For centuries, human activity has been dominated by the need to fuel human civilization. Energy is unique: no other physical resource in society has had such a wide-ranging impact on our ecosystems, economy, public health, and personal liberties. And as the era of fossil fuels stumbles to a close in the West, much of the rest of the world is still just waking up to coal. We have found ourselves on the cusp of a transition in how we get energy that is both obvious and profoundly uncertain. We must decide our next steps quickly. How can we invest responsibly now in a way that will ensure our access to clean, affordable, and reliable energy for the decades to come? In Power Trip, energy expert Michael E. Webber takes readers on a global tour of energy's role in society across many regions and several hundred years. Starting with energy's end-uses and outcomes--water, food, wealth, cities, transportation, and war--Webber uncovers the complicated relationship our civilization has both with energy and its outputs. We've stimulated entrepreneurship, innovation, and opportunity beyond our wildest dreams--but it's come at the steep cost of accelerating climate change, geopolitical insecurity, increased economic inequality, and environmental degradation. Energy has proven to be something we can't live with, and we can't live without. But, as Webber argues, with long-term thinking, global interconnection, and an emphasis on conservation, we can simultaneously solve our energy supply's significant downsides while setting ourselves up for a much brighter future.

How changing the way we think about water and energy can secure the long-term sustainability of both precious resources Although it is widely understood that energy and water are the world's two most critical resources, their vital interconnections and vulnerabilities are less often recognized. This farsighted book offers a new, holistic way of thinking about energy and water-a big picture approach that reveals the interdependence of the two resources, identifies the seriousness of the challenges, and lays out an optimistic approach with an array of solutions to ensure the continuing sustainability of both. Michael Webber, a leader and teacher in the field of energy technology and policy, explains how energy and water supplies are linked and how problems in either can be crippling for the other. He shows that current population growth, economic growth, climate change, and short-sighted policies are likely to make things worse. Yet, Webber asserts, more integrated planning with long-term sustainability in mind can avert such a daunting future. Combining anecdotes and personal stories with insights into the latest science of energy and water, he identifies a hopeful path toward wise long-range water-energy decisions and a more reliable and abundant future for humanity.