I have gotten numerous inquiries about the book I am working on, so just wanted to provide a quick update. I have been unsure about exactly how long this process would take, but apparently it is a lot faster than I had imagined. My original thinking was that it would be out around the middle of next year, but I found out today that it is already available. People have been asking about the title, but I have been saying that it isn’t set in stone. Well, it is now: Power Plays: Energy Options in the Age of Peak Oil
I don’t actually know if that cover is final; this is actually the first time I have seen it and so I don’t know if this is just a pre-publication version or if this is actually the cover.
My goal for the book is to broadly and objectively cover the topic of energy, and especially to highlight issues that may be entirely unknown to readers. I try to cover all of the hot energy topics today, look back at how we got to this point, and peer into the future. It isn’t a peak oil book per se, but I do cover the topic in a way that I don’t believe has been covered before. I also cover climate change, fossil fuels, renewables, and some common sense solutions to the problems we face (e.g., passage of the Open Fuel Standard Act). As soon as I finish organizing the material I will post a Table of Contents.
I also wanted to provide an update on the blog schedule for the rest of the year. Today or tomorrow a new video will be published. This one is a bit different from the others; it is a short presentation on the concept of Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROEI). Next week I will put up the Top 10 Energy Stories of 2011, and then I will offer predictions for 2012.
I also turned 45 today, and as I approach middle age, :), it is a time for reflection about the state of the world and the work that remains to be done — which is why I am up writing at 4 a.m. There is still a lot to be done; I don’t think the world is adequately prepared for what I believe will be some rocky times in front of us. But I believe that I need to think about ways to more effectively engage people and bring that urgent message across that we can’t stand around idly while Rome burns.
Best holiday wishes for all readers and viewers. I hope you get to spend it with loved ones, and if you do not, then I hope you get to see them soon.