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After the sands : energy and ecological security for Canadians / by Laxer, Gordon,1944-author.;
A bold plan to address climate change and provide energy security for Canadians. Despite its oil abundance, with no strategic reserves, Canada is woefully unprepared for the next global oil supply crisis. Political economist Gordon Laxer proposes a bold strategy of deep conservation and a Canada-first perspective to ensure that all Canadians have sufficient energy at affordable prices. Canada has all the oil, gas, and coal needed to transition to a low-carbon future. Remarkable hydro power resources give Canadians a large base of renewable energy, which can be expanded with wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. Few countries have these options in adequate quantities. But, as Laxer argues, Canada will not get there until we overcome the power of vested interests and untangle the trade agreements that block Canadians from secure and fair access to the nation's own energy resources.Includes bibliographical references and index.1. "Let the Eastern bastards freeze in the dark" -- 2. Suddenly without oil -- 3. Without a parachute -- 4. NAFTA and proportionality: a Devil's bargain -- 5. Alberta: fossil-fuel belt or green powerhouse? -- 6. Resource nationalism everywhere but Canada -- 7. Pipelines or pipe dreams -- 8. Let goods Be homespun -- 9. How much is enough? a conserver society -- 10. Solutions: energy and ecological security for Canadians
Subjects: Energy security; Carbon dioxide mitigation; Power resources; Sustainable development;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The war below : lithium, copper, and the global battle to power our lives / by Scheyder, Ernest,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.Tough choices loom if the world wants to go green. The United States and other countries must decide where and how to procure the materials that make our renewable energy economy possible. To build electric vehicles, solar panels, cell phones, and millions of other devices means the world must dig more mines to extract lithium, copper, cobalt, rare earths, and nickel. But mines are deeply unpopular, even as they have a role to play in fighting climate change. These tensions have sparked a worldwide reckoning over the sourcing of these critical minerals, and no one understands the complexities of these issues better than Ernest Scheyder, whose exclusive access has allowed him to report from the front lines on the key players in this global battle to power our future.
Subjects: Conservation of natural resources.; Environmental degradation.; Natural resources; Natural resources; Natural resources; Natural resources;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The future is now : solving the climate crisis with today's technologies / by McDonald, Bob,1951-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."In the absence of motorized boats and gondolas, Venice's waters have returned to a sparkling blue color. Deer have been spotted roaming cities in Italy, and mountain goats recently took over a small seaside town in Wales. Taking advantage of the decreased boat traffic, whales have returned to roaming Vancouver's harbours. The absence of "regular" human activities has dramatically affected our environment. In this book, Bob McDonald turns his focus to global energy sources, and shows how the global shutdowns may have been exactly what we needed to show us that a greener future is achievable. This is not another "wake-up call," and not another plea to heed the climate science. This is an exploration of the incredible technologies that our species can use to get out of the mess we've made for ourselves. It is a work of immense optimism, to counteract the sense of doom that hangs over most discussions of the environment. Many alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal have been available for decades--but they alone will not be enough. Additional power will come from small nuclear reactors the size of an office desk, and space-based solar power satellites with enormous mirrors that can capture sunlight, convert it to microwaves, and beam it to the ground to light up entire cities. Energy will be captured from waves, tides, and hydrogen. Vehicles will no longer have tailpipes that emit smog particles. Food will be sourced locally. Green technology is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, and will only continue to skyrocket as current products improve their performance and new products emerge. A new green age is upon us--let this book be your guide to the future."--
Subjects: Clean energy.; Renewable energy sources.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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How to be a climate optimist : blueprints for a better world / by Turner, Chris,1973-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."From the National Business Book Award winner and GG finalist, a very different book about facing the climate crisis, and what awaits us on the other side. Chris Turner has reported from the places where the sustainable future first emerged--from green islands in Denmark and green office parks in southern India, to solar panel factories in California and idealistic intentional communities from Scotland to New Mexico. Here, he condenses the first quarter century of the global energy transition into bite-sized chunks of optimistic reflection and reportage, telling a story of a planet in peril and a global effort already beginning to save it. This is a book that moves past the despair and futile anger over ecological collapse and harnesses that passion toward the project of building a twenty-first century quality of life that surpasses the twentieth-century version in every way. How to Be a Climate Optimist overflows with optimism in a moment of great panic, upheaval and uncertainty over a world on fire."--
Subjects: Climate change mitigation.; Sustainability.; Sustainable living.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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My encyclopedia of very important science : for little learners who want to know how everything works / by Davey, Elizabeth.; Melmoth, Jonathan.; Mills, Andrea.; Beatty, Shannon.; Parrish, Margaret.; Gavin, Kitty.; Mohd, Zishan.;
This introduction to science for little learners is bursting with fantastic facts and super scientific ideas. This beginners' book introduces children to the science all around us, from how a plant makes seeds to how we use friction to warm our hands and how gravity holds us on the Earth, this encyclopedia has it covered. Ideal for children aged 5-9, this book is a fun and accessible introduction to key topics of scientific study and is the ideal companion to support them with their learning. Investigate the energy of light and sound, examine the power of electricity and magnets, and inspect the makeup of glass. Then study the strength of plastic and how it can be recycled and reused--all covered in this exciting approach to science. Covering many topics studied at school, this is the perfect starting point to encourage a life-long love of learning. Children will love to learn about how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, then launch into space and explore the planets of the Solar System and discover why we float in space!
