This volume provides scientific and physical background information on the topic of energy to equip the reader with objective evaluation criteria for the globally relevant discussion about the future of our energy supply. In particular, it is a central concern to present the reader with a comprehensive assessment of all sources regarding the impact of their extraction and use on the environment, and to relate the respective risks to one another. After defining the term energy and its forms, global conditions for energy management are outlined. These conditions are then narrowed down specifically for Germany as a typical industrial country. The range of potential sources—fossil, renewable, and nuclear—is then presented in detail, including the yield of resources and other possibilities.