Resources in Saint Mary's Libraries
Energy Transitions: Global and National Perspectives by
Based on the best international and national statistical sources, the second edition of Energy Transitions: Global and National Perspectives supplies an in-depth evaluation of how economies and nations around the world are striving to move away from traditional energy sources, the unfolding decarbonization process, and problems with intermittent energies and national transition plans. It supplies readers with a clear introduction to the basic properties of energy systems and key concepts of their appraisal, puts energy transition patterns in long-term historical perspective, and looks at the energy transition in eight of the world's leading economies. The last chapters focus on the advances in the decarbonization of the global energy supply and consider how the energy transition will continue in the coming decades. This fully updated and substantially expanded edition addresses the many new developments affecting energy supply, such as the recent expansion of hydraulic fracturing, oil price fluctuations, the Fukushima nuclear power plant catastrophe, advances in solar and wind generation, adoption of combined cycle gas turbines, and increased availability of electric cars. The coverage highlights the differences in the pace of transitions in various countries, thereby providing a complete and accurate picture of the current state of energy development in different parts of the world. The book serves as an invaluable resource for students as well as for anyone interested in a realistic appraisal of the current state of energy transitions in various nations and regions and the likely future development of the global energy supply.
Call Number: ebook; access using linkISBN: 9798400646126Publication Date: 2017
The Oxford Handbook of Energy Politics by
The global, regional, and local energy landscape has changed dramatically in the twenty-first century. Many factors have affected what we know about energy: a consensus among scientists on climate change and related support for renewable energy, evolving energy and resource extraction technologies, growing resource demand in the developing world, new regional and global energy governance actors, new major fossil fuel discoveries on land and underwater in states that have previously been under-resourced, rising interest in corporate social responsibility in energy companies, and the need for energy justice. The Oxford Handbook of Energy Politics synthesizes the diverse literature on these topics to provide a foundational resource for teaching and research on critical energy issues in international relations and comparative politics. Through chapters authored by both scholars and practitioners, the Handbook further develops the energy politics scholarship and community, and generates sophisticated new work that will benefit all who work on energy issues.
Call Number: Winona Campus Library General Collection - Lower Level ; 333.79 O98ISBN: 9780190861360Publication Date: 2020-12-02
Short Circuiting Policy: Interest Groups and the Battle Over Clean Energy and Climate Policy in the American States by
In 1999, Texas passed a landmark clean energy law, beginning a groundswell of new policies that promised to make the US a world leader in renewable energy. As Leah Stokes shows in Short Circuiting Policy, however, that policy did not lead to momentum in Texas, which failed to implement its solar laws or clean up its electricity system. Examining clean energy laws in Texas, Kansas, Arizona, and Ohio over a thirty-year time frame, Stokes argues that organized combat between advocate and opponent interest groups is central to explaining why states are not on track to address the climate crisis. She tells the political history of our energy institutions, explaining how fossil fuel companies and electric utilities have promoted climate denial and delay. Stokes further explains the limits of policy feedback theory, showing the ways that interest groups drive retrenchment through lobbying, public opinion, political parties and the courts. More than a history of renewable energy policy in modern America, Short Circuiting Policy offers a bold new argument about how the policy process works, and why seeming victories can turn into losses when the opposition has enough resources to roll back laws.
Call Number: Winona Campus Library General Collection - Lower Level ; 333.79 S87ISBN: 9780190074265Publication Date: 2020-04-15
Renewable Energy: Ten Short Lessons by
An expert introduction to the fascinating world of renewable energy and the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy that lies at the heart of a brighter climate future. In Renewable Energy: Ten Short Lessons, Stephen Peake distills the key issues of this timely subject, examining how we can harness the power of a range of groundbreaking energy technologies most effectively to achieve a sustainable energy future. Renewable energy is central to managing climate change and our transition to a sustainable energy supply for the 10 billion of us who will populate the earth by 2050. But how will we cope without fossil fuels to heat, cool, and light our buildings, power our industry, and run our transport systems? And are some renewables better than others? Packed full of easy-to-understand diagrams and fact boxes, these ten lessons cover all the basics, as well as the latest understanding and developments, to enlighten the nonscientist. About the series: The Pocket Einstein series is a collection of essential pocket-sized guides for anyone looking to understand a little more about some of the most important and fascinating areas of science in the twenty-first century. Broken down into ten simple lessons and written by leading experts in their field, the books reveal the ten most important takeaways from those areas of science you've always wanted to know more about.
Call Number: Winona Campus Library General Collection - Lower Level ; 333.794 P35ISBN: 9781421442426Publication Date: 2021-08-24
The Changing Flow of Energy Through the Climate System by
Kevin E. Trenberth emphasizes the fundamental role of energy flows in the climate system and anthropogenic climate change. The distribution of heat, or more generally, energy, is the main determinant of weather patterns in the atmosphere and their impacts. The topics addressed cover many facets of climate and the climate crisis. These include the diurnal cycle; the seasons; energy differences between the continents and the oceans, the poles and the tropics; interannual variability such as Niño; natural decadal variability; and ice ages. Human-induced climate change rides on and interacts with all of these natural phenomena, and the result is an unevenly warming planet and changing weather extremes. The book emphasizes the need to not only slow or stop climate change, but also to better prepare for it and build resilience. Students, researchers, and professionals from a wide range of backgrounds will benefit from this deeper understanding of climate change.
Call Number: Winona Campus Library General Collection - Upper Level ; 551.6 T79ISBN: 9781108838863Publication Date: 2022-01-13
Online Resources
- Climate Change Impacts on Energy (EPA)Our energy system is vulnerable to a wide range of climate change impacts. These include rising temperatures and heat waves, cold and snow events, severe drought, intense rainfall, sea level rise, hurricanes, and wildfires. While these impacts differ from one region to another, they will continue to affect all areas of the country. Moreover, impacts to one part of the energy system or in one region can affect other parts of the system or other areas.
- Renewable Energy (UN)Energy is at the heart of the climate challenge – and key to the solution. The science is clear: to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, emissions need to be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. To achieve this, we need to end our reliance on fossil fuels and invest in alternative sources of energy that are clean, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and reliable. Renewable energy sources – which are available in abundance all around us, provided by the sun, wind, water, waste, and heat from the Earth – are replenished by nature and emit little to no greenhouse gases or pollutants into the air.
- Energy is at the Heart of the Solution of Climate Challenge (IPCC)Our climate challenge is a shared global challenge – and it is largely an energy challenge. Energy accounts for over two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions. This means energy must be at the heart of any solution.