Contents -- Introduction -- Chapter 1. Dealing with Entropy on a Daily Basis -- 1.1. Entropy in the household -- 1.2. An example of an entropy crisis at home -- 1.3. Where does all the disorder go? -- 1.4. Disorder and pollution -- 1.5. Entropy and the second law of thermodynamics -- 1.5.1. Water desalination -- 1.5.2. Heat transfer -- 1.5.3. Entropy and the states of matter -- 1.6. From the household to the biosphere -- Chapter 2. A Short History of the Biosphere -- 2.1. The billion year time scale -- 2.1.1. The apparition of life -- 2.1.2. Photosynthesis -- 2.1.2.1. Photosynthesis and entropy reduction -- 2.1.2.2. Photosynthesis and the green color of plants -- 2.1.3. The ozone layer and the spread of life -- 2.2. The biosphere on the 100 million year time scale -- 2.2.1. Carbon dioxide atmospheric content and temperature: the greenhouse effect -- 2.2.1.1. The infrared radiation -- 2.2.1.2. Greenhouse gases -- 2.2.2. Climate evolution and carbon storage -- 2.3. Carbon storage: carbonates and fossil fuels -- 2.3.1. Carbon storage in carbonates on the billion year time scale -- 2.3.2. Carbon storage as fossil fuels on the 100 million year time scale -- 2.3.3. Formation of coal deposits: the carboniferous age -- 2.3.4. Oil and gas deposits -- 2.4. Ice ages -- 2.5. The last 10 million years -- Chapter 3. How Much Energy do We Need? -- 3.1. Different forms of energy and power -- 3.2. Energy conversion -- 3.3. Energy use and entropy release -- 3.3.1. Heat rejection -- 3.3.2. Entropy release -- 3.4. Energy needs and costs -- 3.4.1. Food energy -- 3.4.2. Food versus other energy needs -- 3.4.3. A family's energy needs -- 3.4.4. A family's energy costs -- 3.4.4.1. Food energy costs -- 3.4.4.2. The different energy costs -- 3.4.5. Energy needs at the society level and the entropy problem -- 3.5. Can society survive with a lower entropy release?.

Chapter 4. Entropy in Thermodynamics and Our Energy Needs -- 4.1. Entropy in thermodynamics -- 4.1.1. Heat and mechanical work as two forms of energy: the first law of thermodynamics -- 4.1.2. Thermodynamic cycles -- 4.1.3. Work performed in a thermodynamic cycle -- 4.1.4. The Carnot cycle -- 4.1.5. Entropy change: introducing the second law of thermodynamics -- 4.1.6. Energy, entropy and free energy -- 4.2. Entropy at the molecular level -- 4.3. Energy needs and man generated entropy -- Chapter 5. Climate Change: What We Know and What We Don't -- 5.1. Time scale and temperature scale -- 5.1.1. The earth's temperature over the last few hundred thousand years -- 5.1.2. How well understood is the periodicity of interglacial periods -- 5.1.3. The Milankovitch cycles -- 5.1.4. Problems with the Milankovitch cycles -- 5.1.5. Towards a longer interglacial period? -- 5.2. The CO2 cycles -- 5.3. Anthropogenic temperature changes -- 5.3.1. The CO2 anthropogenic footprint -- 5.3.2. The temperature rise in modern times -- 5.3.2.1. Evolution of the temperature since 1900: the start of anthropogenic effects -- 5.3.2.2. Expected temperature rise in the 21st century -- 5.3.2.3. Consequences of further temperature rise: ice melting -- 5.4. Climate changes in space and time: back to entropy -- 5.5. The entropic meaning of sustainable development -- 5.6. Concluding remarks -- Chapter 6. Fighting Entropy with Technology -- 6.1. Motivation for fighting entropy increase: ensuring climate stability -- 6.2. By how much do we need to reduce anthropogenic entropy release -- 6.3. Entropy management strategies -- 6.3.1. Minimizing irreversibility processes by developing technology I: the motocar -- 6.3.1.1. The all-electric motorcar -- 6.3.1.2. The battery problem -- 6.3.1.3. The hydrogen car -- 6.3.1.4. But where will the electricity for the all-electric car come from?.

6.3.2. Minimizing entropy production by improving technology II: space heating and cooling -- 6.3.2.1. Two types of solutions: improved insulation or increased thermal mass -- 6.3.2.2. Keeping the temperature constant is a question of time scale -- 6.3.2.3. Towards zero entropy release buildings -- 6.3.3. Reducing entropy release in industry -- 6.4. Energy generation impact on global entropy release -- 6.4.1. Energy generation from renewable sources -- 6.4.1.1. Biomass -- 6.4.1.2. Solar heating -- 6.4.1.3. Thermal solar electricity -- 6.4.1.4. Photovoltaics -- 6.4.1.5. Wind turbines -- 6.4.2. Non renewables: fossil fuels versus nuclear -- 6.4.2.1. Improving the use of fossil fuels -- 6.4.2.2. Pros and cons of carbon storage -- 6.4.2.3. Nuclear power plants -- 6.4.3. Transport of electrical power -- Chapter 7. Towards a World without Fossil Fuels -- 7.1. Increasing entropy and increasing energy needs -- 7.2. The retreat of oil -- 7.3. How much oil is left anyhow? -- 7.4. Replacing oil and gas by coal for residential heating? -- 7.5. Can we replace oil for transportation? -- 7.6. Can coal be displaced as the major primary fuel? -- 7.7. Displacing coal with renewables -- 7.7.1. Competition for land space -- 7.7.2. Production potential of solar power in desert areas -- 7.7.3. The potential for wind power production -- 7.7.4. Distributed renewable power -- 7.7.4.1. Solar water heaters -- 7.7.4.2. Distributed photovoltaics -- 7.7.5. About costs -- Chapter 8. A Changing World -- 8.1. A realistic objective -- 8.2. The supply side -- 8.2.1. Distributed power supply -- 8.2.2. Wind power -- 8.2.3. Large scale solar electricity -- 8.2.4. The importance of improved electricity networks for the implementation of renewables on a large scale -- 8.2.5. Switching back to coal -- 8.2.6. Nuclear energy as a replacement for coal fired plants.

8.3. Reducing the power consumed in developed countries -- 8.3.1. The case for the electric car -- 8.3.2. Family energy budget and power spent at the society level -- 8.4. The dangers -- 8.4.1. Is there a climate run away? -- 8.4.2. Is carbon dioxide atmospheric content a sufficient indicator? -- 8.4.3. Food supply -- 8.4.4. Renewables and water -- Index.