Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era

For nearly half a century Amory Lovins, founder, Chairman and Chief Science Officer of the Rocky Mountain Institute, has been a brilliant sage, illuminating in finely-grained economic-engineering and market-governance, details how to transition from a brittle, inefficient, fossil and nuclear powered global economy to one that is highly efficient, resilient and renewable powered. He addresses endless numbers of heads of state, global corporations, leaders of diverse civic institutions, university students and faculty, and citizenry on all continents, demonstrating how this transformation is both lower in cost and risks than the conventional energy system. It is both a testimony to his brilliance and effectiveness, that he has received more prestigious prizes and awards than probably any other person working on energy issues (perhaps only bested by the redoubtable luminary, Dr. Arthur Rosenfeld). Lovins' new book, Reinventing Fire, builds upon and integrates several earlier outstanding books (Winning the Oil Endgame in 2005, Small is Profitable in 2002, Natural Capitalism in 1999, Factor Four in 1998) along with new evidence and accumulated results from RMI's team engagements in showing business and governments how to achieve super-efficient buildings, vehicles, factories, and products. Amory has given several TED talks about Reinventing Fire that are well worth viewing, then using the book to dive into greater details. The bottom line is that there is such a vast pool of end-use efficiency gains to be made, combined with a rapidly expanding pool of economically competitive wind, solar and other renewable resources, that by 2050 the United States could accrue $5 trillion in net savings while having eliminated oil, coal and nuclear use, as well as one-third less natural gas. One of the most exciting parts of the book is the discussion on how the incredible advancements in solid state electronics and space-age materials (like crash-impact resistant carbon composites, and new materials for higher performing batteries) points to the next industrial revolution in productivity. That is through the convergence of smart buildings and appliances, ultra-light plug-in electric smart vehicles, smart utility grid, and advanced materials industries. Such a convergence enables the storage requirements for super-high penetrations of intermittent solar and wind power. Achieving this far preferable future, which includes zero costs in reducing CO2 emissions by 80%(!), is incumbent upon more and more citizens persistently pressuring elected and appointed governance leaders, corporate executives, religious and academic leaders, and fellow citizens to pursue this win-win-win opportunity for the people, profits and planet. Indeed, it would be a great boon to young people if Reinventing Fire was used as a learning handbook in schools.

Amory Lovins is a remarkable guy. Lovins became interested in energy policy about four decades ago, when he was the youngest Oxford Don in several centuries. Today, he is a widely recognized global authority on energy as it relates to the economy, national security, development and the environment. He actively pursues that interest as lead scientist at the Rocky Mountain Institute, a "think-and-do tank". Lovins' extraordinary new book, Reinventing Fire, brings fresh and much needed actionable insight to an important and timely subject. To refer to Reinventing Fire as a "book" is understatement. More correctly, it is a comprehensive, extensively documented, peer reviewed research document which provides a visionary national energy strategy, presented in a quite readable format suitable for anyone from undergraduate to global business or political leader. Succinctly, Reinventing Fire insists that the United States can realistically stop using coal and petroleum as fuel by the year 2050, by transition to efficient energy utilization and by substitution of renewable energy sources, even as the U.S. economy continues to grow at presently projected rates. Further, Reinventing Fire demonstrates that this can be done by business, using currently available technologies, employed at normal rates of financial return. Government could help through policy shifts that relieve some of the existing barriers to implementing innovations. Beyond that, no Acts of Congress are required, no new energy or carbon taxes or subsidies are needed. Instead, the projected net cost for pursuing this course over four decades is $5 trillion (in 2010 net present value) less than the cost of continuing on our current path! Reinventing Fire focuses on the four sections of the economy that consume the great bulk of the fossil fuel: industry, transportation, buildings and electric power generation. The book projects industrial energy consumption reductions of almost 50% (44.4 quads in 2010, down to 22.3 quads in 2050, where a quad = Quadrillion BTUs/year), while industrial output increases by 84% during the same period. This is not smoke and mirrors. The `how to" is spelled out in a thoroughly transparent manner. The detail available is voluminous, mostly through hundreds of credible references. Beyond the book, even more information is available on a dedicated website.