Subjects: Encyclopedias.; Science;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Power metal : the race for the resources that will shape the future / by Beiser, Vince,1965-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."How the metals we need to power technology and energy are spawning environmental havoc, political upheaval, and murder -- and how we can do better. An Australian multimillionaire's plan to mine the ocean floor. Garbage pickers in Nigeria risking their lives to salvage e-waste amid nightmarish pollution. A Bill Gates-backed entrepreneur harnessing artificial intelligence to find metals in the Arctic. Train-robbing copper thieves in Chile. These are some of the people in the intensifying global competition to locate and extract the minerals essential for two critical technologies that will shape humanity's future: the internet and renewable energy. It's a race that will create new industries, generate enormous wealth, and destabilize the global balance of power. It could propel us to a more sustainable future -- or plunge us into an environmental nightmare. In Power Metal, journalist and author Vince Beiser explores the Achilles' heel of green power and digital technology: that the manufacturing of our computers, cell phones, electric cars, solar panels, and wind turbines requires enormous amounts of increasingly rare materials -- lithium, cobalt, copper, and others -- the demand for which is skyrocketing. Around the world, businesses and governments are scrambling for new places and new ways to get those metals, at enormous cost to people and the planet. Beiser crisscrossed the world to witness this race, reporting on the damage it is already inflicting, the ways it could get worse, and the ways in which we can minimize that damage. The result is a book that is both a gripping read and a sobering account of the battle between what civilization demands and what the planet can withstand. Power Metal is a compelling and important glimpse into this new, disturbing, and exciting world"--
Subjects: Mineral industries; Mines and mineral resources; Rare earth metals; Strategic materials; Sustainable development;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Intervention Earth : life-saving ideas from the world's climate engineers / by Dyer, Gwynne,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.Historian, journalist, and author Gwynne Dyer tracks down the world's top climate engineers to discuss the extraordinary measures we must contemplate to counter the irreversible effects of climate change. The global climate emergency is now an alarming fact of life. Much as we still need to get emissions under control, many are thinking that it's all too little, too late. As scientists, politicians and concerned citizens scramble for solutions to the catastrophic effects of a warming world, is it time to be exploring the controversial topic of geoengineering? For decades, discerning readers have turned to journalist and historian Gwynne Dyer for his unparalleled acumen in serving up hard geopolitical truths. 'Intervention Earth' is built around Dyer's interviews with sixty climate scientists from around the globe, including the leading figures in the geoengineering field. One of the most interesting topics: the pros and cons of Solar Radiation Management, a possible planetary Hail Mary that is rife with political risks. But 'Intervention Earth' is about more than technological mega-projects. Dyer devotes ample space to the many innovative ideas on offer, but there is no get-out-of-jail-free card. We will need a whole portfolio of techniques and technologies-and a lot of hard, thankless work-to keep the planet hospitable for humanity. What's more, many of the technologies that can help us avoid the worst outcomes require years of investment and development before they can be successfully deployed. Global cooperation will be key in implementing the life-saving strategies outlined in the book. 'Intervention Earth' offers a probing, eye-opening look at the problems we face, and the innovations that just might keep us ahead of encroaching disaster and carry us to a safe harbour.
Subjects: Climate change mitigation.; Environmental engineering.; Solar radiation.;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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