A broad survey of renewable-energy technologies, and a reasoned
call for their increased use. Berger (Restoring the Earth, 1985),
who describes himself as a "technological optimist," sounds an
already well-aired alarm: that America's dependence on fossil
fuels, many imported, is a recipe for financial and ecological
disaster. Holding that free markets in the $505 billion domestic
energy economy are a myth and that "government involvement in
energy is profound and unavoidable," he calls for an active program
of federal investment in renewable energy so that the country can
be energy-independent in a generation or two. Among the alternative
technologies he examines at length, solar power emerges as the
leading contender to replace much current oil use; although, as he
says, many critics consider solar power to be an "heirloom of the
1970s, a pet technology for environmentalists," it has also matured
considerably, so that solar panels that cost $1,000 a watt three
decades ago are now down to $4, holding the promise of cheap and
abundant energy. Berger looks into a host of other technologies,
among them wind, biomass, and geothermal energy, and a number of
intriguing alternative-fuel sources, especially ethanol made from
kenaf, a bamboolike grass. Technologically adept readers will
appreciate Berger's precise attention to detail, as when he
considers recent advances in miniaturizing solar cells, but those
without some background in engineering may find parts of the
narrative tough going. Even so, all readers should appreciate
Berger's call to raise our awareness of energy needs and uses -
even if they shudder at his suggestion that federal gasoline taxes
be raised to spur the development of alternative energy. Berger's
no-stone-unturned approach makes his book a valuable reference for
soft-path advocates. (Kirkus Reviews)
"Charging Ahead" foretells the world's next great energy
transformation: the shift to clean, renewable energy sources. It
shows how renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electric
vehicles, when used together, can give us back a clean environment
and create a healthy, sustainable economy. In chronicling this
extraordinary technological revolution, John J. Berger provides a
fascinating look at the new industries that will make it possible,
and the trillion-dollar benefits Americans can enjoy by choosing
pollution-free energy and transportation.
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