Books published by Critical Mass

A primer on the transition to low-carbon energy and its effect on economic performance. The widespread use of fossil fuel has transformed productivity over the last 150 years, bringing prosperity to billions. But now there is a problem. The vast flow of cheap fossil fuel energy that currently powers over three-quarters of the global economy is no longer sustainable. Low-cost reserves are being depleted, and there are mounting concerns about the cumulative effect of fossil fuel emissions on the environment. As a result, this vital source of power will have to be substantially replaced over the next few decades. What happens when you replace such a productive energy platform? This book investigates the likely economic consequences, taking into consideration the scale of the task, the productivity of low-carbon substitutes and the disruption of fossil fuel energy. It highlights the cost and displacement pressures involved, but also shows how these will be offset to some degree by ongoing improvements in the overall efficiency of energy conversion. Finally, it charts the likely course of this transition and its effect on economic performance over time, taking into account the dynamic interactions between suppliers, consumers, policymakers and investors; as well as the role of factors such as scale, network effects, know-how and technology.

GP Dee Flanary risks her reputation, her livelihood and ultimately her life when she investigates the death of a patient. As Ian Rankin evokes Edinburgh and Jane Harper the Australian bush, this terrifying yet tender thriller immerses us in Sydney and the wild mountains of southern NSW. Tom's corpse lies cold and decaying on his bed. Can Dee fight the coroner, the police and the medical establishment to prove his death was murder? As she delves into the circumstances around his tragic fate she uncovers a trail of apparently 'accidental' deaths and a sinster connection to her own past. Suspicion and paranoia fight with reason as she tries to uncover the truth. Her discoveries threaten powerful men. The medical board label her psychotic, her deregistration is imminent. If she persists her career and her livelihood will be at risk. When the killer attacks Tom's naïve young girlfriend, Dee is forced into an edge-of-your-seat confrontation with a cold and ruthless murderer.