In the 20th century, cheap and abundant energy brought previously unimaginable advances in health, wealth, and technology, and fed an explosion in population and consumption. But this growth came at an incredible cost. Climate change, peak oil, freshwater depletion, species extinction, and a host of[...]

This stark look at prospects for a truly sustainable culture speaks frankly about how it is time to "Powerdown," or to reduce per-capita resource usage in wealthy countries, develop alternative energy sources, and much more.[...]

The 20th century saw unprecedented growth in population, energy consumption and food production. As the population shifted from rural to urban, human impacts on the environment increased dramatically. The 21st century ushered in an era of declines, including: oil, natural gas and coal extraction yea[...]

Climate change, along with the depletion of oil, coal, and gas, dictate that we will inevitably move away from our profound societal reliance on fossil fuels; but just how big a transformation will this be? While many policy-makers assume that renewable energy sources will provide an easy "plug-and-[...]

Dealing with the imminent decline of cheap oil, this book shows how oil and war have been closely related in the 20th century. Tracing the crucial role of fossil fuels in the rise of industrialism, it discusses the degree to which energy alternatives can compensate for oil, and recommends a global p[...]

Includes an overview of the likely impacts of oil and natural gas depletion and then outlines four options for industrial societies. This book explores how three important groups within global society - the power elites, the organized opposition to the elites (the 'activist' movements), and ordinary[...]

Coal looks like a solution to many of our energy problems. This title focuses on the tough energy questions that dominate every sphere of public policy throughout the first half of this century. It is suitable for educators and those concerned about energy security, oil depletion and climate change.[...]

The financial crisis that has blighted the world's richest countries since 2008 was a turning point in human history because it ushered in an era in which economies will tend to shrink rather than grow. Incomes will decline because the natural resources required for growth - particularly oil, the li[...]