The best clean-tech book

If you only read one book, pick this one 10

For years I've been looking for one book to recommend to people who want to get up to speed on what's happening in clean technology. I have finally found it: The Clean Tech Revolution: The Next Big Growth and Investment Opportunity, by Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder.

It is the only book I've seen that covers the whole gamut of the latest in clean energy -- including such cutting-edge areas as concentrating solar power and microalgae -- and isn't swept up in fads like hydrogen cars.

I was a bit worried when the index didn't have an entry for either "hybrids" or "plug-in hybrids," but that is only because the index is quite lame. In fact, the book "gets" plug-in hybrids, which I consider the acid test of any clean-energy book today.

The book also has a nice chapter on water filtration, so it is more comprehensive than books that just focus on energy. And although it doesn't tell you to buy specific stocks, it gives ten companies to watch in each clean-tech sector if you are looking for a place to start investment research. If you want to see the companies without actually reading the book, you can go straight to the authors' blog.

The book is highly readable, explaining the basics of important technologies and manufacturing issues without getting lost in the technical details. It also contains a nice chapter on "clean-tech marketing," for those interested in that side of the business. The authors understand "the three most important factors in clean-tech marketing: cost, cost, and cost." They make the key point repeatedly: "clean tech cannot go mainstream if it's viewed as a premium item."

Kudos to Pernick and Wilder for writing this handy, important work.

This post was created for ClimateProgress.org, a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Joseph Romm is the editor of Climate Progress and a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

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  1. JMG's avatar

    JMG Posted 5:09 pm
    06 Aug 2007

    Ummm, just one questionI don't want to be a zit but, after your review of Heat, I have to ask whether this is a recommendation based on reading the book or skimming the book and looking at the TOC and index.

    Save the world: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 5% annually.

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  2. amazingdrx Posted 9:46 pm
    06 Aug 2007

    PluginThat's good to note.  Because I can't find anyone that gets plugin hybrids, until I explain it to them.  Then they quickly forget about them.
    It's not a topic on mass delusional media.  And only a passing topic on mixcro media like this and other green blogs.
    I'm wondering if this environmental movement is really just micro media delusion?  We think other people understand these issues.  But a quick poll proves they don't.
    We are talking to the converted and in the case of this blog, many who are inconvertible.  How many participants here understand the possible positive impact of plugin hybrids?  A handfull at best.  
    A pretty sad result for all the effort.

    http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog

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  3. samara Posted 10:45 pm
    06 Aug 2007

    Re: Plugin commentRegarding the comment about most people not knowing what a plug-in hybrid is.  I think that's understandable considering how new the technology is--and considering the ever-increasing number of 'green' technology stories that one sees even in the mainstream media these days, it's just a matter of time before this type of technology becomes as well-known as your standard hybrid Prius.  And honestly, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand the general concept of the plug-in hybrid--the American public just needs more exposure to what it is.

    Samara

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  4. odograph Posted 12:28 am
    07 Aug 2007

    algaeIsn't algae (for fuel production) also in danger of becoming a fad?
    It's another technology that would be nice to have (in proven and cost-effective from) but one that we don't have currently.
    History will write whether it is another 'hydrogen' or not.

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  5. Delay And Deny's avatar

    Delay And Deny Posted 1:26 am
    07 Aug 2007

    Apartments/Plugins

    Plugin hybrids are an attempt to revivify the sagging housing market.
    People who live in apartments can't use plugins.



    John Bailo


    Supratext:

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  6. Biodiversivist's avatar

    Biodiversivist Posted 5:14 am
    07 Aug 2007

    I also didn't finish reading HeatI think he went a little overboard, although I generally like what he writes and agree with him most of the time.

    In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

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  7. Jones Posted 10:33 am
    07 Aug 2007

    Taking the HeatJoseph, I have to agree with JMG: after your absurd mis-review of Heat, I'm afraid you've shaken my confidence in your reviewing abilities. Two of your 'strikes' there were unfounded, and the third irrelevant. This was pointed out to you, and still you're unrepentant. So far, it's Monbiot 1, Romm 0.
    This is important because we all have limited time to be spending on climate-related reading. I'd much rather a book like Heat, that evaluates real-world scenarios in which various technologies would be applied, than yet another admiring roll-call of aspirational always-on-the-point technologies with no critical analysis of how they can be usefully incorporated into real solutions.
    I'll read this book on your recommendation, but consider yourself on strike one...

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  8. zacaroni Posted 11:41 pm
    07 Aug 2007

    William McDonoughCradle to Cradle is still the best book out there on green tech

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  9. Krebs Posted 12:18 am
    08 Aug 2007

    "Zero emissions" vehicles and buildingsBoth are being mandated in H.R. 3221, the Democrats nearly 800-page rewrite of 2005 EPAct. PHEV's are the latest wet dream of the electric utility industry. Too bad they got the lobbying clout and operatives to push their agenda as the soloution instead of the problem.
    As for cap & trade; get this:

    TITLE VI--CARBON-NEUTRAL GOVERNMENT, SEC. 6102. MANAGEMENT OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, states the following objective (page 265):
    to reduce such greenhouse gas emissions as rapidly as possible, but at a minimum by a quantity equal to 2 percent of projected FY2010 emissions each fiscal year, so as to achieve zero net annual greenhouse gas emissions from the agencies by FY2050.
    Zero huh?  Yup; here's how.  The Federal government can buy compliance form emmisions credit brokers.  That means WE are paying; through taxes.  Read on:
    SEC. 6103. PILOT PROJECT FOR PURCHASE OF OFFSETS AND CERTIFICATES states these goals can be met through purchasing credits (page 272):
    Executive agencies and legislative branch offices may purchase qualified greenhouse gas offsets and qualified renewable energy certificates in any open market transaction that complies with all applicable procurement rules and regulations.
    PS:  someone please tell me how I can post this as a new thread and not just a comment
     

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