Books
No Miracles Needed
How Today's Technology Can Save Our Climate and Clean Our Air
Mark Z. Jacobson | 2023
The world needs to turn away from fossil fuels and use clean, renewable sources of energy as soon as we can. Failure to do so will cause catastrophic climate damage sooner than you might think, leading to loss of biodiversity and economic and political instability. But all is not lost! We still have time to save the planet without resorting to ‘miracle’ technologies. We need to wave goodbye to outdated technologies, such as natural gas and carbon capture, and repurpose the technologies that we already have at our disposal. We can use existing technologies to harness, store, and transmit energy from wind, water, and solar sources to ensure reliable electricity, heat supplies, and energy security. Find out what you can do to improve the health, climate, and economic state of our planet. Together, we can solve the climate crisis, eliminate air pollution and safely secure energy supplies for everyone.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Book Reviews
The Stanford University academic has a compelling pitch: the world can rapidly get 100% of its energy from renewable sources with, as the title of his new book says, “no miracles needed”.
Wind, water and solar can provide plentiful and cheap power, he argues, ending the carbon emissions driving the climate crisis, slashing deadly air pollution and ensuring energy security. Carbon capture and storage, biofuels, new nuclear and other technologies are expensive wastes of time, he argues.
– Damian Carrington, The Guardian
Professor Jacobson’s scholarly and analytical book is persuasive in other ways, too. In common with Mr Gates, he believes everything that can reasonably be electrified should be. He rightly denounces the inefficiency of internal-combustion engines and other fossil-burning generators in comparison with electric alternatives. He acknowledges that long-distance transport and certain industrial applications will require fuels such as hydrogen, rather than electricity, if they are to be decarbonised. And he cleverly rebuts concerns about the variability of wind and solar generation: big power plants, he notes, are themselves often unavailable owing to scheduled maintenance and outages. Much of France’s nuclear fleet has recently been offline, wreaking havoc on its grid.
Author Book Discussions
About the Author
Mark Z. Jacobson is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Atmosphere/Energy program at Stanford University.
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