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Clean Energy Nation: Freeing America from the Tyranny of Fossil Fuels
Dangerous CO2 emissions, massive oil spills, dwindling supplies--the problems with fossil fuels are driving a long-overdue reassessment of our nation's energy policies. U.S. Congressman Jerry McNerney, a renewable energy engineer and the first representative with expertise in energy independence, leads the way to change. In Clean Energy Nation, he and journalist Martin Cheek make an impassioned argument for drastically reducing dependency on fossil fuels and developing sustainable, readily available energy sources--solar, wind, biofuel, geothermal, and hydrogen-based power. Bringing together a rare combination of scientific knowledge, political savvy, and insightful journalism, the authors reveal the pros and cons of alternative energy sources and examine how our nation became addicted to fossil fuels in the first place. The book reads like the dramatic story it is, complete with dire projections about peak oil and grim scenarios of rising oceans...keen insights into policies and players that have stalled progress on climate change and favored big oil...and astute recommendations for building a clean energy economy and a prosperous, stable future.
- GenresSustainability
310 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2011
3 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Jerry McNerney
1 bookCONGRESSMAN JERRY McNERNEY, PH.D., was elected to California’s 11th Congressional District in November 2006. He is a member of the House Select Committee on Global Warming and Energy Independence and the House Committee on Science and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, he was an energy consultant for Pacific Gas and Electric, FlowWind, and the Electric Power Research Institute.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 5, 2011
Dr. Gerald "Jerry" McNerney is an engineer, energy specialist, and US Congressman from California's 11th district. Clean Energy Nation reflects his professional education and experience as well as his experiences in Congress, working to advance realistic, rational energy and environmental policies.
McNerney's message is that global climate change is real and a major threat, oil and other fossil fuels really are starting to run out--and that the two problems compound each other. Global climate change increases our use of energy to maintain livably cool temperatures, grow food in increasingly dry regions by use of irrigation, rebuild after increasingly frequent and violent storms, and eventually relocate people, their homes, and their businesses inland from the places that will be underwater as the icecaps melt. Also, somewhat counter-intuitively, quite possibly to heat an increasingly frigid Europe, if the melting of the icecaps has the effect of turning off the North Atlantic conveyor that keeps northern Europe much warmer than equivalent latitudes in North America.
Burning fossil fuels, our primary means of getting energy now, unfortunately increases global warming.
McNerney lays out carefully and clearly how burning fossil fuels contributes to the greenhouse effect and causes climate change. He explains in terms everyone can understand how the combined effects of global climate change and the climbing cost of energy due to the fact that we're reaching our limits of production of fossil fuels that took millions of years to create and which can't be replaced, has serious negative effects for our health, our food supply, and our economy.
And he explains what we can do about it, if we don't wait too long to act.
He talks about the false start of the 1970s, when Carter, with good ideas but poor political skills and an unwise tendency to micromanagement, briefly turned us to more sustainable policies--and the undoing of that under Reagan, after oil prices fell. He talks about positive changes and more sustainable choices made under both Democratic and Republican presidents, by states and municipalities, and by private companies and individuals.
McNerney also talks about changes, progress, and new projects in other countries.
McNerney's biggest message, which he covers at length, is that far from being an economic cost to develop and switch to renewable resources and sustainable practices, it's in fact the only path open to us that allows economic growth, progress, and continued world leadership.
This is a highly readable, thoughtful, important book.
Highly recommended.
McNerney's message is that global climate change is real and a major threat, oil and other fossil fuels really are starting to run out--and that the two problems compound each other. Global climate change increases our use of energy to maintain livably cool temperatures, grow food in increasingly dry regions by use of irrigation, rebuild after increasingly frequent and violent storms, and eventually relocate people, their homes, and their businesses inland from the places that will be underwater as the icecaps melt. Also, somewhat counter-intuitively, quite possibly to heat an increasingly frigid Europe, if the melting of the icecaps has the effect of turning off the North Atlantic conveyor that keeps northern Europe much warmer than equivalent latitudes in North America.
Burning fossil fuels, our primary means of getting energy now, unfortunately increases global warming.
