Green Illusions Book Summary - Green Illusions Book explained in key points

Green Illusions summary

Name: Green Illusions
Rating: 3.9 (96 reviews)
Author: Ozzie Zehner

Ozzie Zehner

The Dirty Secrets of Clean Energy and the Future of Environmentalism

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3.9 (96 ratings)

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What is Green Illusions about?

Green Illusions deflates the hype surrounding new alternative energy sources. It also explains why, if we truly care about the environment, we should focus on changing our own excessive consumer behavior.

About the Author

Ozzie Zehner is an American author who works as a reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. His work has appeared in publications like The Sunday Times, Wired and The Washington Post.

Table of Contents

Key idea 1 of 12

Conventional energy sources, like fossil fuels and nuclear power, are dangerous and environmentally damaging.

For over a hundred years, humanity’s energy needs have been met for the most part through the use of conventional energy sources like fossil fuels and uranium. But herein lies a problem: the quantity of these resources on earth is finite and humanity’s need for energy is infinite. All experts therefore agree that we need alternative solutions.

But before we dive into alternatives, let’s examine the primary conventional sources used today.

Of all conventional energy sources, coal is by far the worst environmental offender as it is the largest producer of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

Another obvious downside is that burning coal pollutes the air and exposes people to health risks. Installing filters is of no help because they produce a toxic sludge that poisons the groundwater. And since the coal has to be mined before it can be burned, it devastates entire landscapes.

Yet, despite its negative impact, half of America’s electricity and 80 percent of China’s electricity is generated with coal simply because it’s cheaper than oil.

Another prominent conventional energy source is uranium, which is used to generate nuclear energy. But unfortunately, it’s not much better than coal because it’s so dangerous.

Though nuclear energy accidents are less likely to occur than, say, oil spills, their damage potential is exponentially greater. Accidents can happen due to operating errors, like in Chernobyl, or natural disasters, like the tsunami that caused the Fukushima catastrophe. On top of that, since they can be so damaging, nuclear plants are also terrorist targets.

What’s more, storage of the radioactive waste generated through nuclear power is both expensive and fraught with uncertainty, as engineers have yet to find a long-term storage method that is safe and impenetrable to the radiation from the waste.

In addition to the environmental and health risks, coal and nuclear power really aren’t that economical, either: according to one subsidy watchdog, they’re only profitable due to state tax subsidies.

Alternative energy sources, such as biofuels, also have dangerous side effects.

In contrast to the conventional energy sources discussed in the previous blink, sustainable energy sources are thought to be capable of fulfilling our present energy needs without depleting a resource that future generations will need to generate energy.

Alternative energy-generating technologies, such as solar, wind, water, hydrogen and biofuels, aim to reduce emissions of CO2, thereby lessening global warming. Another goal is decreasing humanity’s use of and dependence on fossil fuels to negate their ill effects.

Renewable energy sources, like hydropower and solar power, aren’t perfect either.

As mentioned in the previous blink, the other group of alternative energy sources is called renewables, or sources that are near infinite, such as solar and water power, which we’ll examine now in more detail.

Solar energy is also problematic because it’s generated by solar cells, and the manufacturing of solar cells produces a great deal of highly potent greenhouse gases.

While alternative energy sources may be sustainable, producing them is not.

Perhaps the main trap in alternative energy sources is that, although they may be renewable or regrowable, the equipment and processes required to actually generate power from them are not. Let’s take two examples:

The hydrogen-powered car seems like the perfect green mode of transportation, as it’s powered by a hydrogen fuel cell that emit nothing but pure water.

People like to believe that new clean technologies will solve our environmental problems.

Considering all these negative side effects, the hype surrounding alternative energy sources seems excessive to say the least. So why do people tend to ignore all the negative side effects of alternative energy sources?

The answer lies in our inner motivations.

Green marketing promotes an idealized view of alternative energy sources.

Have you ever felt that alternative energy sources are advertised as the solution to all our problems by almost every politician, media source and company?

If so, you’d be right on: green marketing is omnipresent in public discourse. But why is that?

