| RSS Web Feed for Renewable Energy UK |  | REUK Shop | Directory | Bookmark Site | About Us  

Review of Ten Technologies Chris Goodall



Review Of Ten Technologies Chris Goodall

A review of Ten Technologies to Save the Planet by Chris Goodall

shopping | general | carbon | energy efficiency
Printer Friendly Version Print Article     

Ten Technologies to Save the Planet by Chris Goodall was published in November 2008. This 292 page book published by Profile Books covers the latest technological advances which could help reduce carbon emissions, provide us with an alternative to fossil fuels, and to help us address the problem of climate change.

Ten Technologies to Save the Planet - Chris Goodall

Ten Technologies is in no way an academic text. It is thoroughly readable and requires no previous knowledge as all concepts are well introduced and explained. Although popular science books like this are typically limited in their depth, the author has managed to make up for this problem with the breadth of topics covered. The book can be read from front to back cover, or it is possible to dip straight into the chapters which interest you most since they can be read (and understood) independently of one another.

Ten Technologies is made up of ten chapters:
1. Capturing the Wind
2. Solar Energy
3. Electricity from the Oceans
4. Combined Heat and Power
5. Super-efficient Homes
6. Electric Cars
7. Motor Fuels from Cellulose
8. Capturing Carbon
9. Biochar
10. Soil and Forests

Some chapters are better written than others, for example, the chapters which cover the easiest to understand topics stand out as being the better put together - most probably because of the author's greater understanding (and maybe interest) in these. The first three chapters (which cover wind, solar, and tidal/wave power) for example are very shallow and therefore less readable than the more thorough chapters on combined heat and power and on super-efficient homes (including Passive Houses).

The book is finished off with a Putting it all Together chapter which looks at how the ten technologies presented in the book can be used together; and an Epilogue which mentions ideas which did not make the top 10 list:nuclear power, energy efficiency measures (including lighting), geoengineering, and carbon taxes.

Covering so many of the technologies which are likely to shape the world over the next 10-20 years, this book is essential reading. The writing style of the author is very engaging, the content is apparently well researched, and the book will act as an excellent jumping off point / introduction for anyone interested in learning more about the subects covered. However, the book is crying out for a bibliography and the author's suggestions for further reading.

There cannot be many people in the world who could read this book and not learn something new, and not feel motivated to look in more depth at the topics covered.

Buy Ten Technologies to Save The Planet

Ten Technologies to Save the Planet is sold at a recommended retail price of £9.99, however it is often offered at a 30-50% discount on Amazon UK. Click here to buy Ten Technologies to Save the Planet now.
Article Last Modified: 11:44, 21st Feb 2009

Comment on this Article

If you have any comments on this article, please email them to neil@reuk.co.uk.


Recommended Related Articles

People who read this article also enjoyed the following articles:

Put Together an REUK Solar Lighting Kit
Full construction plans for solar powered shed or garage lighting using LED spotlights
Article Last Modified: 14:36, 25th Apr 2007
solar | lighting | electric circuit

MR11 and MR16 12v Spotlight Connectors
Wiring for 12 volt LED spotlights
Article Last Modified: 11:40, 31st Mar 2007
lighting

Solar Shed Lighting Circuit Testing
Analysis of a typical solar shed LED lighting circuit
Article Last Modified: 11:56, 31st Mar 2007
lighting | solar | education | electric circuit

Basic 4 AA Solar Battery Charger Plans
Make a simple solar charger for 4 AA rechargeable batteries
Article Last Modified: 09:43, 30th Jul 2007
solar | education

Make a Simple Battery Status Monitor
Monitor battery status with this easy electric circuit project - no skill required!
Article Last Modified: 12:33, 16th Mar 2007
storage | electric circuit

Aerogenerator X Offshore Wind Turbine
Find out about the Aerogenerator X - a new design of giant wind turbine for offshore use
Article Last Modified: 12:57, 28th Jul 2010
wind | news

Pharox 240V LED Lightbulbs
New 240V LED lightbulbs which can be used in place of standard incandescents
Article Last Modified: 09:41, 4th Jan 2010
lighting | news

Solar Battery Charging
Make a solar charger for NiCd and NiMH rechargeable AA, AAA etc batteries
Article Last Modified: 09:43, 30th Jul 2007
solar | education

Using Breadboard to Make Circuits
Find out how a breadboard is used to design prototype electronic circuits
Article Last Modified: 12:52, 11th Apr 2009
electronics | education

Electrisave Review
A review of the Electrisave energy monitor
Article Last Modified: 13:46, 13th Feb 2010
shopping | energy efficiency | general

© 2006-2010 REUK - All Rights Reserved
Page Last Updated on 2nd September 2010 at 02:24:32pm

Latest
Articles


Eco Kettle 2 Chrome
Save electricity with an efficient eco kettle - new improved chrome version
energy efficiency
15:25, 18th Aug 2010

OWL CM119 Wireless Energy Monitor
Find out more about the new OWL CM119 wireless electricity monitor
shopping
15:23, 18th Aug 2010

KC7783R PIR Module
Find out more about the economical and easy to use KC7783R PIR motion sensor module
electronics
15:16, 18th Aug 2010

PIR Sensors
Find out how to integrate PIR (passive infra red) sensors into renewable energy applications
electronics
15:16, 18th Aug 2010

LM317 High Current Voltage Regulator
Find out how to build an LM317T based high current voltage regulator
electric circuit
12:29, 17th Aug 2010

LM317 Voltage Calculator
A handy online output voltage calculator for the LM317, LM338, and other linear voltage regulators
electric circuit
12:29, 17th Aug 2010

Optocouplers
Find out more about optocouplers/optoisolators and their uses
electronics
13:33, 14th Aug 2010

Relays and Renewable Energy
Find out more about relays and their uses in renewable energy applications
electric circuit
13:33, 14th Aug 2010



REUK Shop

Popular Items


REUK SUPER TIMER
User programmable 12V powered 10A rated repeating relay timer. 1 second to 99 hours ON and OFF times
£19.99 each.
Complete Circuits



SOLAR PUMP CONTROLLER WITH RELAY
Solar water heating system microprocessor controlled circuit with fitted 10A relay
£25.99 each.
Complete Circuits



12 VOLT 5 WATT SOLAR PANEL
Waterproof 12 Volt 5 Watt Solar Panel with aluminium frame - 290mm x 205mm x 17mm with fitted 5m leads
£33.99 each.
Solar Power



300 WATT POWER INVERTER
Convert 12V DC battery power into 230 AC to power portable televisions, computers, video recorders etc. 300 Watt power rating - peak power 600 Watts
£29.99 each.
Renewable Energy System Parts



CONVERTED PROGRAMMABLE DIGITAL TIMER RELAY
Mains powered programmable timer converted to low voltage with relay board
£21.99 each.
Renewable Energy System Parts



12 VOLT REGULATOR
Supply a fixed 12.0 Volt DC to your devices (up to 1 Amp output)
£4.99 each.
Complete Circuits



MR16 CERAMIC BULB HOLDER
Bulb holder for 12 Volt LED spotlight bulbs
£1.39 each.
Energy Efficient Lighting