PREFACE

Energy is central to human existence. Indeed, human history can be told in terms of the history of energy.
The discovery of fire, the domestication of animals, the discovery of fossil fuels, the electrification of cities,
advances in nuclear physics, and the recent oil wars in the Middle East are all pivotal points in human history.
Energy is now central to one of the preeminent challenges facing humanity: a sustainable human existence
on the planet. Energy is a key driver of macroeconomic growth. In the environmental dimension, conven-
tional energy sources are major drivers of environmental stress at global as well as local levels. In terms of the
social ­dimension, energy is a ­prerequisite for the fulfillment of many basic human needs and services, and
inequities in energy provision and quality often manifest themselves as issues of social justice.
The Handbook of Energy was conceived to provide up-to-date and essential information about energy
to a diverse audience. Its distinguishing features are its integration of the social, physical, biological, and
engineering sciences, its breadth of coverage, its diversity of content types, and its reliance on authoritative,
peer-reviewed information.
Information is organized by five broad themes:
1. Sources: The story of energy begins with the generation of the stocks and flows of energy in the environ-
ment that humans ultimately tap. This theme includes content related to all the sources of energy that
humans use: solar energy, hydrogen, coal, electricity, wind, and so on.
2. Foundations: Energy is the common link between the living and non-living realms of the universe and
thus is an integrator across all fields in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education
and research. This theme includes content related to the physical foundations of energy that have been
­established in the natural ­sciences and engineering fields.
3. Applications. Humans do not value coal or oil per se. Rather, they seek the services that energy provides:
warmth, illumination, and mobility. This theme includes content related to the applications of energy,
such as energy ­conversion, lighting, end use efficiency, and transportation by land, water, and air.
4. Impacts. The extraction, processing, transport, and use of energy have wide-ranging impacts. This theme
includes content related to climate change, air and water pollution and other environmental effects, and
health and safety.
5. Correlations. This theme includes content related to the economics and business of energy.
The diagrams, charts, and tables within this organizational scheme are grouped to supply the reader with
logical and ready access to information. Thus, all the diagrams, charts, and tables related to energy conversion
are grouped together, as are all those related to oil and gas, all those related to climate change, and so on. This
approach exposes the reader to the broad, interdisciplinary nature of the Handbook, while at the same time
enabling the reader to easily “drill down” and find information on a specific topic.
The information in the Handbook is drawn predominantly from peer-reviewed sources in academia and
government: journals, textbooks, reference handbooks, and technical manuals. Less frequent sources include
research institutes, corporations, and nongovernmental organizations.
Cutler J. Cleveland
Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Christopher Morris
Morris Books, Escondido, California, USA