The signs of global warming can be seen everywhere \\\- hotter summers, frequent heavy rains, prolonged droughts, more severe forest fires, fiercer storms (including snow storms) and cyclones, as well as melting polar ice caps. Our indiscriminate actions are raising the spectre of millions of climate refugees who are victims of battles for water, crops, fish, and so on. It is poignant that the poorer countries, that are the least equipped to face these calamities have contributed the least to global warming, but are the worst hit.\x26#60;\\\/p\x26#62;
\x26#60;\\\/p\x26#62;
Only a concerted effort from the entire world by a rapid transition to renewable, clean and green energy sources, while checking wastage, deforestation and pollution, and a genuine adjustment in lifestyles towards moderation can avert the Earth, the only habitable planet we know, from turning into a hothouse.\x26#60;\\\/p\x26#62;
Author(s): Dinesh Kumar Srivastava, V. S. Ramamurthy
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 363
City: Singapore
Contents
Reaching Out
Foreword
Preface
List of Tables
List of Figures
About the Authors
1. Prologue
2. The World is Fragile
Deforestation
Invasive Flora
Invasive Fauna
When the Sparrows were smashed
Hunting and Poaching
Of Bees, Butterflies, and Elephants
Pollution
Over-exploitation
3. A Little More About Mother Earth
Formation of the Earth
Enter the Moon
The Wonder that is India
4. The Incredible Transformation of Hunter–Gatherers into Civilization Builders
Slavery — A painful chapter in human history
Collapse of Civilizations
Wars
Natural Disasters
Climate Change and Overexploitation
The Mayans
The Easter Island
The Sumerians
The Indus Valley Civilization
The Industrial Revolution
The Science and Technology Revolution of the Twentieth Century
5. Global Warming is for Real
6. Global Warming and Greenhouse Gases
Methane
Nitrous Oxide
Working Group I
Working Group II
Working Group III
7. Energy and Human Development Index
8. How Much Energy Do We Need?
9. Energy Resources
9.1 Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas
Oil and Natural Gas
Natural Gas
Shale Oil and Shale Gas
Oil Sand
Electricity from Fossil Fuels
9.2 Biomass and Biofuel
Biofuels
Biodiesel
The CO2 Impact of Coal, Oil, Natural Gas and Biofuels
9.3 Wind Energy
9.4 Geothermal Energy
9.5 Tidal Energy
9.6 Hydroelectric Energy
10. Solar Energy
The Solar Energy Potential
10.1 Solar Thermal
Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Photovoltaics
Deployment of Solar Photovoltaics
Aquavoltaics and Agrivoltaics
Space and Material
11. Nuclear Power
Some Basic Nuclear Physics
The Manhattan Project and After
Nuclear Reactors for Electricity Generation
Why Nuclear Power Did Not Grow as Much as Anticipated?
The Story of Indian Nuclear Power
Heavy Water and Enrichment of Uranium
Commercial Nuclear Power in India
1974 Pokharan Peaceful Nuclear Experiment and the Technology Denial Regime
The Way Forward: New Concepts in Reactor Designs
Molten Salt Reactor
Pebble Bed Reactors
Generation IV International Forum (GIF)
12. Nuclear Fusion
13. Accelerator Driven Subcritical Systems
14. Nuclear Safety and Nuclear Waste
Nuclear Safety
Defence in Depth
The Three Mile Island Accident
Chernobyl
Fukushima
Nuclear Waste
15. Healthcare and Other Applications of Nuclear Radiations
16. Hydrogen
Hydrogen Storage and Distribution
Uses of Hydrogen
Hydrogen Road Map
Hydrogen Hamlets
17. Summary and Outlook
Summary
Outlook
18. Epilogue
Bibliography
Index
