically impossible, given the scale and complexity of the task (a planet with a population of 6 Billion going on 10 Billion for a start) and that much oil will be needed to build the technology , transport and maintain parts etc.The time just isn't there either, all this will take many, many decades.Yes i suppose we have to try.We are socially conditioned in the west (but soon globally)to live and expect our comfortable lifestyles.It would take untold generations to ween ourselves off, how many centuries is that? again we simply don't have the time.This idea that we can invent our way out of trouble is another of many examples of mankind's misplaced arrogance. (after all we believe(d) that we're so important and so clever that we must have been created by a God and if that's not enough, in his image !)The truth is that inventing got us in the mess we're in today,and in a very short space of time.Most inventions solve one problem but tend to have a knock on effect of creating others in their place. The motor car has for instance killed over 17 million people directly and even more if you factor in pollution, it has caused us to build on open countryside, used up resources, made us unfit and unhealthy and on and on...The other factor is that 'The environment/Global issues' are not just about climate change/global warming.These are just buzz words to try and help us grasp the enormity and scale of the problems.Previously it's been 'Acid Rain','The Rainforests','The ozone Layer'etc. The truth is it's all these things plus global dimming,soil erosion,methane,meat production,over population,air quality,mass species extinction, pollution of the oceans and seas,deforestation,globalisation,peak oil,aswell as the coming energy crisis (add on rising crime, increased mental health issues and other social issues) Eventually massive chang will be forced on us that will change the way we are able to live for all the above mentioned reasons. It is likely that this will happen sooner rather than later, probalbly the first half of this century.All this before a fraction of these new Technologies can get off the ground and have any real impact. A book to read by the way is 'Extinction, Evolution and the End of Man' by Michael Boulter which is much more realistic.I have been campaigning for over 25 years on Environmental issues and been a Vegetarian for 30 odd years .(a recent UN report concluded that the meat industry is responsible for 18% of all greenhouse gases, more than all transport put together, plus deforestation example) yet i only just lead a sustainable lifestyle. The bottom line is that many thousands of years ago a set of circumstances came about on this planet that allowed for conditions suitable for Human life.It stands to reason that if we alter that (which we obviously have) we then endager our very existence.Our misplaced arrogance has us believe we can trump Nature.The last 250 years suggest otherwise, yet we are going to continue down that road, continue to create more problems and continue to fail.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent overview, 15 Aug 2008
Personally I found this book inspirational. It offers an enthusiastic overview of how people are trying to create answers to our energy requirements, ones that can wean us off oil. It is an excellent introduction to where research and start ups are leading us and very useful for anyone interested in the topic.
It doesn't purport to have all the answers but does show that there is hope if we can open our minds to new solutions. Now is a time for great exploration, we have to try many things and here we see some of the people who are helping to shape our future world.
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