Clean Energy Nation: Freeing America from the Tyranny of Fossil Fuels

By Congressman Jerry MCNERNEY Ph.D. and Martin Cheek

In the vein of “An Inconvenient Truth,” a sobering assessment of our nation’s energy policies and a stirring call for change. Dangerous CO2 emissions, massive oil spills, dwindling supplies—the problems with fossil fuels are driving a long-overdue reassessment of our nation’s energy policies. U.S. Congressman Jerry McNerney, a renewable energy engineer and the first representative with expertise in energy independence, leads the way to change. In Clean Energy Nation, he and journalist Martin Cheek make an impassioned argument for drastically reducing dependency on fossil fuels and developing sustainable, readily available energy sources—solar, wind, biofuel, geothermal, and hydrogen-based power. Bringing together a rare combination of scientific knowledge, political savvy, and insightful journalism, the authors reveal the pros and cons of alternative energy sources and examine how our nation became addicted to fossil fuels in the first place. The book reads like the dramatic story it is, complete with dire projections about peak oil and grim scenarios of rising oceans…keen insights into policies and players that have stalled progress on climate change and favored big oil…and astute recommendations for building a clean energy economy and a prosperous, stable future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AMACOM
• Release date: Aug 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9780814413739

Congressman Jerry MCNERNEY Ph.D.

CONGRESSMAN JERRY McNERNEY, PH.D., was elected to California’s 11th Congressional District in November 2006. He is a member of the House Select Committee on Global Warming and Energy Independence and the House Committee on Science and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, he was an energy consultant for Pacific Gas and Electric, FlowWind, and the Electric Power Research Institute.

Reviews for Clean Energy Nation

[liscarey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dr. Gerald "Jerry" McNerney is an engineer, energy specialist, and US Congressman from California's 11th district. Clean Energy Nation reflects his professional education and experience as well as his experiences in Congress, working to advance realistic, rational energy and environmental policies.

McNerney's message is that global climate change is real and a major threat, oil and other fossil fuels really are starting to run out--and that the two problems compound each other. Global climate change increases our use of energy to maintain livably cool temperatures, grow food in increasingly dry regions by use of irrigation, rebuild after increasingly frequent and violent storms, and eventually relocate people, their homes, and their businesses inland from the places that will be underwater as the icecaps melt. Also, somewhat counter-intuitively, quite possibly to heat an increasingly frigid Europe, if the melting of the icecaps has the effect of turning off the North Atlantic conveyor that keeps northern Europe much warmer than equivalent latitudes in North America.

Burning fossil fuels, our primary means of getting energy now, unfortunately increases global warming.

McNerney lays out carefully and clearly how burning fossil fuels contributes to the greenhouse effect and causes climate change. He explains in terms everyone can understand how the combined effects of global climate change and the climbing cost of energy due to the fact that we're reaching our limits of production of fossil fuels that took millions of years to create and which can't be replaced, has serious negative effects for our health, our food supply, and our economy.

And he explains what we can do about it, if we don't wait too long to act.

He talks about the false start of the 1970s, when Carter, with good ideas but poor political skills and an unwise tendency to micromanagement, briefly turned us to more sustainable policies--and the undoing of that under Reagan, after oil prices fell. He talks about positive changes and more sustainable choices made under both Democratic and Republican presidents, by states and municipalities, and by private companies and individuals.

McNerney also talks about changes, progress, and new projects in other countries.

McNerney's biggest message, which he covers at length, is that far from being an economic cost to develop and switch to renewable resources and sustainable practices, it's in fact the only path open to us that allows economic growth, progress, and continued world leadership.

This is a highly readable, thoughtful, important book.

Highly recommended.