Ozzie Zehner Green Illusions Summary

Green Illusions Review
In Green Illusions, Ozzie Zehner takes an in-depth look into various forms of “green energy” and seeks to dismantle common misconceptions. Ozzie Zehner is an environmentalist as well as a visiting scholar at Northwestern University. Zehner received a doctorate in Science and Technology Studies at the University of Amsterdam.In Green Illusions, Zehner attempts to address the root cause of energy issues: consumption. Encompassing a variety of factors such as environmental, economic, and social, Zehner digs at the surface knowledge to help the readers grasp the extent and complexity that is green energy. Zehner then offers his prediction for the future of environmentalism. Ozzie Zehner does a great job at showing the big and complex picture when it comes to alternative energies and the idea of energy and energy conservation.

Part one consists of Zehner seemingly crushing any hope that alternative energy will gain traction in the world. Solar cells are the first energy form discussed. Zehner looks at the costs associated with developing, implementing, and maintaining solar cells and finds it to be a worthless investment. Firstly, the production of solar cells might be doing more harm than good. The manufacturing process for solar panels emits hexafluoroethane, nitrogen trifluoride, and sulfur hexafluoride. These greenhouse gases shadow the effects of carbon dioxide (Zehner,18.) After dissecting solar cells, Zehner then continues the same process of examining alternative energies like wind power, biofuels, and nuclear energy. At the end of part one the argument is introduced ; we need to limit our consumption of energy and work to conserve the energy that we are already