Children of the Sun: A History of Humanity's Unappeasable Appetite for Energy |
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Children of the Sun: A History of Humanity's Unappeasable Appetite for Energy
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by Alfred W. Crosby
Sales Rank: 162166
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$9.95
At Amazon
on 6-21-2008.
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Features
Cover Type: Hard Cover with 208 pages
Published by: W. W. Norton January 9, 2006
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0393059359
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0393059359
Book Dimensions:
8.2 x 5.4 x 1 inches
Weighs: 9.6 ounces
From Publishers Weekly
Ever since cultivating fire, the human species has depended on tapping new sources of energy for survival, writes global historian Crosby (Germs, Seeds, and Animals: Studies in Ecological History). This enjoyable, humorously anecdotal study provides a succinct overview of our voracious "appetite for energy," most particularly the inventive (and indiscriminate) exploitation of sunshine in its fossilized forms—peat, coal, oil and natural gas. The hunter-gatherers of the Paleolithic era depended on muscle power to move through their world, and not much changed, Crosby notes, until the advent of the Industrial Revolution, when the first steam-powered engine was invented in 1712 by ironmonger Thomas Newcomen (James Watt, Crosby says, merely improved on Newcomen's design). Advances in harnessing energy trapped in organic matter followed quickly: whale oil used for lighting was supplanted by coal gas, kerosene distilled from petroleum and finally Thomas Edison's light bulb—itself powered by the electricity generated from coal and oil. This history explores how an ingenious and adaptable humankind found ever more efficient ways to harness "concentrated sun energy." Crosby is optimistic about the Earth's future—with the caveat that that future could be bleak without another energy breakthrough. black and white illus. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
The last shall be first: Crosby concludes that civilization has maximized its exploitation of solar energy (whether in renewable or fossilized form) and will have to go nuclear if its energy desires are to be satiated. Tracing the historical route to this impasse, the author's trim tome has a droll tone that should make it considerably more appealing than the current torrent of grimmer, longer, and agenda-driven books on this subject. A veteran ecological historian, Crosby structures his story by the landmarks of energy technology--fire, the dynamo, the internal-combustion engine. And he emphasizes the indolent element of human nature: we like to get more work done with less effort. Surprisingly, cooking starts off Crosby's survey: it eased digestion, increased edibles, and probably helped induce the domestication of animals. These labor savers, Crosby illustrates in anecdotal style, reigned as the muscle-power maximum of energy production until Thomas Newcomen's 1712 steam engine ignited the Industrial Revolution. An entertaining history of the energy conundrum. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Reader Reviews
There aren't many books written for everybody. This one fits squarely in that limited niche. After all, fuel, in one form or another, is a universal human demand. Since the science of energy use and climate change appears to miss many readers, Alfred Crosby has decided to lead readers along a smoother path. It's clear, as the fuel crisis grows more visible and corrective action is in such short supply, the more people understand what is happening, the better. Ignorance of our situation, in Crosby's view, is a major roadblock to prompting us to consider our options carefully. In this highly readable account, he explains clearly our dependence on fossil fuels and the impact of that reliance. He lines out how human fuel use has progressed over the centuries. Our awareness of the true source of those fuels, our host star, came late. Almost too late. Our energy use has gone through a series of mighty jumps. At one time we used as much fuel as we could consume as food. From that balance we have progressed to using about 115 times as much energy as our ancestors did. How has this circumstance come about? The sun, of course, is the foundation of all our energy. Ancient trees, covered over with layers of soil turned rock, became the coal foundation for industrial development. Ancient bodies through a similar process became oil, hence petroleum. Your electricity likely derives from those old trees, while your auto belches the last remains of those animal corpses. Even the replacement energy form of wind is solar driven. Nuclear power, especially the promised version of fusion, relies on our knowledge of mechanisms making sunlight. With oil manifestly running out, Crosby notes, more attention must be given to the alternatives. Throughout this account, the science underlying the author's message is manifest, yet he doesn't overwhelm the reader with its presence. The message remains that we must understand what underpins our energy gluttony and why it must be directed to new forms. These new forms must be considered carefully. Crosby's major contribution in the discussion of energy and the replacements for declining oil and polluting coal is the costs of the alternatives. Hydrogen, so plentiful and clean, is expensive to produce and deliver. Nuclear fusion, once so promising, is a distant prospect. Crosby explains the fusion option perhaps better than any commentator to date. Atomic fission, already in place, has been beset by popular fears, yet is a major factor in France, which has run a safe nuclear programme for years. Nearly 80% of France's electricity is nuclear generated, while the US, the planet's overweening energy consumer, has barely achieved 20%. He's forthright in his assessment of the issues, and vivid in his denunciation of our unconscious and unconscionable consumption. There are viable solutions, but we must be prepared to tolerate the costs and potential inconvenience of turning to them. We know how to make fuel-efficient engines, only the political will is lacking. SUVs must no longer be exempt from emission and economy standards. We must recognise our dependence on fossil fuels need not be so great. It is, Crosby argues, like a drug. Habits can be changed with a bit of effort. The alternatives are there to be tapped. He reminds us that we have endured change before. We can endure another if we but act. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
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Children of the Sun: A History of Humanity's Unappeasable Appetite for Energy
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Updated on 6-21-2008.
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