Review of Sustainable Energy -- Without the Hot Air by David MacKay (2009)

Abstract

David MacKay. Sustainable Energy: Without the hot air. (Cambridge, England: UIT Cambridge Ltd., 2009). 384 pp. ISBN 978-0954452933 (also available as a free e-book). Physicist David MacKay transforms what has historically been a debate fraught with skepticism and hysteria into an informed conversation. He does this by providing clear, accurate quantitative information on energy production and consumption in a form that allows comparison and invites thoughtful analysis. By recalibrating power into kilowatt-hours per day per person, he makes the numbers meaningful on an individual level. He then meticulously estimates the productive capacity of various renewable energy sources, explores alternative energy solutions, and ends with an array of concrete plans to get the planet off fossil fuels for good.

Keywords

• sustainable energy
• kilowatt-hours per day per person
• numeracy