1. T
ENERGY IN A CHANGING CLIMATE Martin Nicholson
his book is written for the non-technical reader who has an interest in acquiring
a better understanding of energy and its impact on climate change. It provides
some much needed background on energy sources and their limitations and
describes the links between energy and climate change. It discusses various energy
based solutions to climate change and considers the financial consequences of these
solutions for both the economy and the energy consumer. It provides the reader
with a clear understanding of commonly used (but often not clearly explained)
terms like ‘renewable energy’, ‘baseload power’, ‘peak oil’, ‘biofuels’, ‘global warming’,
‘greenhouse gas emissions’, ‘energy security’, ‘emissions trading’, ‘carbon taxes’ and
‘carbon offsets’. It offers practical solutions to ways that the energy consumer can
save energy in the home, workplace and on the road.
There are widely differing views about solutions to energy and climate change.
This book provides an unbiased look at both sides of this debate and addresses
what still needs to be done before we can return to an all renewable energy economy.
Some conservationists see the problem as relatively straight forward requiring deep
cuts in emissions now by improving energy efficiency, energy conservation and
using only renewable resources. Many energy industry engineers and scientists see
the problem as being much more involved. This book looks at why using renewable
energy sources is not quite as simple as it seems. It considers the impact of aggressive
emission reduction targets that demand reductions before we have the technology
in place and the possible risks of such a strategy.
The book discusses the impact of energy changes on both the developed and
the developing world and the need to have solutions that will be widely accepted.
It considers some of the related political and economic issues that surround the
debate such as emissions trading, emissions taxing, offset schemes, incentives and
regulations with a description and comparison of each. It discusses what the energy
mix might look like over the next few decades and what would be
needed before we can have an all renewable energy future. It also
looks at the thorny issue of nuclear power and its place in the total
equation.
Martin Nicholson studied mathematics, engineering and elec-
trical sciences at Cambridge University in England and graduated
with a Masters degree in 1974. He has spent most of his working life
as business owner and chief executive of a number of information
technology companies in Australia. ISBN 9781877058813