Solutions for ending America's energy consumption crisis
Most of the discussion among experts, policymakers, and concerned citizens is about changing the nature of our energy diet-substituting traditional energy sources with new or improved alternatives-or on getting "more" out of our energy resources through improvements in efficiency. Although these are necessary advances worthy of scientific and entrepreneurial endeavor, and an undeniable part of a successful overall strategy, turning to alternative sources and improving the efficiency of the energy we consume will not solve the problems we are facing. In The End of Energy Obesity, energy expert and bestselling author Peter Tertzakian takes the energy discussion a step further by examining habits, lifestyles, mindsets, and technologies that might seem futuristic now, but will soon become part of the way we live. Throughout the book, Tertzakian identifies the causes and solutions to the world's energy addiction. He also emphasizes that to have a successful impact on reducing our energy appetite, the changes we make to our lifestyle, habits, and mindset will need to be so appealing that they are widely adopted, much as the automobile or the light bulb was a century ago. Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, The End of Energy Obesity puts the world's energy problem in perspective and reveals the steps we can take to slow the upward trend of global energy consumption while still growing our economy and improving our standard of living.
Peter Tertzakian (Calgary, AL, Canada) is Chief Energy Economist of ARC Financial Corporation and bestselling author of A Thousand Barrels a Second: The Coming Oil Break Point and the Challenges Facing an Energy Dependent World (978-0-07-149260-7). Constantly analyzing energy trends for investors, Tertzakian writes a weekly journal, is often quoted or seen in the media (including a guest appearance on The Daily Show with John Stewart), and is a sought-after keynote speaker at events around the world. Keith Hollihan (St. Paul, MN) is a freelance writer who collaborated on the recently published healthcare book, Skin in the Game by John Hammergren (978-0-470-26278-8). He is also the coauthor of the Wall Street Journal business bestseller, Everybody Wins: The Story and Lessons Behind RE/MAX (978-0-471-71024-0). Is it any wonder that our energy needs are so great? Nearly everything that defines our way of life requires energy-consuming devices, from cars, planes, trains, and air conditioning to lights and computers. And our global appetite for energy keeps growing as population and wealth obliges consumption on an unfathomable scale.
Over the years, we've made our devices more efficient, only to find, ironically, that it's made us consume even more energy. We've periodically cut back our energy use only to revert back to bad habits. We've added more renewables only to find that fossil fuels still dominate. Now we are energy obese. How can the world reduce its energy appetite and change its diet of fuels for a prosperous and secure tomorrow?
In The End of Energy Obesity, energy expert and bestselling author Peter Tertzakian explores solutions to this question by analyzing the role of technology and circumstance on our energy use. Throughout the book, Tertzakian focuses on the most practical options that provide the highest leverage for resolving our energy problems and reveals how evolving habits, lifestyles, mind-sets, and innovations--that might seem improbable now--will help curb our insatiable energy appetite.
Divided into three comprehensive parts--The Making of Our Energy Appetite, Elusive Solutions, and Thinking Out of the Box--The End of Energy Obesity:
Examines what Tertzakian calls the First Principle of Energy Consumption, the powerful 6,000-year-old connection between increases in wealth, standard of living, and energy use. Can this principle be broken?
Explains why conventional strategies and policies for resolving our energy problems are lacking, and discusses how societies are vulnerable to three harmful effects of energy obesity. Should we be treating the symptoms or the cause?
Probes into where the greatest leverage lies for mitigating society's energy-related problems, and shows how surprisingly powerful technological trends will reshape our energy appetite and diet--sooner than you may think!
Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, The End of Energy Obesity puts the world's serious energy issues in perspective, exposes misconceptions, and introduces us to the new technologies that, in the next ten years, will reshape our lifestyles and, for the very first time, make it possible to decrease our overall energy consumption while increasing wealth and the standard of living. The future of energy is likely to surprise you. Praise For The End of Energy Obesity
"Peter Tertzakian has succeeded once again. He outlines a visionary approach to meeting the serious challenges of the world's projected population growth, continued economic growth, and increasing living standards. This book is a clarion call to policymakers, business leaders, and energy consumers everywhere."
--Guy Caruso, Senior Advisor, CSIS, Washington, D.C. (former Administrator, U.S. Energy Information Administration)
"Peter Tertzakian is one of the great energy thinkers of our time. In this compelling book, he examines the factors that will drive global energy demand and addresses the critical energy issue of our time: How can mankind bring its ever-growing demand for energy under control?"
--Hal Kvisle, CEO, TransCanada Corporation
"Anyone interested in understanding the forces that drive conflict and instability when it comes to energy should read Peter Tertzakian's important book, The End of Energy Obesity. Mr. Tertzakian makes it clear that the road ahead is difficult but not impossible. For those interested in how to attack the energy problem today for a better future, this is a must-read book."
--General John P. Abizaid (Ret.), former Combatant Commander, U.S. Central Command, and member of the SAFE Energy Security Leadership Council
"The End of Energy Obesity is a fresh look at a pressing problem . . . thought-provoking writing that's a must-read for those concerned about the way forward for the industrialized world."
--The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, Government of Canada
"Peter Tertzakian's prose is fun to read, and the analogies are so apt. For anyone concerned about how we go on an energy diet, this book is a must-read."
--Matthew R. Simmons, Chairman, Simmons & Company International, author of Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy
"This book explores the critical role networked IT solutions play in changing the way energy is used and delivered. The network truly becomes a platform for monitoring and managing energy consumption in a much more efficient way, and we expect the benefits to accelerate as the network becomes more pervasive. Tertzakian shows the reader how networked collaboration technologies such as TelePresence can enable powerful, face-to-face interactions while reducing our energy appetite and carbon footprint."
--John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco