Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #99431 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-19
• Released on: 2007-10-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 416 pages

From Publishers Weekly
To free the U.S. of fossil fuel dependency while boosting the economy, we need the kind of visionary leadership that led to the Apollo moon landings in 1969, according to Inslee and Hendricks in this energetic articulation of a clean-energy future. That vision is sadly lacking under the current administration, reports Washington State Congressman Inslee in several caustic sidebars about his contentious energy discussions with President Bush and Vice-President Cheney. His first-person anecdotes lighten this otherwise earnest book, based on initiatives of the Apollo Alliance, an advocacy group and think tank uniting unions, environmental groups and business organizations committed to fostering a green economy. Redesigning the car, investing in solar power, mining wind for power, exploring the nascent technology of wave energy, using energy more efficiently and working clean coal and safe nuclear power into the equation are among the authors' prescriptions. Inslee is primary congressional sponsor of the New Apollo Energy Act and on the Apollo Alliance advisory board; coauthor Hendricks is a member of the alliance's steering committee. A brief foreword by Bill Clinton waxes enthusiastic about the synergy between the book, the alliance and the proposed legislation. (Nov. 2)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"Apollo's Fire is a brilliant, inspiring book on the need to set goals and find future solutions to achieve clean, efficient energy. It is beautifully written, exciting, and hopeful. It's a must read for every American who wants to save the planet." (Helen Thomas Hearst Newspapers columnist )

"For those of you who want to move beyond the doom and gloom of the global warming dialogue, Apollo's Fire fits the bill. Set in a frame of optimism and urgency, this book thinks big and shows that innovation, curiosity, and imagination already are driving the beginnings of an Apollo-like leap toward necessary solutions. The authors' sweeping and attainable vision for America's energy independence shows we can once again reach for higher goals and succeed." (Robert Redford actor and director )

"At Virgin, we know you don''t get anywhere without vision. Here in Apollo''s Fire is the compelling, bold vision in energy the world needs to beat global warming." (Sir Richard Branson founder and chairman of the Virgin Group )

"Apollo''s Fire gets the situation almost exactly right." (Bill McKIbben SEED magazine )

"Apollo''s Fire is a ... summons to shake ourselves free from the physical and political corruptions of oil." (Bob Simmons Seattle Times )

About the Author

Jay Inslee is a Representative in the United States House of Representatives, representing the First District of the State of Washington, in the Seattle area. He is a recognized leader in Congress on energy issues and is the prime sponsor of the New Apollo Energy Act, a comprehensive plan to build a clean energy economy in America. Congressman Inslee was elected in 1998 and serves on the Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He was recently named by Nancy Pelosi to the new House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

Bracken Hendricks is a senior fellow with the Center for American Progress and former executive director of the Apollo Alliance, an organization of environmental organizations, businesses, and labor organizations dedicated to building a new energy future for America. Mr. Hendricks formerly served as Special Assistant to the Office of Vice President Al Gore and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration where he worked on the Interagency Climate Change Working Group. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Urban Planning from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Customer Reviews

The Four Horsemen of the Energy Apocalypse
Congressman Jay Inslee puts forth his view toward a solution to fuel prices and climate change. The field is rather crowded right now for books on this topic. Inslee approaches the angle of the economy and jobs more fully than his competitors. He remains more neutral on hydrogen, nuclear, and clean coal, while encouraging wind, solar, and tidal energy.

Inslee puts forth Ten Energy Enlightenments.

1. Opportunity Is Best Found in Crisis
2. Boldness Is Required - Tinkering at the Edges Didn't Put a Man on the Moon
3. We Must Reject the Tyranny of the Present
4. There Are No Silver Bullets
5. Everybody Needs to Get on the Bus
6. If Government Sets the Road Signs, the Market Will Drive
7. Failure Is an Option
8. Prejudices Are Best Left at the Door
9. Clean Energy Will Be Powered by New Politics
10. No More Free Lunches

"Failure Is an Option" is one that has been forgotten. As a nation it seems that fear of risk in the short-term is setting America up for absolute failure in the long-term. Like Apollo 13, failure is a necessary part of exploration.

Inslee sizes up energy situation and climate change well, and does thorough descriptions of energy alternatives - solar, wind, biofuels, clean coal, nuclear, tidal. His description of the "Four Horsemen of the Energy Apocalypse" is memorable.

1. Inertia - ideas can represent change in investments, policies and behavior. Inertia wears down efforts to change the status quo.

2. Special interests

3. Miasma of ideology - issues are viewed through an ideological prism rather than a scientific, pragmatic one.

4. Fear - we cannot adopt policies that can succeed.

I would add one more. Fashion. Once ideas sit for too long the media will migrate back to other things, such as Britney, Paris or Lindsay.

Another expert who doesn't understand high school math
On page 188, Rep. Inslee states: "A wind turbine's output rises exponentially with the length of its blades." Actually, the relationship is not exponential; it is polynomial. If the relationship were exponential, it would be possible to connect several sequential wind turbines to create a perpetual motion machine.

Rep. Inslee's home state of Washington has a math requirement for graduating high school students. This standard clearly states that high school graduates should understand the difference between exponential and polynomial relationships. Perhaps Rep. Inslee should repeat high school math before he expounds on "solutions" for the nations energy crisis.

Best book I've seen on energy tech and solutions to Global Warming
The thing I like about this book is that it was a great crossover book for both my boyfriend and I. I don't follow energy issues nearly as closely as he does. I need a book that isn't too dry and keeps my interest, but provides the information I need to come up to speed on solutions to global warming and energy independence. This book accomplishes that by relaying that information through personal stories of individuals throughout the country, and contrasting their efforts with national policy. At the same time, judging from my partner's perspective, he was very happy with the book providing him with the latest on this fast moving subject and offering insights into the best investment opportunities in the clean energy space. The book also had some interesting anecdotes about interactions with politicians like Bill Clinton.

The only thing that I think can be considered a down side for the book is that it could have given the status of its policy proposals in Congress. However, I do recognize that doing this could make the whole book outdated when new laws are finally passed.

I think I speak for my partner and I when I say that it was inspiring. Finally, a proposed solution (or plan at least) to this problem!