We don’t have an energy crisis. We have a consumption crisis. And this book, which takes aim at cherished assumptions regarding energy, offers refreshingly straight talk about what’s wrong with the way we think and talk about the problem. Though we generally believe we can solve environmental problems with more energy—more solar cells, wind turbines, and biofuels—alternative technologies come with their own side effects and limitations. How, for instance, do solar cells cause harm? Why can’t engineers solve wind power’s biggest obstacle? Why won’t contraception solve the problem of overpopulation lying at the heart of our concerns about energy, and what will?

This practical, environmentally informed, and lucid book persuasively argues for a change of perspective. If consumption is the problem, as Ozzie Zehner suggests, then we need to shift our focus from suspect alternative energies to improving social and political fundamentals: walkable communities, improved consumption, enlightened governance, and, most notably, women’s rights. The dozens of first steps he offers are surprisingly straightforward. For instance, he introduces a simple sticker that promises a greater impact than all of the nation’s solar cells. He uncovers why carbon taxes won’t solve our energy challenges (and presents two taxes that could). Finally, he explores how future environmentalists will focus on similarly fresh alternatives that are affordable, clean, and can actually improve our well-being.

Ozzie Zehner, who has collaborated on numerous projects in industry, government, and academia, is a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley.

"A bold look at the downside of green technologies and a host of refreshingly simple substitute solutions."—Kirkus

“Provocative and essential! Green Illusions shakes us awake to the true challenges we face as a species . . . and inspires us to take action.”—John Perkins, author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

“At once prophetic and pragmatic—must be read by anyone concerned about our collective future.”—Joel Bakan, author of The Corporation and Childhood Under Siege

“An extremely important message for a society whose best-intentioned members have lost themselves in a wilderness of wishful thinking. . . . In fact, the sort of techno-narcissistic behavior that Ozzie Zehner identifies is a tragic distraction from the actions that would keep us from falling through the cracks of history.”—James Howard Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency

“Terrific book. . . . Zehner is especially good at untangling sloppy thinking.”—David Owen, author of Green Metropolis

“Think the answer to global warming lies in solar panels, wind turbines, and biofuels? Think again . . . . In this thought-provoking and deeply-researched critique of popular ‘green’ solutions, Zehner makes a convincing case that such alternatives won’t solve our energy problems; in fact, they could make matters even worse.”—Susan Freinkel, author of Plastic: A Toxic Love Story