A History Of Energy

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Energy and Civilization

Vaclav Smil
Energy and Civilization Book PDF

Author : Vaclav Smil
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 564 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2018-11-13
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780262536165

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Energy and Civilization by Vaclav Smil Pdf

A comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. "I wait for new Smil books the way some people wait for the next 'Star Wars' movie. In his latest book, Energy and Civilization: A History, he goes deep and broad to explain how innovations in humans' ability to turn energy into heat, light, and motion have been a driving force behind our cultural and economic progress over the past 10,000 years. —Bill Gates, Gates Notes, Best Books of the Year Energy is the only universal currency; it is necessary for getting anything done. The conversion of energy on Earth ranges from terra-forming forces of plate tectonics to cumulative erosive effects of raindrops. Life on Earth depends on the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy into plant biomass. Humans have come to rely on many more energy flows—ranging from fossil fuels to photovoltaic generation of electricity—for their civilized existence. In this monumental history, Vaclav Smil provides a comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. Humans are the only species that can systematically harness energies outside their bodies, using the power of their intellect and an enormous variety of artifacts—from the simplest tools to internal combustion engines and nuclear reactors. The epochal transition to fossil fuels affected everything: agriculture, industry, transportation, weapons, communication, economics, urbanization, quality of life, politics, and the environment. Smil describes humanity's energy eras in panoramic and interdisciplinary fashion, offering readers a magisterial overview. This book is an extensively updated and expanded version of Smil's Energy in World History (1994). Smil has incorporated an enormous amount of new material, reflecting the dramatic developments in energy studies over the last two decades and his own research over that time.

Energy in the Americas

Amelia Marie Kiddle
Energy in the Americas Book PDF

Author : Amelia Marie Kiddle
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2021
Category : HISTORY
ISBN : 1552389405

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Energy in the Americas by Amelia Marie Kiddle Pdf

"Energy in the Americas provides a hemispheric perspective on the historical construction of contemporary debates on the role of energy in society Understanding the history of energy and its evolving place of energy in society is essential to face the changing future of energy production. Across North and South America, national and localized understandings of energy as a common, public, or market good have influenced the development of energy industries. Energy in the Americas brings the diverse energy histories of North and South American nations into dialogue with one another, presenting an integrated hemispheric framework for understanding the historical constructions of contemporary debates on the role of energy in society. Rejecting pat truisms, this collection historicizes the experiences of producers and policymakers and assesses the interplay between environmental, technological, political, and ideological influences within and between countries and continents. Breaking down assumptions about the evolution of national energy histories, Energy in the Americas broadens and opens the conversation. De-emphasizing traditional focus on national peculiarities, it favours an international, integrated approach that brings together the work of established and emerging scholars. This is an essential step in understanding the circumstances that have created current energy policy and practice, and the historical narratives that underpin how energy production is conceptualized and understood."--

A History of Energy Flows

Anthony N. Penna
A History of Energy Flows Book PDF

Author : Anthony N. Penna
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2019-09-18
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780429960734

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A History of Energy Flows by Anthony N. Penna Pdf

This book presents a global and historical perspective of energy flows during the last millennium. The search for sustainable energy is a key issue dominating today’s energy regime. This book details the historical evolution of energy, following the overlapping and slow flowing transitions from one regime to another. In doing so it seeks to provide insight into future energy transitions and the means of utilizing sustainable energy sources to reduce humanity’s fossil fuel footprint. The book begins with an examination of the earliest and most basic forms of energy use, namely, that of humans metabolizing food in order to work, with the first transition following the domestication and breeding of horses and other animals. The book also examines energy sources key to development during the industrialization and mechanization, such as wood and coal, as well as more recent sources, such as crude oil and nuclear energy. The book then assesses energy flows that are at the forefront of sustainability, by examining green sources, such as solar, wind power and hydropower. While it is easy to see energy flows in terms of “revolutions,” transitions have taken centuries to evolve, and transitions are never fully global, as, for example, wood remains the primary fuel source for cooking in much of the developing world. This book not only demonstrates the longevity of energy transitions but also discusses the possibility for reducing transition times when technological developments provide inexpensive and safe energy sources that can reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of energy transitions, sustainable energy and environmental and energy history.

