322pp., 2005, Portobello Books
As Al Gore so poignantly said in "An Inconvenient Truth," we so often go from denial to despair without doing anything in between. This is how I feel while reading most environmental books. Jeremy Leggett's new book,
"Half Gone: Oil, Gas, Hot Air and the Global Energy Crisis" while depressing about the state of the world, offers significant hope if, like most things, the political will can be found. <!-- pagebreak -->The introductory chapter is written as a Daniel Quinn-like parable, but in an enjoyable and ironic Douglas Adams style, and clear like a Stephen J. Gould essay. The majority of the book deals with the question of peak oil, and the debate between "early peakers" and "late peakers." It goes without saying that oil will run out sooner or later, and one does not need a book about this. However, if you want to know the science and economics behind the forecasts and the debate, then this is an excellent book to give you a grounding. When I read about the peak oil debate, my first reaction is "Good!, let the oil run out tomorrow, then maybe people will finally tackle renewable energy and energy conservation seriously." But then I start thinking about my gortex jacket, shoes, oven cleaner, plastic water pipes, and a million other things I use every day made from oil products.

Leggett presents five premises:
1. It will be possible to replace oil, gas and coal completely with a plentiful supply of renewable energy, and faster than most people think.
2. The shortfall between current expectation of oil supply and available of oil and other sources of energy will not be able to plug the gap in time to prevent economic and environmental trauma.
3. Renewable energy, along with energy efficiency will increasingly substitute oil and gas, growing explosively.
4. The ruins of the old energy modus operandi will try to turn to coal, the outcome of which will ultimately determine if economies and ecosystems will survive the global warming threat.
5. There is much that people can do to influence a the use of renewables, and ameliorate the worst excesses of the global energy crisis.

It is not a question of when oil production will peak and decline, but instead, what happens then. The world may leap to coal or nuclear, even worse options. If we burn most of the remaining oil, or even a fraction of the coal, it will
destroy our economies and environment. However, there are viable and quick solutions recognised even by the some of the world's worst polluters.

Shell's scenario planners in 2001 declared that renewables have the potential to provide power to a world of 10 billion people with ease, even if per capita use increases. If only 600 km2 of the Sahara desert are covered with PV cells, it would match all existing power station production worldwide. The wind-power potential of Texas, N. Dakota and Kansas is enough to meet the energy demand of the entire US. All of non-electrified sub-Saharan Africa could be provided with small-scale solar for less than 70% of what OECD countries spend on subsidies to the fossil fuel industries annually (Annual government subsidies to gas, oil and coal companies is over 235 billion USD!). The UK town of Woking has cut its CO2 emissions 77% since 1990.

In 2005, a ship traveled to the North Pole for the first time without the aid of an ice breaker - time is short, but it is not impossible. Help your friends and loved-ones, and the planet, by giving smart. Give them a certificate that no gifts are necessary. Or if you really feel the need, insulate their windows and doors and pipes; give them energy efficient light bulbs; A+ energy and water efficiency appliances; and extension cords with a master off switch (these days many appliances do not even come with an off button).

This book review was written for the REC Bulletin, to be published sometime in March.