Amory Lovins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amory Lovins
Lovins in 2011
Born	Amory Bloch Lovins (1947-11-13) November 13, 1947 (age 77) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation	Writer, advocate, scientist
Known for	Advocacy of efficient energy use and soft energy paths
Awards	Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz)

Amory Bloch Lovins (born November 13, 1947) is an American writer, scientist, and expert on energy. He helped start the Rocky Mountain Institute, an organization focused on using resources wisely. For over 40 years, Lovins has shared his ideas about how we use energy. He even advised a group linked to the oil industry for several years.

Lovins is known for promoting ways to use energy more efficiently. He also supports using renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. He believes energy should be made close to where it's used. Lovins introduced the idea of a "negawatt revolution." This means people don't just want electricity; they want the services it provides, like warm showers or light. He thinks we can get these services by saving energy. In the 1990s, he helped design a super-efficient car called the Hypercar. He has written many books, including Reinventing Fire and Natural Capitalism.

Early Life and Education

Amory Lovins was born in Washington, DC. His father, Gerald H. Lovins, was an engineer. His mother, Miriam Lovins, worked in social services. Amory's sister, Julie Beth Lovins, is a computer scientist. She created an important method for matching words in computers.

In 1964, Lovins began studying at Harvard College. After two years, he moved to Oxford in England. He became a research fellow there in 1969. He left Oxford in 1971 without a degree. This was because the university would not let him study energy in the way he wanted. Lovins then moved to London to continue his energy work. In 1981, he returned to the United States. He settled in western Colorado in 1982.

Lovins' grandparents came to the United States from villages in Ukraine. This happened in the early 1900s. Most of his other family members are believed to have been killed by German Nazis in 1941.

Work and Contributions

Friends of the Earth

From 1965 to 1981, Lovins spent his summers guiding mountain trips. He also took photos of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. His photos were used in a book about the area. In 1971, he wrote a book about Snowdonia National Park in Wales. This book was requested by David Brower, who led Friends of the Earth. Lovins worked for about ten years as the British representative for Friends of the Earth.

In the early 1970s, Lovins became very interested in how we use natural resources. He especially focused on energy policy. The 1973 energy crisis made many people interested in his ideas. An essay he wrote for the United Nations became his first book about energy, called World Energy Strategies (1973). His next book, Non-Nuclear Futures: The Case for an Ethical Energy Strategy (1975), was written with John H. Price.

Rocky Mountain Institute

By 1978, Lovins had written six books and worked as a consultant. In 1982, he and his wife, Hunter Lovins, started the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). It is located in Snowmass, Colorado. With their team, the Lovinses promoted using resources wisely and building a sustainable future.

RMI has worked with many large companies and governments. Lovins also served on important energy advisory boards for the U.S. Department of Energy. He also advised on military energy efficiency. He was a visiting professor at Stanford University.

Since 1982, RMI has grown a lot. It is now a large "think-and-do tank" with many staff members. RMI has also helped start five for-profit companies.

Key Ideas and Concepts

Soft Energy Paths

Solar energy technologies, like solar water heaters, are a great example of a soft energy technology. They are often placed on or near the buildings they power.

In 1976, Amory Lovins wrote an article called "Energy Strategy: The Road Not Taken?". He said that the United States had two main choices for its energy future. One path, which the U.S. was following, meant relying more and more on fossil fuels and nuclear fission. This path had serious environmental risks.

The other choice, which Lovins called the "soft path," focused on "friendly" renewable energy sources. These include wind power and solar power. It also meant a strong focus on saving energy and using it efficiently. In 1977, The Atlantic magazine featured Lovins' ideas on its cover. Simple solar technologies for homes are good examples of soft energy. Using these technologies quickly is key to a soft energy plan.

Lovins described the "hard energy path" as using energy inefficiently. It also relies on large, central power plants that use non-renewable sources like fossil fuels. He believes the "soft path" has impacts that are "gentle, pleasant, and manageable." These impacts affect everything from individuals to entire countries.

A documentary film called Lovins on the Soft Path was made about Amory and Hunter Lovins. It won several awards.

Nuclear Power Limitations

Lovins has pointed out that nuclear power plants can be unreliable. They sometimes shut down unexpectedly for long periods. For example, in the United States, many nuclear plants have closed early due to problems or high costs. Even the plants that are still running must shut down regularly for refueling and maintenance. To deal with these shutdowns, power companies need extra power ready to go at all times.

Lovins also argues that nuclear plants have another problem. For safety, they must shut down instantly if there's a power failure. But because of how they work, they cannot be restarted quickly. For example, during a large power outage in 2003, nine U.S. nuclear units had to shut down. Their power output was very low for days after restarting.

