The End of Oil by Paul Roberts is a timely and relevant book for the age that we live in.
The author takes us on a tour
de force beginning with the history of the energy transformations, how the global economy came to be dependant on hyrdrocarbons leading up to the present crisis where we face an unprecedented situation of having to deal with the end of oil, so to say. The author does not try to present any quick fix solutions and instead argues that the shift to an
alternative energy
source would be traumatic and involve large scale disruption in the way our lifestyles are structured.
One of the contentions of the book is that the days of "cheap and easy" oil are over and it is not a question of "if" but "when" we have to make the shift to an alternative energy source. The term "Peak Oil" is used to describe the point when we would run out through half of our reserves. The exact point at which we would hit the peak varies with estimates put out by different analysts.
Energy policy often dictates foreign policy these days and scramble by China to mop up all the available energy sources in Africa and elsewhere bears testimony to this.
Apart from the urgency of shifting to a new energy source dictated by the needs of oil depletion, we also have the prospect of climate change. This is a fact that has been underscored by mainstream scientists and activists.
The alternative energy mechanisms are dealt with at length by Roberts and he explains in detail Fuel Cells, Wind energy and Solar to name a few.
The author also discusses the "savings" in energy efficiency that can be achieved with improved automobile design and emission norms that can be put in place.
There is also a section on Carbon credits and how "incentives" can make the market adjust
to the new realities.
To sum it up, the whole infrastructure that we have built up around the hydrocarbon economy cannot be wished away and any movement towards an alternative energy source has to take this into account.
The best part about the book is that it presents a structured and holistic approach to the whole issue and the solutions it prescribes are realistic and achievable.