Routledge Revivals

2 total works

Commonsense in Nuclear Energy

by Fred Hoyle and Geoffrey Hoyle

Published 9 October 2023

Originally published in 1979, written at a time when the world stood on the brink of (another) energy crisis, this book argued that an alternative primary fuel had to be found and that the answer lay in the exploitation of nuclear fission. The book sought to dispel the anxieties of environmentalists by correcting what the authors felt were basic misconceptions about nuclear energy. The book distinguishes carefully between nuclear energy and nuclear explosions, as the authors believed that it was the confusion between these two very different things which lies at the root of most opposition to nuclear energy. The Relevant facts concerning nuclear energy are presented in a straightforward way and the case made that nuclear energy can be clean and safe. The book includes a discussion of the storage of nuclear waste and the safety record of the nuclear industry.

Energy or Extinction?

by Fred Hoyle

Published 22 September 2023

Originally published in 1977 and as second edition in 1979, this book argues that without energy sources on a vast scale our present society cannot survive. According to the author, Fred Hoyle, the technology to tap solar, wind or wave power on a large enough scale just does not exist. He considers nuclear fission to be the only source currently capable of supplying our needs. The author fills in the scientific background necessary to appreciate his arguments in his lucid, direct style, so that the book can act as an ideal introduction for those unfamiliar with the energy debate. This short book is unashamedly provocative and many of the central tenets of it remain as relevant today as when it was first published.