Book excerpt: The planet is under threat. And that threat comes from energy. So goes the standard argument. But according to David Howell and Carole Nakhle, this reasoning is wrong. In their provocative and original book, the authors argue that energy can become a tool for environmental protection, that energy and environment are not by definition in conflict with each other and that by pooling energy production and environmental protection ideas energy can be part of a solution rather than the problem. This book is firmly grounded in reality (given the demands of China, India and other developing economies) and makes specific proposals: a radical rethinking on energy investment strategies; massive incentives to develop alternative fuel technologies; a ground-breaking public awareness strategy to redirect consumers and policy-makers to embrace fundamental (though essentially painless) change in consumption patterns. The solutions that Howell and Nakhle offer are unapologetically short term. This is because the energy challenges immediately ahead, if not handled right, could undermine all longer term attempts to limit climate change. Their important and novel approach makes this book essential reading for an understanding of today's bewildering environmental debates.