In 2011, Lovins shared his thoughts on nuclear power. He said it's the only energy source where an accident or bad actions can harm many people far away. He also noted that its materials can be used to make nuclear bombs. He believes it's not a good solution for climate change because of these dangers. After the 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents, Lovins wrote that it was unwise to have 54 reactors in an area with earthquakes and tsunamis.

Negawatt Revolution

A "negawatt revolution" means quickly using technologies that save electricity, like compact fluorescent lamps.

A negawatt is a unit of power that is saved. It's the opposite of a watt. Amory Lovins supports a "negawatt revolution." He says that customers don't really want kilowatt-hours of electricity. Instead, they want the services that electricity provides. These include hot showers, cold drinks, lit rooms, and machines that work. He believes these services can be provided more cheaply if electricity is used more efficiently.

Hypercar Concept

In 1994, Amory Lovins created the idea for the Hypercar. This car would be super light. It would have a very aerodynamic shape. It would use advanced composite materials and a hybrid drive system. Designers of the Hypercar believe it could use three to five times less fuel than regular cars. They also say it would be just as safe, perform well, be comfortable, and be affordable.

In 1999, RMI started a company called Hypercar Inc. to develop this idea further. Later, the company changed its name to Fiberforge. Its new goal was to make advanced composite parts cheaper to produce in large numbers.

Lovins says that the Hypercar idea started to become real in 2014. This was with the production of the all-carbon electric BMW i3 car. Also, the Volkswagen XL1, which gets amazing fuel economy, shows the idea in action.

Citizen Participation

Lovins does not see his energy ideas as only for environmental groups or political parties. He strongly supports private enterprise and free market economics. He points out that companies like News Corporation have become carbon-neutral, saving millions of dollars. However, Lovins feels that large organizations are sometimes stuck and slow to change. He supports the growth of "citizen organizations" around the world.

Awards and Recognition

Amory Lovins has received many honors for his work. He was chosen as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1984. He also became a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science in 1988.

He has won prestigious awards like the Right Livelihood Award, the Blue Planet Prize, and the Volvo Environment Prize. In 1998, he received the 4th Annual Heinz Award in the Environment. He also received a MacArthur Fellowship in 1993.

Time magazine named Lovins one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2009.

On March 17, 2016, Lovins received a high honor from the Federal Republic of Germany. He was given the Bundesverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse. This award recognized his ideas, especially his "soft energy" concept, which helped Germany's energy transition.

Personal Life

In 1979, Amory Lovins married L. Hunter Sheldon. She is a lawyer, forester, and social scientist. They separated in 1989 and divorced in 1999. In 2007, he married Judy Hill, who is a landscape photographer.

Books

This is a list of books written or co-written by Amory B. Lovins:

• World Energy Strategies: Facts, Issues, and Options London: Friends of the Earth Ltd. for Earth Resources Research Ltd., 1975. ISBN: 978-0-88410-601-2.
• The Energy Controversy: Soft Path Questions and Answers (1979) ISBN: 978-0-913890-22-6
• Non-Nuclear Futures: The Case for an Ethical Energy Strategy (with John H. Price) San Francisco, 1980. ISBN: 978-0-06-090777-8
• Least-Cost Energy: Solving the CO2 Problem Andover, Mass. : Brick House Pub. Co., 1982 ISBN: 978-0-931790-36-2
• Brittle Power: Energy Strategy for National Security (with L Hunter Lovins) Andover, Mass. : Brick House, 1982 re-released in 2001. ISBN: 0-931790-28-X
• The First Nuclear World War (with Patrick O'Heffernan; L Hunter Lovins) New York: Morrow, 1983. ISBN: 978-0-09-155830-7
• Reinventing Electric Utilities: Competition, Citizen Action, and Clean Power (1996) ISBN: 978-1-55963-455-7
• Factor Four: Doubling Wealth – Halving Resource Use: A Report to the Club of Rome (1997) ISBN: 978-1-85383-407-3
• Natural Capitalism (2000) ISBN: 1-85383-763-6
• Small Is Profitable (2003) ISBN: 1-881071-07-3
• The Natural Advantage Of Nations: Business Opportunities, Innovation And Governance in the 21st Century (2004) ISBN: 1-84407-121-9
• Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run: A Call to Save the Earth (2007) ISBN: 978-1-57805-138-0

Non-English

• Faktor vier. Doppelter Wohlstand – halbierter Verbrauch (1997) ISBN: 978-3-426-77286-7
• Facteur 4: Rapport au Club de Rome (1997) ISBN: 978-2-904082-67-2
• Öko-Kapitalismus: Die industrielle Revolution des 21. Jahrhunderts (2002) ISBN: 978-1-4000-3941-8

See Also

In Spanish: Amory Lovins para niños