Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air
David Mackay   

Summary

A good summary of the different forms of sustainable energy and how efficient they are. Written over a decade ago but still great knowledge to understanding our transition to green energy

Rating: 4/5

Notes

‘Nature cannot be fooled’ - Richard Feynman

Building sustainable energy to a scale that can deal with the UK population is so large it’s hard to imagine

Our consumption stack doesn’t stack up with the renewable stack, excluding nuclear

Renewables at the time of writing powered 4% of Britain’s power consumption

Proposal: electrify transport, use heat pumps, use green electricity from nuclear and ask other countries for renewables, particularly solar power in the dessert

Public transit and electric cars are the most fuel efficient ways of ground transport

Ocean liners use more energy per passenger than jumbo jets

To get nuclear to be even more efficient, we need faster breeder reactors and ocean extraction of uranium

Thorium would be a useful alternative to uranium if it runs out

People living near coal powered plants are exposed to more radiant than those living next to nuclear power plants

The key for nuclear fusion is the deutrium deutrium reactions

North America needs solar in desserts, nuclear and/or both

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