Generating Electricity from the Sun Book

An excellent book that gives the facts on our dependency on coal and oil. Bryce recommends natural gas as an interim solution that leads to nuclear.

In the light of Fukashima, I doubt that any democratically-elected government is brave enough to launch nuclear power plant construction, and in most countries, the population will be highly sceptical of shale gas extraction, which involves pumping water, sand and chemicals into the area where there might be aquifers.

I did not agree with him on two points: He talks about the power density of nuclear. Yes, the power plant and waste occupy small spaces, but the uranium mines involve vast areas of strip-mined land. He says that wind power needs lots of land, but the only part connected to the ground is the tower - a very small amount of real estate. And does it matter in the ocean?

He says that renewables cannot be used for base-line electricity production, but the introduction of the smart/super grid will address this problem.

If Thorium-based nuclear plants are sanctioned now, we will have to wait 20-30 years for the electricity. A huge amount of pollution and C02 will be released in the meantime, plus the "life-cycle cost and CO2 released in construction and fuelling/reprocessing. Building wind farms offshore will not take near as long.

Bryce does not mention tidal or wave power. The potential for tidal power is immense, and a good dollop of research investment will solve the technical problems.

Perhaps energy is proportional to prosperity, but I think the world has to redefine what prosperity really is and stop measuring in terms of GDP growth.

A great book, all the same - everyone should read it!