New publication: Mario Giampietro and Kozo Mayumi, The Biofuel Delusion (Earthscan, Londres, 2009)
'In our rush to "do something" about energy and climate, we are tinkering with complex systems that we do not fully understand. This leads to consequences that are unintended and undesirable. Giampietro and Mayumi show that using biofuels effectively requires calculating how that usage integrates
'In our rush to "do something" about energy and climate, we are tinkering with complex systems that we do not fully understand. This leads to consequences that are unintended and undesirable. Giampietro and Mayumi show that using biofuels effectively requires calculating how that usage integrates into a society's overall metabolism. Beyond biofuels, the book has a broad and enduring lesson: We will achieve better results if knowledge precedes policy.' Joseph A. Tainter, author of The Collapse of Complex Societies