The Infinite Resource: The Power of Ideas on a Finite Planet

Index

index acidification, ocean, 78–79, 243 acid rain, 145–47, 199, 217, 242–43, 274, 275, 285, 297, 299–300 actinides, 228 advanced weathering, 239 affluence. See wealth agriculture, 103–18; carrying capacity of planet, 113–15; doom avoided, 103–5; as first energy technology, 107–9; and Green Revolution, 109–10; innovation in, 115–18; “land for food” footprint, 112–13, 113; ocean farming, 110–12; organic, 245–48; and selfinterest in USSR, 191; Sibudu Cave, 105–7. See also food production; genetically modified organisms (GMOs) air, mining for energy, 167–69 air conditioning, 204–5 air travel efficiency, 140 alachlor, 251 Alcalá, Francisco, 291 algae biofuels, 170–72 alternate energy sources, 157–78; battery storage, 164–67, 166; biofuels, 168–72; challenges in, 175–77; decentralization of, 173–75; energy as master resource, 172–73; finiteness, fallacy of, 158–60; learning curve for, 160–62; mining the air, 167–69; overview, 157–58; rising returns of, 162–64; time constraints on, 177–78. See also nuclear energy; solar energy; wind energy American Clean Energy and Security Act (proposed), 217 Ameripol, 133 ammonia, 133–34 Antarctic ozone hole. See ozone depletion aquaculture, 110–12 Arctic ice cap, 81–86 Aristotle, 194 Arrhenius, Svante, 63, 67, 72 asbestos, 205, 299 Ashkelon Sea Water Reverse Osmosis plant, 150 atrazine, 251, 253, 258–59, 297, 300 Australia, pollution control in, 216–19 automobile efficiency, 146 Babcock and Wilcox mPower nuclear reactor, 232 Bacon, Francis, 12 Bakelite, 123 Bakken Shale formation, 44 barefoot solar engineers, 173–74 batteries, 164–67, 166 benzene, 205, 299 Note: Page numbers in italics refer to figures. 340 I n d e x Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature study (BEST), 65–66 beta carotene, 248 Bettencourt, Luis, 290 biofuels, 168–72, 177, 213 Birol, Faith, 47 bitumen, 45–46 Black, Joseph, 13 blue-green algae, 172 Boeing 787 Dreamliner, 125 Borlaug, Norman, 109–10, 182, 247 Bosch, Carl, 133–34 Braungart, Michael, 154 breeder reactors, 223, 228–29 Bt crops, 252–53, 256–57 Burgan oil field, 43 Bush, George H. W., 145–46, 199, 201, 297 Byrd, Robert, 199–200, 217 C4 rice, 249, 259 CAFE fuel efficiency standards, 212 calcifers, 78–80, 305 calcium bicarbonate, 239 calories per person, 24, 24 Canada: carbon tax in British Columbia, 211; and Montreal Protocol, 145, 202–5; oil sands in, 45–46. See also acid rain Cantarell oil field, 43 cap-and-trade, 201–2, 206–7, 215–19 capitalism, 189–98, 292 carbon capture, 237–42, 296 carbon dioxide (CO2 ): effect on forests, 78; effect on oceans, 78–81; effect on plant growth, 77; forests’ consumption of, 57; liquefied, 237; rate of breakdown, 81; safe levels of, 87 carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions: in Australia, 216–19; carbon capture, 237–42, 296; climate engineering, 237–43; consequences of, long term, 72–73; consequences of, short term, 73–76; danger zone in halting, 240–42; historically, 63–64, 70; from nuclear power plants, 223; responsibility for, 67–71; and solar shield, 242–43; U.S. reduction of, 269; voluntary reduction of, 90–91. See also cap-and-trade; pollution reduction; pollution tax carbon dividends, 207 carbon fiber, 125, 141–43, 146 carbonic acid, 78 carbon monoxide emissions, 144, 153, 225, 269, 300 carbon nanotubes, 125–26, 176 carbon sequestration, 237–42, 296 carbon tax. See pollution tax carrying capacity of planet, 113–15 Carter, Jimmy, 224–25 cassava, 248–49 Cebrian, Manuel, 291 cell phones, 3, 26–27, 26, 33, 120, 175. See also mobile phones celluloid, 123 cellulose, 169–70 cement, 239 Chalk River Laboratories, 224 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, 226–27 China: economic reforms in, 189–90; efficient use of resources in, 272–73; innovation in, 5–6, 13–19; new wealth and demand for commodities, 52; new wealth and innovation in, 280–83; oil consumption of, 48; pollution reduction in, 213–15; scarcity of resources in, 94–95; U.S. relations with, 93; working-age populations in, 287 Chinchias Islands, 131–32 chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), 145, 202–5, 269–70, 276, 285, 295, 299 Chu, Steven, 241 Church, George, 171–72 Ciccone, Antonio, 291 341 I n d e x clathrates, 83, 86 Clean Air Act, 145–46, 204, 299 Clean Water Act, 145, 299 climate change, 61–87; and CO2 emissions, 63–64; consequences of, 72–76; divided opinions on, 218–21; effect on agriculture, 77; effect on forests, 78; effect on oceans, 78–81; extreme weather...