Energy: Resources, Utilisation, and Policies

The purpose of this volume is to describe succinctly and simply the forms of energy, energy resources and utilization. It gathers together information found in larger more complex books and less accessible reports and discussion papers. It is authoritative on methods which will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide discharged to atmosphere, leading to global warming. This book discusses the nature of energy and the "bound" chemical energy available to us in fossil fuel reserves and in uranium. The conservation of energy and the conversion of chemical energy into useful forms, in power plants for work and in heating devices for useful heat, are described. The implications for power plant design of the problem of CO2 production are explored. The attractions of using renewable resources to produce work and heat are described. A discussion of energy policies, national, European, and worldwide concludes the book.