Energies

by Smil, Vaclav

• ISBN13: 9780262194105
• ISBN10: 0262194104
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-12-05
• Publisher: Mit Pr

Summary

Energy is the only universal currency. One of its many forms must be transformed into another in order for stars to shine, planets to rotate, living things to grow, and civilizations to evolve. Recognition of this universality was one of the great achievements of nineteenth-century science, yet even today there is little literature that tries to view the world broadly through the prism of energy. In this highly original book, ecologist Vaclav Smil takes the principle of universality seriously, presenting a comprehensive and integrated survey of all the forms of energy that shape our world, from the sun to the human body, from bread to microchips. Written in a scientifically sophisticated yet accessible style, Energiesconsists of eighty-two short essays organized under six headings: Sun and Earth, Plants and Animals, People and Food, Preindustrial Societies, Fossil-Fueled Civilization, and Motion and Information. Each essay explains the science of the energy form as well as its implications for the functioning of the universe, life, or human society. Cross-links and summary diagrams allow easy comparisons among the various levels and flows of energy.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	viii	(2)
Energy's Unique Allure: An Unorthodox Look	x	(2)
An Overview of Concepts and Units	xii
1 Sun and Earth	1	(36)
Sun	1	(3)
Solar Radiation	4	(3)
Atmosphere	7	(2)
Planet Earth	9	(3)
Winds	12	(2)
Rains	14	(3)
Oceans	17	(2)
Rivers	19	(2)
Earth's Heat	21	(2)
Geotectonics	23	(4)
Earthquakes	27	(2)
Volcanoes	29	(2)
Denudation	31	(2)
Space Encounters	33	(4)
2 Plants and Animals	37	(42)
Adenosine Triphosphate	37	(2)
Archaea and Bacteria	39	(3)
Photosynthesis	42	(2)
C(3) and C(4) Plants	44	(2)
Phytoplankton	46	(3)
Forests	49	(3)
Grasslands	52	(2)
Heterotrophic Metabolism	54	(3)
Reproduction	57	(2)
Growth	59	(2)
Endotherms and Ectotherms	61	(2)
Food Chains	63	(2)
Herbivores	65	(3)
Carnivores	68	(2)
Swimming	70	(2)
Running and Jumping	72	(3)
Flying	75	(4)
3 People and Food	79	(26)
Basal Metabolism	79	(2)
Thermoregulation	81	(2)
Pregnancy and Lactation	83	(2)
Human Growth	85	(2)
Walking and Running	87	(3)
Labor and Leisure	90	(2)
Nutrients	92	(2)
Grains	94	(3)
Bread	97	(2)
Lipids and Meat	99	(2)
Milk	101	(1)
Ethanol	102	(3)
4 Preindustrial Societies	105	(28)
Hunters and Gatherers	106	(2)
Shifting Cultivation	108	(1)
Traditional Agricultures	109	(3)
Cattle	112	(2)
Horses	114	(3)
Wood, Charcoal, and Straw	117	(3)
Waterwheels	120	(2)
Windmills	122	(3)
Copper, Iron, and Steel	125	(3)
Gunpowder	128	(2)
Sailships	130	(3)
5 Fossil-Fueled Civilization	133	(42)
Fossil Fuels and Electricity	134	(2)
Coals	136	(3)
Crude Oils	139	(2)
Natural Gases	141	(2)
Steam Engines	143	(3)
Steam Turbines	146	(3)
Water Turbines	149	(3)
Fission Reactors	152	(2)
Transmission	154	(2)
Electric Motors	156	(2)
Lights	158	(2)
Internal Combustion Engines	160	(2)
Gas Turbines	162	(2)
Blast Furnaces	164	(3)
Aluminum	167	(2)
Nitrogen	169	(2)
Nuclear Weapons	171	(4)
6 Transportation and Information	175	(26)
Trains	175	(3)
Ships	178	(2)
Bicycles	180	(2)
Cars	182	(3)
Airplanes	185	(2)
Rockets	187	(2)
Pipelines	189	(2)
Tankers	191	(2)
Telephones	193	(3)
Radio and Television	196	(1)
Computers and Microchips	197	(4)
Further Reading	201	(7)
Index	208