People rarely stop to think about where the energy they use to power their everyday lives comes from and when they do it is often to ask a worried question: is mankind s energy usage killing the planet? How do we deal with nuclear waste? What happens when the oil runs out? Energy: The Basics answers these questions but it also does much more. In this engaging yet even-handed introduction, readers are introduced to:

• the concept of energy and what it really means
• the ways energy is currently generated and the sources used
• new and emerging energy technologies such as solar power and biofuels
• the impacts of energy use on the environment including climate change

Featuring explanatory diagrams, tables, a glossary and an extensive further reading list, this book is the ideal starting point for anyone interested in the impact and future of the world s energy supply.

Rethinking Coal: Chemicals and Carbon-Based Materials in the 21st Century is a timely presentation of the current uses and future impacts of coal and coal technologies. Three decades ago, coal was the dominant source of electricity generation in the U.S. and the recipient of moderate research efforts in the synthetic fuels arena. In recent years, though coal is still heavily discussed in the media, the focus has shifted towards the ill effects that coal mining and combustion have on the environment. As it is likely that we will have to rely on coal for a major share of electricity generation for decades to come, it is increasingly important to understand the current issues that surround coal, as well as future prospects for developing or applying coal technologies that have lesser impacts on the environment. In this book, author Harold Schobert discusses the current uses and future impacts of coal and coal technologies. Rethinking Coal: Chemicals and Carbon-Based Materials in the 21st Century provides an overview of how coal formed eons ago; the basic properties of coal and differences among the many kinds of coals; the ways coal is currently used in the world; new and emerging technologies for using coal, including prospects for using coal as a source of valuable chemicals and carbon materials rather than burning it; and the impacts of coal use on the environment including CO2 emissions and global climate change, as well as the various practices of coal mining. Rethinking Coal presents the environmental, technical, and economic advantages and disadvantages of various applications of coal, without disparaging or supporting its use.

People rarely stop to think about where the energy they use to power their everyday lives comes from and when they do it is often to ask a worried question: is mankind s energy usage killing the planet? How do we deal with nuclear waste? What happens when the oil runs out? Energy: The Basics answers these questions but it also does much more. In this engaging yet even-handed introduction, readers are introduced to:

• the concept of energy and what it really means
• the ways energy is currently generated and the sources used
• new and emerging energy technologies such as solar power and biofuels
• the impacts of energy use on the environment including climate change

Featuring explanatory diagrams, tables, a glossary and an extensive further reading list, this book is the ideal starting point for anyone interested in the impact and future of the world s energy supply.

Focusing on today's major fuel resources - ethanol, biodiesel, wood, natural gas, petroleum products and coal - this book discusses the formation, composition and properties of the fuels, and the ways in which they are processed for commercial use. It examines the origin of fuels through natural processes such as photosynthesis and the geological transformation of ancient plant material; the relationships between their composition, molecular structures and physical properties; and the various processes by which they are converted or refined into the fuel products appearing on today's market. Fundamental chemical aspects such as catalysis and the behaviour of reactive intermediates are presented, and global warming and anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions are also discussed. The book is ideal for graduate students in energy engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering and chemistry, as well as professional scientists and engineers.