PROJECT SUNSHINE

In this engaging and highly readable book Professor Tony Ryan, a chemist and head of the Faculty of Science at the University of Sheffield, and Steve McKevitt, a communications expert, take a look at the history of energy use and outline how we might meet the energy and food needs of a population of 9 billion. There are chapters covering the link between population growth and energy availability together with the roles of agriculture, oil, nuclear, solar and other renewable energy sources. Much of the material may be familiar but the analysis is good and the authors manage to integrate historical narrative, scientific principles and just the right number of facts and figures to give an enlightening perspective on the current energy situation. The book begins with a brief history of energy use, identifying moments such as the development of agriculture and domestic animals, which enabled the storage of energy/food in the form of livestock and grain, and the wood crisis of the Elizabethan era which prompted the adoption of coal and kicked off the industrial revolution. There is a good chapter on nuclear power, which contains an in-depth discussion of the different means of nuclear power generation that goes beyond the usual good/bad dichotomy and argues that nuclear will play a necessary role in reducing carbon emissions while the full transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources takes place. The raison d'être of the book is to present the case for solar power and the most detailed exposition is reserved for this. "Project Sunshine" is in fact an interdisciplinary group at the University of Sheffield which has been set up to develop new ways to use the sun's energy more efficiently in order to increase food production and provide more renewable energy. Ryan's specialism is in polymer materials and so he is well placed to discuss the latest research and developments in areas such as photovoltaic cells. The subsequent chapter addresses two of the main challenges for solar power: maintaining a consistent power output through day and night and converting solar energy into a fuel that can be readily transported. Various means of doing this are proposed and the pros and cons of batteries, hydrogen, ethanol, methanol and algal biofuels are all discussed. Given agriculture's current reliance on oil based fertilisers and pesticides and the conflict of land use between biofuels and food production, the issue of food production is closely related to the energy debate. Unfortunately the sections of the book devoted to this do not match the quality of the other chapters and alternatives to industrial farming and GM crops are not seriously considered. Given industrial farming's devastating impact on the environment over the past 60 years and the overly aggressive stance of the large biotechnology companies that control GM seed production, to say nothing of the possible risks of GM itself, this seems short sighted. The discussion about meat and dairy is better and really drives the point home. Did you know that of the energy consumed in producing a cup of tea 40% went into producing that dash of milk? Overall the book maintains an optimistic tone throughout and leaves one hopeful that we will develop the technology capable of supplying our energy needs in a sustainable manner. Whether we can develop the political will and international cooperation required to implement this technology is a matter that remains to be answered.