Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of "Energy Independence" by Robert Bryce

From the Publisher

Everybody is talking about "energy independence." But is it really achievable? Is it actually even desirable? In this controversial, meticulously researched book, Robert Bryce exposes the false promises behind the rhetoric while blasting nearly everybody— Republicans, Democrats, environmentalists, and war-mongering neoconservatives—for misleading voters about our energy needs.

Gusher of Lies explains why the idea of energy independence appeals to voters while also showing that renewable sources like wind and solar cannot meet America's growing energy demand. Along the way, Bryce eviscerates the ethanol scam. Whether the issue is cost, water consumption, or food prices, corn ethanol is one of the longest-running robberies ever perpetrated on American taxpayers.

Consumers concerned about peak oil and the future of global energy supplies need to understand that energy security depends on embracing free markets and the realities of interdependence. Gusher of Lies is illuminating, vital reading.

The New York Times

In Gusher of Lies, Mr. Bryce mounts a savage attack on the concept of energy independence. [He] begins coolly, then heats up and eventually approaches core meltdown. . . . Land[ing] one telling blow after another.. Mr. Bryce gets to work demolishing cherished green beliefs about alternative energy sources ... but he is an equal-opportunity smiter.. He [too] goes after the political right. Fortunately, Mr. Bryce suggests that there is some light at the end of the tunnel. In the end, the hard-nosed Mr. Bryce reveals himself as something of a visionary and perhaps even a revolutionary. Power to the people.

New York Post

Bryce does a fantastic job of helping people understand the sheer magnitude of energy flows that would have to be replaced to attain energy independence, and conclusively makes his case that pursuing energy interdependence is a superior objective.

Eva Lautemann Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information - School Library Journal

With oil nearly $100 a barrel, everyone is clamoring for "energy independence" and a reduction in our reliance on foreign oil. Bryce (Pipe Dreams: Greed, Ego, and the Death of Enron) debunks this notion, asserting that none of the alterative or renewable energy sources currently hyped-corn ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, wind and solar power, and coal-to-liquids-will free America from imported fuels. He blasts Republicans, Democrats, the presidential candidates, Al Gore, Robert Redford, environmentalists, and energy analysts for misleading the public about our energy needs. Providing compelling examples, Bryce identifies numerous reasons why the United States cannot wean itself off foreign energy. He posits that we must accept the reality of an increasingly interdependent global energy market and shift our thinking from energy independence to interdependence. Meticulously researched with copious facts-nearly all footnoted-this illuminating and sometimes witty work offers another view of the current state of energy. Recommended for all libraries.

Kirkus Reviews

America's energy discussions contain "far too much religion and far too little science," writes the author, who carefully, gleefully throttles the meaningless rhetoric driving the cry for energy independence. Energy Tribune managing editor and Texas Observer contributor Bryce (Cronies: Oil, the Bushes, and the Rise of Texas, America's Superstate, 2004, etc.) offers mostly convincing arguments that don't require an advanced degree to follow. Our nation is hungry for energy, he notes. Our energy is dominated by oil, no alternative comes close to it in cost and efficiency, and none will for decades to come. We haven't produced enough oil for our needs for half a century; we no longer can, nor ever will again. Bryce starts by systematically debunking grandiose claims made for alternative energy sources. Corn ethanol is his bete noire, a subsidized hoax on the American taxpayer that could never meet more than a fraction of our energy needs. Cellulosic ethanol and coal-to-liquid are both way down the road, he declares; wind and solar, his personal favorites, are fractional producers. In a voice ardent and beseeching, Bryce urges Americans to educate themselves about the world's biggest enterprise, to have at least a modest grasp of thermodynamics, to rationally assess the costs and potential benefits of available resources. That last step includes taking a realistic look at the above alternative fuels, as well as nuclear energy, coal and algae-based biodiesel. A meaningful energy policy requires taking in hand the economic, political and military shenanigans that beset it: cleaning out the pork barrels, engaging rather than bullying the global community, sinking the neocon agenda. For all hisresearch, stark realism and common sense, Bryce can occasionally be crudely nearsighted, as when he dismisses concerns about drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and offshore drilling to supply but a year of Florida's gas needs. High-order muckraking and an excellent primer for addressing the real question: How are we going to handle energy interdependence?

Details from Seller

• ISBN: 1586483218
• Publisher: PublicAffairs
• Pub. Date: March 2008
• Condition:

Comments from the Seller: 2008 Hardcover Good Good reading copy. May contain some writing and markings. Satisfaction Guaranteed!

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents