Life Without Oil: Why We Must Shift to a New Energy Future

Hallett (botany and plant pathology, Purdue U.), who is joined by John Wright, an energy and environmental journalist, contends that oil and natural gas supplies will wane by the end of the century and that society has failed to see this problem and act on it. He describes the history of the world in terms of energy use, how the petroleum interval of the last century fits into larger civilization, and how the rise of civilizations has been a story of human access to increasingly powerful sources of energy and that problems with access to energy have led to societal collapse. He examines problems that are likely to occur in different countries over the next half century, effects on the global economy, and what can be done about them it by considering nuclear power, reconnecting communities, focusing on sustainable agriculture, and recognizing that the laws of ecology override the economy. Annotation 穢2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)