Review by matias386 -- The Future of Buildings, Transpor...
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matias386
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Review by matias386 -- The Future of Buildings, Transpor...
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Future of Buildings, Transportation and Power" by Roger Duncan and Michael E. Webber.]
“Everything is Energy” With this catchphrase, Roger Duncan, self-described as a recovering politician having served in the Austin City Council during the 1980s, and Michael E. Webber, professor at the University of Texas at Austin, takes us into the world of energy in their book The Future of Buildings, Transportation and Power.
The book delves into the future of energy; more specifically, the future of energy in the buildings, transportations systems, and the electric grid, a choice which is justified by the authors’ assertion that they make up for more than 75 percent of the total energy consumed. In the approximately 290 pages that follow, Duncan and Webber propose to present their “vision” of that future for the reader.
Every chapter is opened with a short fictional scenario of what our future lives would look like as a result of the energy revolution. From “smart” houses that adjust the environment to our needs and wants with just a voice command, to self-driving cars that come to pick us up for work, these glimpses of the future helps us imagine the full extent that the energy revolution could have on our daily lives. This is a welcome addition that helps bring the reader “back to earth” after the otherwise more complex descriptions of the developments in energy technology.
The authors introduce the concept of Energy Efficiency Megatrend, which posits that technology continually evolves to make energy transitions more efficient. This principle will be crucial in order to understand our future because it has three key consequences: the economic sectors will meet their functions with less material, motion and time; buildings and vehicles interfaces will become almost sentient and the buildings, transportations as well as power systems will form a single and interdependent system. In other words, technology will get smarter and autonomous in most of the economy. These trends will accelerate to such a degree that buildings will seem like they have minds of their own, conversing with us and anticipating our desires and needs. We will be able to move things around to a degree hitherto unimagined among other marvels.
Webber and Duncan are certainly optimistic about the prospects for a sustainable future, but this is no mere naïve joyride: they are also quick to recognize the challenges and difficulties in order to implement these innovations, which go from entrenched interests to matters of economic profitability as well as job security for those employed in the traditional energy sector.
Therefore, while these developments will surely allow us to increase our economic output in a sustainable way, the authors don’t ignore the fact that many workers will be displaced before new jobs arise out of automation, which is a phenomenon we are already experiencing. Hence, it is imperative to address this issue immediately. In short, the challenge is to open the path to a more sustainable future while also securing people’s livelihoods.
The book is exceptionally well-edited (in fact, I could only find a single typo in the whole book), it is professionally written according to the highest academic standards, with scores of scholarly citations and references which is to be expected considering the distinguished careers of the authors.
I give this book a perfect score of four out of four stars. Those interested in technology and the environment will surely find it fascinating. While the technical language may be a bit daunting for those not particularly into science, the authors manage to make the book an engaging read, so it is by no means an impossible nut to crack for those without expertise in the field.
******
The Future of Buildings, Transportation and Power
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
“Everything is Energy” With this catchphrase, Roger Duncan, self-described as a recovering politician having served in the Austin City Council during the 1980s, and Michael E. Webber, professor at the University of Texas at Austin, takes us into the world of energy in their book The Future of Buildings, Transportation and Power.
The book delves into the future of energy; more specifically, the future of energy in the buildings, transportations systems, and the electric grid, a choice which is justified by the authors’ assertion that they make up for more than 75 percent of the total energy consumed. In the approximately 290 pages that follow, Duncan and Webber propose to present their “vision” of that future for the reader.
Every chapter is opened with a short fictional scenario of what our future lives would look like as a result of the energy revolution. From “smart” houses that adjust the environment to our needs and wants with just a voice command, to self-driving cars that come to pick us up for work, these glimpses of the future helps us imagine the full extent that the energy revolution could have on our daily lives. This is a welcome addition that helps bring the reader “back to earth” after the otherwise more complex descriptions of the developments in energy technology.
The authors introduce the concept of Energy Efficiency Megatrend, which posits that technology continually evolves to make energy transitions more efficient. This principle will be crucial in order to understand our future because it has three key consequences: the economic sectors will meet their functions with less material, motion and time; buildings and vehicles interfaces will become almost sentient and the buildings, transportations as well as power systems will form a single and interdependent system. In other words, technology will get smarter and autonomous in most of the economy. These trends will accelerate to such a degree that buildings will seem like they have minds of their own, conversing with us and anticipating our desires and needs. We will be able to move things around to a degree hitherto unimagined among other marvels.
Webber and Duncan are certainly optimistic about the prospects for a sustainable future, but this is no mere naïve joyride: they are also quick to recognize the challenges and difficulties in order to implement these innovations, which go from entrenched interests to matters of economic profitability as well as job security for those employed in the traditional energy sector.
Therefore, while these developments will surely allow us to increase our economic output in a sustainable way, the authors don’t ignore the fact that many workers will be displaced before new jobs arise out of automation, which is a phenomenon we are already experiencing. Hence, it is imperative to address this issue immediately. In short, the challenge is to open the path to a more sustainable future while also securing people’s livelihoods.
The book is exceptionally well-edited (in fact, I could only find a single typo in the whole book), it is professionally written according to the highest academic standards, with scores of scholarly citations and references which is to be expected considering the distinguished careers of the authors.
I give this book a perfect score of four out of four stars. Those interested in technology and the environment will surely find it fascinating. While the technical language may be a bit daunting for those not particularly into science, the authors manage to make the book an engaging read, so it is by no means an impossible nut to crack for those without expertise in the field.
******
The Future of Buildings, Transportation and Power
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Redesigned Earth by John T. Tanacredi, PhD.
