Energy is at the centre of our society's concerns for a number of reasons: petrol, which drove economic growth during the previous century, is being depleted; other forms of fossil fuels are a threat to the climate; we do not know how to dispose of nuclear waste; renewable forms of energy are not always efficient.

In this book, an expert with great practical experience assesses each source of energy, examines the problems it raises, and judges its future prospects.

Written in an accessible style, the book aims to promote public debate by providing rigorous information, without succumbing to ideological bias or the pressures of urgency.

The author provides carefully argued explanations for his choices, which take into account numerous technical, environmental, political and cultural restrictions.

This should become an essential handbook for anyone wishing to engage in a serious reflection on energy and climate change.



Based on his own professional experience, Pierre Bacher examines the arguments for and against the various available forms of energy. He provides an unbiased assessment of the repercussions on the environment of each form of energy choice, and then imagines a number of vividly described future scenarios.

Pierre Bacher is a technical director for nuclear-power projects at EDF and an expert advisor for the French Académie des Technologies.