Energy Reader

Laura Nader is Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences. Nader's books include Naked Science: Anthropological Inquiry into Boundaries, Power and Knowledge (1996), The Life of the Law (2002), and, with Ugo Mattei, Plunder–When the Rule of Law is Illegal (Blackwell, 2008). Her films To Make the Balance and a later PBS film Little Injustices are widely disseminated.

“Overall, The Energy Reader provides a necessary, timely, and unique collection of materials to drive these critical conversations forward.”  (Culture, Agriculture, Food and Environment, 12 June 2013)

• List of Figures xiiList of Tables xivPreface xvLaura NaderAcknowledgments xxIntroduction 1Laura Nader, Leticia Cesarino, and Chris HebdonPart I The Energy Problem 171. Social Power and the Future 19Richard Newbold Adams2. Energy and the Rise of American Industrial Society 32Ian Barbour, Harvey Brooks, Sanford Lakoff, and John Opie3. Energy Transitions in Historical Perspective 45Martin MelosiEnergy in Action 1 61Contemplating the Abyss: The Role of Environmental Degradation in the Collapse of Human SocietiesWilliam Rees4. Introduction to the Steady-State Economy 65Herman E. DalyEnergy in Action 2 84Net-Zero Energy Home Generating an Energy Surplus5. Dimensions of the ‘‘People Problem’’ in Energy Research and ‘‘the’’ Factual Basis of Dispersed Energy Futures 87Laura Nader and Norman Milleron6. Red Land and Uranium Mining: How the Search for Energy Is Endangering Indian Tribal Lands 105Winona La DukeEnergy in Action 3 110How Energy Search Challenges Indian Tribal LifeMark Stevens7. The House that Uranium Built: Perspectives on the Effects of Exposure on Individuals and Community 113Margaret Amalia Hiesinger8. Uranium Mining and Milling: Navajo Experiences in the American Southwest 132Barbara Rose Johnston, Susan E. Dawson, and Gary E. MadsenPart II Mind-Sets – a Critical Perspective 1479. ‘‘Introduction,’’ The Idea of Progress: An Inquiry Into Its Origin and Growth 149Charles A. Beard10. On the Road to Riches 162Henry Ford11. Energy Strategy: The Road Not Taken? 166Amory B. Lovins12. Barriers to Thinking New About Energy 198Laura Nader13. The Three-Cornered Constellation: Magic, Science, and Religion Revisited 205Laura Nader14. Energy as it Relates to the Quality and Style of Life 219Laura Nader and Stephen Beckerman15. Conclusions – Replacing Myths with Maxims: Rethinking the Relationship Between Energy and American Society 246Benjamin K. Sovacool and Marilyn A. BrownPart III The Politics of Energy 26516. ‘‘Prologue,’’ The Politics of Energy 267Barry Commoner17. The Middle East: Geostrategy and Oil 271Rashid Khalidi18. Winning the Oil Endgame 282Amory B. Lovins19. ‘‘Introduction,’’ Power Struggle: The 100 Year War Over Electricity 287Richard Rudolph and Scott Ridley20. The Overcharge in the Light Bill 290US Senator Lee Metcalf and Vic Reinemer21. Human Rights 305Jim Garrison and Pyare ShivpuriEnergy in Action 4 309Three Mile Island: 30th Anniversary of the Worst Nuclear Accident in US History22. The Politics of Energy: Toward a Bottom-Up Approach 313Laura NaderEnergy in Action 5 318A New Gang Comes to Los Angeles: Solar-Panel InstallersMiriam JordanPart IV Energy Choices 32123. ‘‘Introduction,’’ ‘‘The Problem of Externalities,’’ and ‘‘Coal and Corporate Power,’’ Coal: A Memoir and Critique 323Duane LockardEnergy in Action 6 351Rural Renewal: Small-Town America Looks to Alternative Energy for a LifelineJennifer Vogel24. There Was Blood 353Caleb CrainEnergy in Action 7 363Capitol Climate Action: Mass Civil Disobedience in DC Against Use of Coal at Capitol Hill Power Plant25. Unconventional Crude: Canada’s Synthetic-Fuels Boom 368Elizabeth KolbertEnergy in Action 8 377Poop Powers California Cars as Orange County Converts SewageAlan Ohnsman26. Nuclear Power: Climate Fix or Folly? 380Amory B. Lovins, Imran Sheikh, and Alex MarkevichEnergy in Action 9 399Power Q&A: S. David FreemanDave Gilson27. Solar Possibilities 402Denis HayesEnergy in Action 10 413Workers Retrain for Wind-Energy JobsMaria Dickerson28. Cool Communities: Strategies for Heat Island Mitigation and Smog Reduction 415Arthur H. Rosenfeld, Hashem Akbari, Joseph J. Romm, and Melvin PomerantzEnergy in Action 11 439First Rosebud Wind Turbine Generates Support: An Interview with Intertribal COUP Secretary Robert GoughTara Tidwell29. Ethanol Production: Energy, Economic, and Environmental Losses 442David Pimentel, Tad Patzek, and Gerald CecilEnergy in Action 12 458Biofuels Do Far More Harm Than GoodGeorge MonbiotPart V Power Shifts 46130. Natural Capitalism 463Paul HawkenEnergy in Action 13 476With Energy in Focus, Heat Pumps Win FansLiz Galst31. An Unstable Concoction of Interests 479Tadeusz W. PatzekEnergy in Action 14 481Shell Dumps Wind, Solar and Hydro Power in Favor of BiofuelsTim Webb32. Ticket to Ride 48Ben AdlerEnergy in Action 15 487Get on the BusLaura C. Dean33. Selling the Sun 488Michael BeharEnergy in Action 16 498Eight Energy Suggestions for Obama, from SunEdison’s FounderKate Galbraith34. The Island in the Wind 500Elizabeth KolbertEnergy in Action 17 514A Cool IdeaElizabeth KolbertPart VI Energy Choices in a Democratic Society 51535. The Harder Path – Shifting Gears 517Laura NaderEnergy in Action 18 535The Showhouse that Sustainability BuiltBarnaby J. Feder36. Who Shall Decide? 538Laura NaderIndex 541