Mi è piaciuta l'economicità della versione con la copertina rigida. Ottima come sempre la spedizione in tempi brevi, se non fosse che il servizio di poste italiane sia scadente

Analiza diferentes soluciones energéticas con las tecnologías actualmente disponibles. En algunos casos quizá sea excesivamente optimista, pero con los pies en la tierra

Amory Lovins hat Jahre an diesem Werk gearbeitet - und die gesammelten Erfahrungen aus Jahrzehnten Aktivität des Rocky Mountain Institute einfließen lassen. Das Buch zeigt, wie sich die Menschheit aus der Abhängigkeit von fossilen Energieträgern befreien kann - und dabei auch noch ordentlich "Geschäfte machen" kann. Ohne das große Geschäfte machen geht es offenbar in US nicht - ein Ansatz, über den sich die meisten im Land dort wohl auch einig sind, eine der wenigen einenden Bekenntnisse. Wenn auch auf diesem Weg ein wenig Vernunft transportierbar ist, warum eigentlich nicht? Amory Lovins ist gegenüber seinem Basiswerk ("Sanfte Energie") deutlich moderater in den Ansätzen geworden. Alles, was hier vorgeschlagen wird, ist 100% System-konform. Doch das reicht immer noch, um uns aus dem Teufelskreis von Erderwärmung, steigenden Katastrophenschäden und teuren Reparatur-Kosten (mit abermals erhöhtem CO2-Ausstoß) heraus zu bringen. Freilich, ganz einfach wird es dennoch nicht sein, diejenigen, die bisher am Status quo verdienen, zu überzeugen. Amory Lovins hat das nicht auf gegeben. Und in der Tat: Der Umstellungsprozess dauert letztendlich Jahrzehnte; genügend Zeit, um auch den hart gesottensten Kapitaleignern der Kohlenstoff-Energiewirtschaft den Umstieg zu ermöglichen. Aus Europäischer Perspektive ist dieses Buch auch eine wichtige Information: Auch in den USA gibt es vernunftbegabte Kräfte; in vielen Punkten ist die Europäische Realität jedoch der Vision von Amory Lovins bereits voraus: So bei der Netzeinspeisung Erneuerbarer Energie und bei der European Building Performance Directive (EBPD). Das Buch: Lesenswert, empfehlenswert, voller hochverdichteter Information.

This book lays-out a roadmap for increasing energy efficiency in every sector, be it for mobility, households, and industry. It presents a compelling case to get us almost completely off fossil fuels by 2050 and all for profit. The economic costs of not doing-so far outweight the benefits of doing so (several trillions in opportunity cost in the US alone over the next 40 years). Most importantly, the case and methods for increasing energy efficiency made in this book are not ideological (i.e., substituting one's favourite technology for non-profit reasons). Rather, they are for purely economic reasons. Therefore, whether one believes in climate change or not doesn't matter. The economic arguments for increasing energy efficiency and the solutions to get there are thoroughly presented in this book and hold their own on a purely cost/benefit basis discounted to today's prices and only using today's already existing technologies. I re-iterate, although external costs (e.g., climate, pollution, health care, lobbying, etc...) clearly do exist and although future innovations in technology will undoubtedly occur, these are not quantified in making the economic arguments in this book. The path is clear. Finally, I also found it refreshing that the book was peer-reviewed by politicians and civil servants from both sides of the political spectrum as well as leaders of industry, and for profit. The solutions for energy efficiency represent great opportunities for entrepreneurs, businesses, investors, and individuals alike. Hopefully this book will make its way to as many entrepreneurs, policy-makers, and business leaders as possible. We can all benefit from it and at the end of the day, make the World a much better place.

As described at a good price and just fine and dandy and its silly you are forced to use more words!