Energy

Richard Rhodes
Energy Book PDF

Author : Richard Rhodes
Publisher : Simon & Schuster
Page : 480 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2019-06-11
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9781501105364

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Energy by Richard Rhodes Pdf

A “meticulously researched” (The New York Times Book Review) examination of energy transitions over time and an exploration of the current challenges presented by global warming, a surging world population, and renewable energy—from Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning author Richard Rhodes. People have lived and died, businesses have prospered and failed, and nations have risen to world power and declined, all over energy challenges. Through an unforgettable cast of characters, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Rhodes explains how wood gave way to coal and coal made room for oil, as we now turn to natural gas, nuclear power, and renewable energy. “Entertaining and informative…a powerful look at the importance of science” (NPR.org), Rhodes looks back on five centuries of progress, through such influential figures as Queen Elizabeth I, King James I, Benjamin Franklin, Herman Melville, John D. Rockefeller, and Henry Ford. In his “magisterial history…a tour de force of popular science” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), Rhodes shows how breakthroughs in energy production occurred; from animal and waterpower to the steam engine, from internal-combustion to the electric motor. He looks at the current energy landscape, with a focus on how wind energy is competing for dominance with cast supplies of coal and natural gas. He also addresses the specter of global warming, and a population hurtling towards ten billion by 2100. Human beings have confronted the problem of how to draw energy from raw material since the beginning of time. Each invention, each discovery, each adaptation brought further challenges, and through such transformations, we arrived at where we are today. “A beautifully written, often inspiring saga of ingenuity and progress…Energy brings facts, context, and clarity to a key, often contentious subject” (Booklist, starred review).

Powering Up Canada

R. W. Sandwell
Powering Up Canada Book PDF

Author : R. W. Sandwell
Publisher : McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
Page : 503 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 2016
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9780773547865

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Powering Up Canada by R. W. Sandwell Pdf

A comprehensive history of energy sources - from wood to nuclear - and their role in shaping Canadian society.

Energy In World History

Vaclav Smil
Energy In World History Book PDF

Author : Vaclav Smil
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 318 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2019-04-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9780429720123

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Energy In World History by Vaclav Smil Pdf

Every human activity entails the conversion of energy. Changes in the fundamental sources of energy, and in the use of energy sources, are a basic dimension of the evolution of society. Our appreciation of the significance of these processes is essential to a fuller understanding of world history. Vaclav Smil offers a comprehensive look at the role

Energy Transitions

Vaclav Smil
Energy Transitions Book PDF

Author : Vaclav Smil
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 190 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2010-05-26
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780313381782

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Energy Transitions by Vaclav Smil Pdf

This bold and controversial argument shows why energy transitions are inherently complex and prolonged affairs, and how ignoring this fact raises unrealistic expectations that the United States and other global economies can be weaned quickly from a primary dependency on fossil fuels. Energy transitions are fundamental processes behind the evolution of human societies: they both drive and are driven by technical, economic, and social changes. In a bold and provocative argument, Energy Transitions: History, Requirements, Prospects describes the history of modern society's dependence on fossil fuels and the prospects for the transition to a nonfossil world. Vaclav Smil, who has published more on various aspects of energy than any working scientist, makes it clear that this transition will not be accomplished easily, and that it cannot be accomplished within the timetables established by the Obama administration. The book begins with a survey of the basic properties of modern energy systems. It then offers detailed explanations of universal patterns of energy transitions, the peculiarities of changing energy use in the world's leading economies, and the coming shifts from fossil fuels to renewable conversions. Specific cases of these transitions are analyzed for eight of the world's leading energy consumers. The author closes with perspectives on the nature and pace of the coming energy transition to renewable conversions.

A History of Energy

Bent Sorensen
A History of Energy Book PDF

Author : Bent Sorensen
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 551 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2013-02-28
Category : History
ISBN : 9781136487897

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A History of Energy by Bent Sorensen Pdf

In this seminal book, Bent Sørensen views human society as driven by the quest for, and control of, energy. From allowing our prehistoric ancestors to survive harsh northern European winters to more recent global energy security and climate concerns, the control and effective harnessing of energy sources has played a central role in human development. Using the written and archaeological record and, from earlier times, inferring the energy needs of humans through modeling of climatological conditions and other indirect parameters, Sørensen unwraps this previously little-explored field. Based on detailed studies of northern Europe – and in particular the case of Denmark – the focus moves from the stone age, through the development of agriculture and trade, migration and exploration, medieval society and the renaissance, into industrial times and present-day debates around the transition to low-carbon forms of energy supply. This riveting examination of a nascent field of study provides a new perspective for historians and those wishing to gain a deeper understanding of the background to present-day energy debates.

Concise Encyclopedia of the History of Energy

Cutler J. Cleveland
Concise Encyclopedia of the History of Energy Book PDF

Author : Cutler J. Cleveland
Publisher : Academic Press
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2009-10-05
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 0123751187

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Concise Encyclopedia of the History of Energy by Cutler J. Cleveland Pdf

The Concise Encyclopedia of the History of Energy draws together in a single volume a comprehensive account of the field from the prestigious and award-winning Encyclopedia of Energy (2004). This volume covers all aspects of energy history with authoritative articles authoritatively contributed and edited by an interdisciplinary team of experts. Extensively revised since the original publication of they Encylopedia of Energy, this work describes the most interesting historical developments of the past five years in the energy sector. A concise desk reference for researchers and interested in any aspect of the history of energy science Provides eminently cost-effective access to some of the most interesting articles in Encyclopedia of Energy Significantly revised to accommodate the latest trends in each field of enquiry

A History of Thermodynamics

Ingo Müller
A History of Thermodynamics Book PDF

Author : Ingo Müller
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2007-07-16
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783540462279

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A History of Thermodynamics by Ingo Müller Pdf

This book offers an easy to read, all-embracing history of thermodynamics. It describes the long development of thermodynamics, from the misunderstood and misinterpreted to the conceptually simple and extremely useful theory that we know today. Coverage identifies not only the famous physicists who developed the field, but also engineers and scientists from other disciplines who helped in the development and spread of thermodynamics as well.