Technological solutions fail to address the core of the energy crisis: our excessive demand for energy.

In addition to all the negative side effects mentioned in the previous blinks, alternative energy sources have one more crucial flaw: they don’t address the real core of the energy crisis, i.e., our high demand for energy. Instead, they just offer technological solutions or ways of producing more energy or increasing energy efficiency. In other words, they’re aimed at treating the symptoms, not the disease itself.

And even something as seemingly benign as improving energy efficiency has negative side effects, as it can ironically lead to a higher, not lower, demand for energy.

Persuading people to consume less is easier if it focuses on tangible benefits.

By now it’s become clear that the energy crisis doesn’t stem from a lack of energy, but from our high level of energy consumption. This means everyone can help solve the crisis by deciding to consume less.

But how can we transition from our current productivist-consumerist oriented way of life to something more modest?

The government should adopt policies to encourage companies and people to cut energy consumption.

In addition to convincing people to change their consumer behavior, there are other steps the US government can take to save energy on the level of the entire economy. For them to be effective, these measures should be aimed at decreasing energy consumption while increasing well-being, and not be too expensive.

First of all, taxation should shift away from income and focus more on consumption. Up until now, the prices of goods haven’t really reflected the negative side effects of the energy required to produce them, and this needs to change.

Consumption can also be curbed by taking social measures.

One of the most obvious influences on global energy needs is the size of the population: more people require more energy.

Many environmentalists are thus in favor of implementing policies to reduce birth rates. But as women’s rights advocates state, this approach effectively treats women as nothing but wombs, without respecting their right to control their own reproductive behavior.

Living in cities is greener than living in the suburbs.

When one thinks of an environmentally friendly lifestyle, the cliché of a house somewhere in the countryside or suburbs often springs to mind. But this is only true in the case of an autarkic lifestyle, i.e., one independent of transportation.

Usually, living in the suburbs has one major environmental disadvantage: having to drive long distances by car to get anywhere. As America has become increasingly suburbanized, the amount of time that average Americans spend in their cars has doubled over the past 30 years to 45 hours per month.

Final Summary

The key message in this book:

If we want to save the planet and resolve the energy crisis, we can’t sit around hoping that technological solutions will be invented to allow us to keep up our excessive energy consumption. Instead, we must encourage decreased consumption.

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Who should read Green Illusions

Anyone interested in the truth behind alternative energy sources
Anyone who cares about the future of our planet
Anyone interested in urban planning

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Green Illusions summary

Listen to the first key idea

What is Green Illusions about?

About the Author

Conventional energy sources, like fossil fuels and nuclear power, are dangerous and environmentally damaging.

Alternative energy sources, such as biofuels, also have dangerous side effects.

Renewable energy sources, like hydropower and solar power, aren’t perfect either.

While alternative energy sources may be sustainable, producing them is not.

People like to believe that new clean technologies will solve our environmental problems.

Green marketing promotes an idealized view of alternative energy sources.

Technological solutions fail to address the core of the energy crisis: our excessive demand for energy.

Persuading people to consume less is easier if it focuses on tangible benefits.

The government should adopt policies to encourage companies and people to cut energy consumption.

Consumption can also be curbed by taking social measures.

Living in cities is greener than living in the suburbs.

Final Summary

Key ideas in Green Illusions

Conventional energy sources, like fossil fuels and nuclear power, are dangerous and environmentally damaging.

Alternative energy sources, such as biofuels, also have dangerous side effects.

Renewable energy sources, like hydropower and solar power, aren’t perfect either.

While alternative energy sources may be sustainable, producing them is not.

People like to believe that new clean technologies will solve our environmental problems.

Green marketing promotes an idealized view of alternative energy sources.

Technological solutions fail to address the core of the energy crisis: our excessive demand for energy.

Persuading people to consume less is easier if it focuses on tangible benefits.

The government should adopt policies to encourage companies and people to cut energy consumption.

Consumption can also be curbed by taking social measures.

Living in cities is greener than living in the suburbs.

Final Summary

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