New Book Gives Good Arguments On Using Fossil Fuels for Power

In the dawn of the “green” energy era, proponents of using fossil fuels for energy and power sources strike a “mother lode” of facts, data, and logic for the continued use of these materials. While many in the public sector and even some in the technical arena are fervently in favor of going with green power, author Robert Bryce in his new book, Power Hungry, makes a cogent argument why fossil fuels should be around for some time to come. Sure, their use presents certain deficiencies, but the social and economic benefits they bring are so much greater and needed by society! Equally as important, it is just not that easy to replace them!

Bryce is an avowed advocate of global and domestic energy issues. Living in Austin, TX where he worked for The Austin Chronicle for 12 years, he is now the Managing Editor of the online magazine, Energy Tribune. A previous book, Gusher Of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of Energy Independence, was published a few years ago. The focus was on the desire for energy independence and its benefits and dangers. His technical expertise and writing skills provide an extra advantage in looking at the current energy business – a huge global business of about $5 trillion per year – and recommending a course of action for the country.

In his new book, he makes a marked distinction that he is neither a Democrat nor a Republican. His criticism of the Bush administration is just as severe and deep as it is of the Obama “wrong-way Corrigan” approach to current energy matters. What he is seeking in Power Hungry, with its extended title, The Myths of “Green Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future, is to make the public better aware of energy matters, understand the importance of energy sources now being used, uncover the myths of the green revolution, and learn what it will take to better use energy and power materials in the future.

In talking with Bryce, he puts it simply as, “I would like to effect the discussion on energy a little – if I can move the needle just a little bit” then his book has been successful. With the examples in the book and the discussion by Bryce, he will definitely move the needle! Politicians spread so much bias with so little real scientific and economic information that his book can be a real enlightenment. One of society’s biggest problems is the need to know, understand and then offer reasonable opinions on what options are really best for the country.

Bryce is concerned that today’s energy policy – the green revolution – is really not needed and will do little to replace the fossil-supplied energy of today at cost-effective rates. In discussing energy sources and evaluating them, Bryce makes use of metrics that he calls “Four Imperatives”. These are power density, energy density, cost, and scale.

In his analysis, Bryce differentiates between energy and power, pointing out that power, which is energy measured on a time basis, is what people should be concerned with. Through examples, using math, physics, and economics, he explains the important parameters of energy sources and why fossil fuels will be hard to replace. Using his four imperatives, the argument is strong and convincing.