Smelling Land: The Hydrogen Defense Against Climate Catastrophe

Front Cover
Queen's Printer Publishing, 2008 - Technology & Engineering - 485 pages
Resolving the escalating issues surrounding climate destabilization will be one of the most important environmental challenges we face this century. Dr David Sanborn Scott, one of Canada's foremost energy experts, clearly demonstrates that we have only one real choice - Hydrogen. Using literate, lay-accessible, sometimes lyrical but never trivial explanations, Smelling Land gives a clear and comprehensive examination of: The architecture of civilization's energy systems; The critical role of energy currencies and the widespred blunders when this role is not recognized; How to evaluate environmental intrusion and general principles for environmental gentility; The mechanisms and status of climate disruption; Sustainability and the REASONS for a coming Hydrogen Age; Energy source options -to identify realistic expectations and expose myths; The wonders of hydrogen systems, from airplanes, to cars, submarines, laptop computers, mobile phones and heart pacers; How fast we can get to the Hydrogen Age (if we wake up to the true severity of the climate risk), why and what it will be like.
 

Contents

Preface to First Edition
3
Part
22
The Key to Systemic Liberty
33
The Energy System and its FiveLink Architecture
41
Whales and Whiskey Barrels
53
Mozart Metaphor and Math
73
Pathways to Environmental Gentility
83
Quantifying Environmental Intrusion
91
Part Eight HARVESTING ENERGY SOURCES
249
The Great Enemy of Truth
251
A Lot Will Be Left in the Ground
257
Renewables and Conventional Wishdom
267
Running out Wont Be a Problem
283
Youve Got to Be Carefully TaughtKnow Nukes
289
Part Nine WORKING WITH HYDROGEN
309
Harvesting Hydrogen
311

When You Cant Go Home Again
97
Controversy Conveyors and Consequences
119
Part Five SUSTAINABILITY AND THE COMING HYDROGEN
137
Template for Sustainability
139
The Tyranny of Surprise
149
The Case for Inevitability
155
For Better or Worse
161
Can Something Better Come Along?
167
Part Six EARTHS ENERGY SYSTEM
173
Afternoon on a Hillside
175
Conservation Confusion and Language
179
Entropy and Living Planets
189
Its Exergy
205
Exergy Takes Us Beyond the Lamppost
219
A Whiff of Earth from Afar
231
Part Seven INTERMEZZO
237
From Steam Engines to Symphonies
239
But Doesnt Hydrogen Explode?
319
Tethers and Transition Tactics
327
OK Now Tell Me About Cost
337
We Never Know Everything But
347
Chasing Locomotives
355
Chip of the Future
365
Hydrogen on Board
377
Contrails Against an Azure Sky
383
Nineteenth Century Prescience
403
Arrows on the Wall
409
If I Could Wave a Wand
421
If Shocked Awake How Fast Could We Get to the Hydrogen Age?
431
Our Sliver of Time
441
About Names Numbers and Units
449
Some Bits and Pieces
463
Appreciations
469
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