‘Energy’ paints broad view of sector

By Harold Schobert

The past year has seen heightened public awareness of energy issues. The oil price increases to almost $150 per barrel were painful for everyone. Though oil is now selling for about one-third of its peak price, these low prices are quite possibly the eye of the storm, and oil costs may shoot up again when economic recovery begins.

Energy is inextricably linked with environment, particularly so in the relationships among energy use, carbon dioxide emissions and global climate change. Energy is also essential to our way of life. Most of the world’s nations show a good correlation between per capita energy consumption and measures of economic well-being, such as gross domestic product.

In the past few years, many books have appeared that address one or more of the major issues of energy availability, cost and environmental impacts.

Ingrid Kelly’s “Energy in America” is intended as a broad-brush “macroview” of the American energy sector, aimed primarily at readers who are not scientists or engineers. The prose is well written and easy to read. No special background knowledge of science or mathematics is needed to read and understand this book. surprisingly, this is reflected strongly in the book itself. The chapters on energy efficiency and conservation, and on community energy and sustainability, are especially good and well worth reading. Particularly important are the discussions of how ordinary citizens or community groups can participate in decision-making and affect energy policy as it might impact their communities or regions.

The author makes clear in the introduction, and throughout the book, a bias against the use of fossil fuels. Indeed, our society is now in a transition state between an energy economy overwhelmingly dominated by fossil fuels to a new one based on renewable, alternative energy sources.

History has shown repeatedly that the transition from one dominant energy form to another can take the better part of a century. We are still going to have to rely on fossil fuels as a component of our energy for several decades to come. It’s important that everyone, not just those in the energy industry, be insistent on responsible use of fossil fuels coupled with practical ways of mitigating the environmental consequences of their use.

Throughout this book, the author offers many useful tips and comments on personal and community involvement in energy issues, but never directly ties that helpful advice specifically to fossil fuels (an egregious example being the decision of the previous administration to allow “mountain topping” in coal mining).

The author also states in the introduction that this book is not a technical book. Unfortunately, that becomes painfully obvious throughout the text, where there are numerous incorrect or inaccurate statements. Examples: Aspirin is not distilled from coal tar. The plant matter that forms fossil fuels does not store carbon dioxide underground. Most natural gas is not created by bacteria. Voltage is not a difficult concept to define.

Whether one should acquire and read this book depends on what kind of information is being sought. Persons interested in energy issues, community involvement and actions that can be taken at a local or personal level will certainly profit from reading this book. Readers looking for energy science and technology will be better served by other books.

Harold Schobert is professor of fuel science in the department of energy and mineral engineering at Penn State, where he directed the Energy Institute from 1998 to 2006.