Energy and civilization A history
Book - 2017
Energy is the only universal currency; it is necessary for getting anything done. The conversion of energy on Earth ranges from terra-forming forces of plate tectonics to cumulative erosive effects of raindrops. Life on Earth depends on the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy into plant biomass. Humans have come to rely on many more energy flows -- ranging from fossil fuels to photovoltaic generation of electricity -- for their civilized existence. In this monumental history, Vaclav Smil provides a comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel--driven civilization. Humans are the only species that can systematically harness energies outside their bodie...s, using the power of their intellect and an enormous variety of artifacts -- from the simplest tools to internal combustion engines and nuclear reactors. The epochal transition to fossil fuels affected everything: agriculture, industry, transportation, weapons, communication, economics, urbanization, quality of life, politics, and the environment. Smil describes humanity's energy eras in panoramic and interdisciplinary fashion, offering readers a magisterial overview. This book is an extensively updated and expanded version of Smil's Energy in World History (1994). Smil has incorporated an enormous amount of new material, reflecting the dramatic developments in energy studies over the last two decades and his own research over that time.
- Subjects
- Published
-
Cambridge, Massachusetts :
The MIT Press
[2017]
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Item Description
- Revised edition of: Energy in world history / Vaclav Smil. 1994.
- Physical Description
- vii, 552 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 463-530) and index.
- ISBN
- 9780262035774
- Preface and Acknowledgments
- 1. Energy and Society
- Flows, Stores, and Controls
- Concepts and Measures
- Complexities and Caveats
- 2. Energy in Prehistory
- Foraging Societies
- Origins of Agriculture
- 3. Traditional Farming
- Commonalities and Peculiarities
- Field Work
- The Dominance of Grains
- Cropping Cycles
- Routes to Intensification
- Draft Animals
- Irrigation
- Fertilization
- Crop Diversity
- Persistence and Innovation
- Ancient Egypt
- China
- Mesoamerican Cultures
- Europe
- North America
- The Limits of Traditional Farming
- Achievements
- Nutrition
- Limits
- 4. Preindustrial Prime Movers and Fuels
- Prime Movers
- Animate Power
- Water Power
- Wind Power
- Biomass Fuels
- Wood and Charcoal
- Crop Residues and Dung
- Household Needs
- Food Preparation
- Heat and Light
- Transportation and Construction
- Moving on Land
- Oared Ships and Sail Ships
- Buildings and Structures
- Metallurgy
- Nonferrous Metals
- Iron and Steel
- Warfare
- Animate Energies
- Explosives and Guns
- 5. Fossil Fuels, Primary Electricity, and Renewables
- The Great Transition
- The Beginnings and Diffusion of Coal Extraction
- From Charcoal to Coke
- Steam Engines
- Oil and Internal Combustion Engines
- Electricity
- Technical Innovations
- Coals
- Hydrocarbons
- Electricity
- Renewable Energies
- Prime Movers in Transportation
- 6. Fossil-Fueled Civilization
- Unprecedented Power and Its Uses
- Energy in Agriculture
- Industrialization
- Transportation
- Information and Communication
- Economic Growth
- Consequences and Concerns
- Urbanization
- Quality of Life
- Political Implications
- Weapons and Wars
- Environmental Changes
- 7. Energy in World History
- Grand Patterns of Energy Use
- Energy Eras and Transitions
- Long-Term Trends and Falling Costs
- What Has Not Changed?
- Between Determinism and Choice
- Imperatives of Energy Needs and Uses
- The Importance of Controls
- The Limits of Energy Explanations
- Addenda
- Basic Measures
- Scientific Units and Their Multiples and Submultiples
- Chronology of Energy-Related Developments
- Power in History
- Bibliographical Notes
- References
- Name Index
- Subject Index