The Timeless Energy of the Sun - Hardcover

One of the major challenges facing humanity as it prepares to enter the 21st century is the quest for a new and sustainable energy. This book traces the development in solar technology and its worldwide cultural impact from the Stone Age to the Space Age, highlighting the ways in which developments in the field of solar technology have improved the lives of all sections of society. The book begins by describing the ways in which past cultures in Polynesia, Central Asia, Egypt and elsewhere have paid homage to the sun as a symbol of fertility, growth and renewal. Against this ancient background more modern dilemmas are brought into focus: the problems created by non-renewable energy sources, industrialization, pollution, overpopulation and environmental degradation. From grand space projects to small scale domestic items, adaptations of using light technology are richly documented, and the impact of the latest research in these areas is fully discussed and illustrated. With contributions from distinguished scientists from all over the world, this book should appeal not only to the scientific community but equally to those interested in the environment and the future of the planet.