McNerney lays out carefully and clearly how burning fossil fuels contributes to the greenhouse effect and causes climate change. He explains in terms everyone can understand how the combined effects of global climate change and the climbing cost of energy due to the fact that we're reaching our limits of production of fossil fuels that took millions of years to create and which can't be replaced, has serious negative effects for our health, our food supply, and our economy.
And he explains what we can do about it, if we don't wait too long to act.
He talks about the false start of the 1970s, when Carter, with good ideas but poor political skills and an unwise tendency to micromanagement, briefly turned us to more sustainable policies--and the undoing of that under Reagan, after oil prices fell. He talks about positive changes and more sustainable choices made under both Democratic and Republican presidents, by states and municipalities, and by private companies and individuals.
McNerney also talks about changes, progress, and new projects in other countries.
McNerney's biggest message, which he covers at length, is that far from being an economic cost to develop and switch to renewable resources and sustainable practices, it's in fact the only path open to us that allows economic growth, progress, and continued world leadership.
This is a highly readable, thoughtful, important book.
Highly recommended.
July 28, 2023
This was a copy from the library dedicated to the memory of Roger Cole by the Loo Wit Group of the Sierra Club.
While an important book, there have been so many advances since 2012 that the book is very dated. The material is still interesting (if not dryly presented) for a study on what grand plans and prophecies ten years ago have worked or actually happened. So many times in this book you can read "by the year 2020" then have the ability to stop to look up what happened.
I'm upset that Costa Rica doesn't come up at all during this book despite being the only country to achieve an almost complete transition to renewables. They worked hard for that and spent their money wisely to do it! I'm also surprised that agriculture came up so frequently in terms of water, energy, and synthetic pesticide/ fertilizer, but not a mention that a lot of the problem would just go away if American's would stop overeating meat.
I do like that McNerney is one of the very few pro environment politicians willing to both offer an olive branch and give credit to Republicans for the good they've already done for the health of our planet. True inclusion for a fight that is all hands on deck. There isn't the time to be petty and bicker.
In short, if you're looking for a book about the current state of green energy, this is probably not the book for you. If you're looking for a "historical" read about green energy in the United States, have at it.
Just saying, McNerny recently retired. Maybe it's time to write an updated second edition.
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2018 (read in 2023): A book about a problem facing society today
While an important book, there have been so many advances since 2012 that the book is very dated. The material is still interesting (if not dryly presented) for a study on what grand plans and prophecies ten years ago have worked or actually happened. So many times in this book you can read "by the year 2020" then have the ability to stop to look up what happened.
I'm upset that Costa Rica doesn't come up at all during this book despite being the only country to achieve an almost complete transition to renewables. They worked hard for that and spent their money wisely to do it! I'm also surprised that agriculture came up so frequently in terms of water, energy, and synthetic pesticide/ fertilizer, but not a mention that a lot of the problem would just go away if American's would stop overeating meat.
I do like that McNerney is one of the very few pro environment politicians willing to both offer an olive branch and give credit to Republicans for the good they've already done for the health of our planet. True inclusion for a fight that is all hands on deck. There isn't the time to be petty and bicker.
In short, if you're looking for a book about the current state of green energy, this is probably not the book for you. If you're looking for a "historical" read about green energy in the United States, have at it.
Just saying, McNerny recently retired. Maybe it's time to write an updated second edition.
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2018 (read in 2023): A book about a problem facing society today
January 24, 2015
While I would agree that there was no earth shattering thoughts or ideas written in this book, It was still a thorough overview of the worlds energy situation. This book was written in a simplistic language that should appeal to readers that are just tapping into their curiosity of our current sustainability debate. This would be a good resource for high school students to read so that they can get a fair and balanced assessment of the future of the political landscape of energy policy.
January 19, 2012
This book was a great outline of where we are and where we should go, but if you've been following this stuff at all it'll all be a review. If you haven't been following anything, it'll be a good but dry summary.
If you're already in the sustainable energy choir, you don't need to read this book.
If you're already in the sustainable energy choir, you don't need to read this book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews