The end of oil : on the edge of a perilous new world
Petroleum is now so deeply entrenched in our economy, our politics, and our personal expectations that even modest efforts to phase it out are fought tooth and nail by the most powerful forces in the world: companies and governments that depend on oil revenues; the developing nations that see oil as the only means to industrial success; and a Western middle class that refuses to modify its energy-dependent lifestyle. But within thirty years, by even conservative estimates, we will have burned our way through most of the oil that is easily accessible. And well before then, the side effects of an oil-based society -- economic volatility, geopolitical conflict, and the climate-changing impact of hydrocarbon pollution -- will render fossil fuels an all but unacceptable solution. How will we break our addiction to oil? And what will we use in its place to maintain a global economy and political system that are entirely reliant on cheap, readily available energy? Reported from around the globe, The End of Oil brings the world situation into fresh and dramatic focus for business and general readers alike. Roberts talks to both oil optimists and oil pessimists, delves deep into the economics and politics of oil, considers the promises and pitfalls of alternatives, and shows that, although the world energy system has begun its epoch-defining transition, disruption and violent dislocation are almost assured if we do not take a more proactive stance. With the topicality and readability of Fast Food Nation and the scope and trenchant analysis of Guns, Germs, and Steel, this is a vitally important book for the new century
eBook, English, 2005
1st Mariner books ed View all formats and editions
Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 2005
1 online resource (399 pages)
9780547525112, 9781299896680, 0547525117, 1299896685
773583560
pt. I. The free ride
1. Lighting the fire
2. The last of the easy oil
3. The future's so bright
4. Energy is power
5. Too hot
pt. II. On the road to nowhere
6. Give the people what they want
7. Big oil gets anxious
8. And now for something completely different
9. Less is more
pt. III. Into the blue
10. Energy security
11. The invisible hand
12. Digging in our heels
13. How do we get there?
"A Mariner book."