Alternative Energy For Dummies

Introduction 1

Part I: The Basic Facts of Energy Life 9

Chapter 1: What a Mess! 11

Chapter 2: What Energy Is and How It’s Used (Politically and Practically) 25

Chapter 3: Putting Together Each Piece of the Energy Puzzle 37

Part II: Digging Deeper into the Current State of Affairs 57

Chapter 4: Developing a Snapshot of Fossil Fuel Use and Availability 59

Chapter 5: Burning Up with Conventional Energy Sources 73

Chapter 6: The First Alternative-Energy Sources: Efficiency and Conservation 95

Chapter 7: Understanding the Demand For Alternatives 113

Part III: Alternatives — Buildings 127

Chapter 8: Going Nuclear  129

Chapter 9: Harnessing the Sun with Solar Power 151

Chapter 10: Treading Water with Hydropower 177

Chapter 11: Blowing Away with Wind Power 191

Chapter 12: Digging into Geothermal 207

Chapter 13: Exploring Biomass 221

Chapter 14: Burning Wood 235

Chapter 15: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies 249

Part IV: Alternatives — Transportation 261

Chapter 16: Alternative Transport Technologies 263

Chapter 17: Alternative-Fuel Vehicles 271

Chapter 18: Plugging In: Electric Vehicles 283

Chapter 19: Hybrid-Electric Vehicles 297

Chapter 20: Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Vehicles 307

Chapter 21: Exotic Propulsion Systems 315

Part V: The Part of Tens 325

Chapter 22: Ten or So Myths about Energy 327

Chapter 23: Ten-Plus Ways to Invest in an Alternative-Energy Future 335

Index 343