CONTENTS AcknowledgementsXIII PrologueXV Part IQuestions Introduction3 Recommended Reading4 1Ancient Days and Modern Times5 Recommended Reading7 2 Ice Ages-Past and Future9 The Discovery of Ice Ages9 The Heat Balance of the Earth10 The Sun and Its Spots11 Earth's Orbit14 The Discovery of Elliptical Orbits35 Precession16 Nutation (Wobble)18 Volcanic Dust20 The Cyclical Nature of Ice Ages20 The Croll-Milankovic Theory of Ice Ages21 Recommended Reading23 3 Global Warming Versus Returning Glaciers25 Infrared Radiation and Absolute Temperature27 Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming: Fourier, Tyndall, and Arrhenius28 CO2 and Methane29 The Big Picture31 Recommended Reading35 Earth's Fossil Fuel Supply37 Limits of Fossil Fuels38 Coal39 Natural Gas39 Hydrated Natural Gas40 Oil40 Sequestration of CO242 CO2 Level Calculations43 The Unending Carbon Cycle43 Recommended Reading45 Nuclear Power47 Origin of Fuel for Nuclear Fission47 The Energy in Nuclear Fuel48 Nuclear Energy49 Isotopes50 Limits of Nuclear Fuel51 The Basics of Nuclear Fission52 Evolution of Nuclear Reactors53 Present-day Nuclear Reactors and Power Plants54 Used Fuel Rods56 Radiation, Radioactivity, and Health57 Natural Radiation and Radioactive Waste58 Disposal and Storage of Nuclear Waste59 Recommended Reading60 Part IIAnswers Introduction63 Solar Energy65 Using Solar Energy66 Development of Solar Cells68 How Solar Cells Work69 Multiple-layer Solar Cells71 Solar Concentrators and Solar Thermal Systems75 Solar Ponds76 Solar-powered Air Conditioning77 Solar Updraft Towers78 Solar Power Towers79 Other Thoughts and Possibilities79 Recommended Reading80 7 Wind, Waves, and Tides81 Wind 81 Characteristics and Limits of Wind Machines83 Tides86 Newton, the Moon, and the Tides87 Harnessing Tidal Power87 Usable Tidal Energy89 Tidal Currents90 Waves91 Recommended Reading93 8 Going with the Flow: Water, Dams, and Hydropower95 Basics of Hydroelectric Power96 Water Turbines98 Hydropower Problems99 Hydropower Schemes99 Dam-less Hydropower: Evaporation Schemes100 Dam-less Hydropower: Flowing Water102 Recommended Reading103 9 Geothermal Energy: Energy from the Earth Itself105 Geothermal Energy105 The Structure of the Earth106 Carnot's Unbreachable Thermodynamic Limit109 Using Water and Soil in Heating and Cooling Systems110 Recommended Reading112 10 Efficiency, Conservation, and Hybrid Cars113 Efficiency of Fossil Fuel and Nuclear Power Plants114 Cars, Trucks, Trains, Ships, and Planes118 Conservation120 Recommended Reading121 11 Energy Storage: Macro to Micro123 Pumped Hydropower124 Compressed Air124 Batteries126 Flywheels129 Capacitors and Dielectrics130 Inductors: Storing Energy with Magnetic Fields132 Recommended Reading133 12 Green Fuel: Biodiesel, Alcohol, and Biomass135 Biodiesel138 Recommended Reading142 Part IIIDreams Introduction145 13 Breeding Nuclear Fuel147 Fast Breeder Reactors148 Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project150 Thermal Breeder Reactors151 Breeder Technology Today and Tomorrow152 Recommended Reading153 14 Nuclear Fusion: Engine of the Sun155 Cold Fusion versus Cool Fusion versus Hot Fusion155 Making Fusion Happen157 ITER, Tokamaks, Magnetic Fields, and Fusion158 The Combined Fusion-Breeding-Fission Process160 Inertial Confinement Fusion161 Accelerator Fusion161 Fusion of Helium-3 and Deuterium162 Lunar Resources of Helium-3163 Recommended Reading165 15 Power from the Ocean: Thermal and Salinity Gradients167 Electric Power from Ocean Thermal Gradients167 Electric Power from Ocean Salinity Gradients172 Recommended Reading176 16 Fuel Cells: Hydrogen, Alcohol, and Coal177 Fuel Cells and Hydrogen177 Fuel Cell Efficiency179 Fuel Cells and Cars180 Storing Hydrogen182 Producing Hydrogen184 Technologies for Hydrogen Production184 Fuel Cells and Coal186 Fuel Cells and Alcohol187 What Happens Now?187 Recommended Reading188 17 Magnetohydrodynamics and Power Plants189 Faraday Induction and the Hall Effect190 Benefits of MHD Power Generation192 Recommended Reading193 18 Thermionics and the Single Fuel Home195 How a Thermionic Converter Works196 Engineering Thermionic Systems197 Recommended Reading201 19 Artificial Photosynthesis and Water Splitting203 Plant Chemistry205 Artificial Photosynthesis and Water Splitting206 Recommended Reading208 20 Planetary Engineering and Terraforming209 Changing Earth's Albedo: Atmospheric Aerosols210 Tinkering with Planet Earth211 Parasols, Artificial Sunspots, Space Mirrors, Solar Sails, and Space Dust 212 White Roads, Reflecting Roofs, and Shiny Balloons213 Back to Clouds Again213 Feeding Algae214 Terraforming Mars (and Maybe Venus)215 What Can Be Done?217 Recommended Reading218 21Space Solar Power: Energy and the Final Frontier219 Lagrange and His Famous Points219 Geosynchronous Orbits and Solar Sails221 Beamed-power Microwave Transmission222 Space Elevators223 Electromagnetic Launching226 Recommended Reading227 Part IVNightmares Introduction231 22 Alternative Futures233 Epilogue: ORBITuary237 Credits239 Appendix I241 Units for Energy and Power241 Appendix II243 Radiation Units243 Index245