Excerpt from Interrelations of the Fossil Fuels When this study was taken up, the writer planned to present a synopsis of geological observations, then to summarize results oh tained from investigation of chemical relations of the fossil fuels and finally to discuss the problems involved. Illness, beginning in October, 1917, interrupted the study and no attempt to resume it was made until the summer of 1919. But the labor of reducing bulky abstracts to brief digests and of filling gaps in the accumu lated material became increasingly difficult, so that within a few months, it became certain that the work could not be completed by the writer, who, being well advanced in his 8oth year, could not hope that youthful vigor will return. He has prepared a table of contents and an index, which may render the portion, already published, more nearly available for those interested in the study. The War made communication with continental Europe very um certain during the time when preparation of abstracts of publica tions on Paleozoic coals were in course of preparation, so that there was little opportunity to consult Professors Barrois, Dannenberg Petrascheck, v. Ammon and other geologists, who had always been prompt in replying to my too numerous letters of inquiry, which must have tried their patience. My indebtedness to American geolo gists is very great; they have not hesitated to give me access even to unpublished material. It may seem invidious to make special men tion of any, but failure to recognize my obligations to Doctor David White and Professor Willis T. Lee would be inexcusable. I must make grateful acknowledgment of the unvarying and generous courtesy extended by Doctor I. Minis Hays, Secretary of the Amer ican Philosophical Society, and Professor R. A. F. Penrose, Jr., chairman of the publication committee. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This book gives an overview of the problem of providing economics with a biophysical foundation, explains the importance of energy in economic valuation and aims to develop novel ways of evaluating the physical constraints of our planet and the services provided by the natural environment.

Could everything we know about fossil fuels be wrong? For decades, environmentalists have told us that using fossil fuels is a self-destructive addiction that will destroy our planet. Yet at the same time, by every measure of human well-being, from life expectancy to clean water to climate safety, life has been getting better and better. How can this be? The explanation, energy expert Alex Epstein argues in The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels, is that we usually hear only one side of the story. We’re taught to think only of the negatives of fossil fuels, their risks and side effects, but not their positives—their unique ability to provide cheap, reliable energy for a world of seven billion people. And the moral significance of cheap, reliable energy, Epstein argues, is woefully underrated. Energy is our ability to improve every single aspect of life, whether economic or environmental. If we look at the big picture of fossil fuels compared with the alternatives, the overall impact of using fossil fuels is to make the world a far better place. We are morally obligated to use more fossil fuels for the sake of our economy and our environment. Drawing on original insights and cutting-edge research, Epstein argues that most of what we hear about fossil fuels is a myth. For instance . . . Myth: Fossil fuels are dirty. Truth: The environmental benefits of using fossil fuels far outweigh the risks. Fossil fuels don’t take a naturally clean environment and make it dirty; they take a naturally dirty environment and make it clean. They don’t take a naturally safe climate and make it dangerous; they take a naturally dangerous climate and make it ever safer. Myth: Fossil fuels are unsustainable, so we should strive to use “renewable” solar and wind. Truth: The sun and wind are intermittent, unreliable fuels that always need backup from a reliable source of energy—usually fossil fuels. There are huge amounts of fossil fuels left, and we have plenty of time to find something cheaper. Myth: Fossil fuels are hurting the developing world. Truth: Fossil fuels are the key to improving the quality of life for billions of people in the developing world. If we withhold them, access to clean water plummets, critical medical machines like incubators become impossible to operate, and life expectancy drops significantly. Calls to “get off fossil fuels” are calls to degrade the lives of innocent people who merely want the same opportunities we enjoy in the West. Taking everything into account, including the facts about climate change, Epstein argues that “fossil fuels are easy to misunderstand and demonize, but they are absolutely good to use. And they absolutely need to be championed. . . . Mankind’s use of fossil fuels is supremely virtuous—because human life is the standard of value and because using fossil fuels transforms our environment to make it wonderful for human life.”

A provocative call for delegitimizing fossil fuels rather than accommodating them, accompanied by case studies from Ecuador to Appalachia and from Germany to Norway. Not so long ago, people North and South had little reason to believe that wealth from oil, gas, and coal brought anything but great prosperity. But the presumption of net benefits from fossil fuels is eroding as widening circles of people rich and poor experience the downside. A positive transition to a post-fossil fuel era cannot wait for global agreement, a swap-in of renewables, a miracle technology, a carbon market, or lifestyle change. This book shows that it is now possible to take the first step toward the post-fossil fuel era, by resisting the slow violence of extreme extraction and combustion, exiting the industry, and imagining a good life after fossil fuels. It shows how an environmental politics of transition might occur, arguing for going to the source rather than managing byproducts, for delegitimizing fossil fuels rather than accommodating them, for engaging a politics of deliberately choosing a post-fossil fuel world. Six case studies reveal how individuals, groups, communities, and an entire country have taken first steps out of the fossil fuel era, with experiments that range from leaving oil under the Amazon to ending mountaintop removal in Appalachia.

From the beginning, Environmental Science focuses on concepts and presents topics with a practical optimism that clearly defines both problems and possible solutions. The approach and reading level cover the basic concepts without overloading students with too much detail. The central theme throughout the text is interrelatedness. The authors identify major issues and give appropriate examples that illustrate the complex interactions that are characteristic of all environmental problems.