Energy: The Countdown

A Report to the Club of Rome: Thierry De Montbrial

Robert Lattés, Carroll Wilson

• Publisher: Pergamon
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9780080242248
• eBook ISBN: 9781483138329
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Energy

Energy: The Countdown considers the possibility that a catastrophic energy crisis might become inevitable and could explode even before any comprehensive emergency plans are concerted. The goal is to raise with both public opinion and decision-makers the consciousness that there exists a real threat to human society in the form of a looming energy crisis. This book is comprised of 11 chapters and begins by emphasizing energy as the oxygen of economic life, an essential requirement for the development of modern society, and how a shortage or limitation of energy resources can seriously endanger the world's economic development. The constraints that will limit the supply of certain types of energy are highlighted, along with the importance of long-term planning. The next section deals with the politics of energy, paying particular attention to the oil crisis and its impact on international relations since October 1973, along with the nuclear power crisis and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The relationship between geopolitics and energy policy and the nature of the energy problem are also discussed, together with energy sources such as coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy. The final chapter assesses the economic effects of a massive increase in oil prices. This monograph will be of interest to energy policymakers and government officials.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Energy the Countdown: A Report to the Club of RomeThierry De Montbrial
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Recommendations
• Preliminaries
• Part One: THE PAST The Politics of Energy: The Oil and Nuclear Power Crisis
• Part Two: THE FUTURE The Energy Crisis: Outlook and Scenarios
• Summary and Conclusions
• APPENDICES
• Bibliography
• Index