Wind Energy in America

Robert W. Righter
Wind Energy in America Book PDF

Author : Robert W. Righter
Publisher : University of Oklahoma Press
Page : 402 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 1996
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 0806128127

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Wind Energy in America by Robert W. Righter Pdf

Relates the history of the efforts to capture the power of wind for electricity, from the first European windmills to California's wind farms of the late twentieth century.

The Science of Energy

Crosbie Smith
The Science of Energy Book PDF

Author : Crosbie Smith
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 424 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Science
ISBN : 0226764206

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The Science of Energy by Crosbie Smith Pdf

Although we take it for granted today, the concept of "energy" transformed nineteenth-century physics. In The Science of Energy, Crosbie Smith shows how a North British group of scientists and engineers, including James Joule, James Clerk Maxwell, William and James Thomson, Fleeming Jenkin, and P. G. Tait, developed energy physics to solve practical problems encountered by Scottish shipbuilders and marine engineers; to counter biblical revivalism and evolutionary materialism; and to rapidly enhance their own scientific credibility. Replacing the language and concepts of classical mechanics with terms such as "actual" and "potential" energy, the North British group conducted their revolution in physics so astutely and vigorously that the concept of "energy"—a valuable commodity in the early days of industrialization—became their intellectual property. Smith skillfully places this revolution in its scientific and cultural context, exploring the actual creation of scientific knowledge during one of the most significant episodes in the history of physics.

Power Trip

Michael E. Webber
Power Trip Book PDF

Author : Michael E. Webber
Publisher : Basic Books
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2019-05-07
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781541644380

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Power Trip by Michael E. Webber Pdf

A global tour of energy--the builder of human civilization and also its greatest threat. Energy is humanity's single most important resource. In fact, as energy expert Michael E. Webber argues in Power Trip, the story of how societies rise can be told largely as the story of how they manage energy sources through time. In 2019, as we face down growing demand for and accumulating environmental impacts from energy, we are at a crossroads and the stakes are high. But history shows us that energy's great value is that it allows societies to reinvent themselves. Power Trip explores how energy has transformed societies of the past and offers wisdom for today's looming energy crisis. There is no magic bullet; energy advances always come with costs. Scientific innovation needs public support. Energy initiatives need to be tailored to individual societies. We must look for long-term solutions. Our current energy crisis is real, but it is solvable. We have the power.

Cold War Energy

Jeronim Perović
Cold War Energy Book PDF

Author : Jeronim Perović
Publisher : Springer
Page : 425 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2017-02-28
Category : History
ISBN : 9783319495323

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Cold War Energy by Jeronim Perović Pdf

This book examines the role of Soviet energy during the Cold War. Based on hitherto little known documents from Western and Eastern European archives, it combines the story of Soviet oil and gas with general Cold War history. This volume breaks new ground by framing Soviet energy in a multi-national context, taking into account not only the view from Moscow, but also the perspectives of communist Eastern Europe, the US, NATO, as well as several Western European countries – namely Italy, France, and West Germany. This book challenges some of the long-standing assumptions of East-West bloc relations, as well as shedding new light on relations within the blocs regarding the issue of energy. By bringing together a range of junior and senior historians and specialists from Europe, Russia and the US, this book represents a pioneering endeavour to approach the role of Soviet energy during the Cold War in transnational perspective.

To Have and Have Not

Brian C. Black
To Have and Have Not Book PDF

Author : Brian C. Black
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
Page : 311 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2022-05-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9781538105047

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To Have and Have Not by Brian C. Black Pdf

A 2023 Choice Reviews Outstanding Academic Title Written by a leading scholar, this essential introduction to the history of energy traces one of humans’ most basic ecological interactions: energy exchange. From fire to agriculture, water wheels to electric dynamos, the rise in intensity led humans to define a new “high energy” existence during the twentieth century. Industrialization and consumption increased the connection between energy and economic and political power, clarifying its importance throughout the world wars and into the Cold War. To Have and Have Not reveals a world in which energy supply now defines global standing, starkly revealing the connection between history and current events that perfectly situates our modern conundrum of a future without fossil fuels. Climate change and the supply of sustainable energy now permeates our modern policy making as we bear witness to the waning years of energy borrowed from the distant past. Brian Black argues that our history of growing energy reliance and past transitions is essential context for understanding our inevitable shift to cleaner energy. Placing this story within the current, rapidly changing historical discourse, this book is timely and persuasive as it lays out our current transition from fossil fuels.