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Peak Oil

The Coming Decline of Oil. By Lester R. Brown. Oil has shaped our twenty-first century civilization, affecting every facet of the economy from the mechanization of agriculture to jet air travel. When production turns downward, it will be a seismic economic event, creating a world unlike any we have known during our lifetimes. Adapted from Chapter 2, "Beyond the Oil Peak," Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble. Excerpt >> More about Lester Brown >>

The World After Oil Peaks. By Lester R. Brown. Few countries are planning a reduction in their use of oil. Even though peak oil may be imminent, most countries are counting on much higher oil consumption in the decades ahead, building automobile assembly plants, roads, highways, parking lots, and suburban housing developments as though cheap oil will last forever. Adapted from Chapter 2, "Beyond the Oil Peak," in Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble. Excerpt >> More about Lester Brown >>

Energy Conservation

Ban The Bulb: Worldwide Shift from Incandescents to Compact Fluorescents Could Close 270 Coal-Fired Power Plants. By Lester R. Brown. The world may be approaching a social tipping point in the shift to efficient light bulbs. Mounting concerns about climate change are driving a bulb replacement movement. Article >> More about Lester Brown >>

All About Insulation. By Dan Chiras. The ABCs of insulation, including how to tell what you need and how to select material. Covers both conventional insulation options as well as natural and unconventional alternatives. Article >> More about Dan Chiras >>

The Energy-Efficient Home. By Dan Chiras. Explains the essential elements of building an energy-efficient home and the substantial savings, resale value gains, and environmental benefits possible. Article >> More about Dan Chiras >>

Renewable Electricity

Sunpower. By Denis Hayes. The sun has amazing potential as an energy source, but that potential has not been harnessed to date. Several policies and steps will be needed to begin to use energy from the sun on a significant scale. Article >> More about Denis Hayes >>

Here Comes the Sun. By Denis Hayes. Adapted from The Official Earth Day Guide to Planet Repair, this article describes how the United States government could push solar power into the big time by buying solar technology in volume to drive prices down. Article >> More about Denis Hayes >>

Buyer's Guide to Solar Heating. By Dan Chiras. A basic overview as well as buying and installing tips for solar air and water heating systems. Article >> More about Dan Chiras >>

Sunshine From a Tube. By Dan Chiras. Tubular skylights provide natural lighting and offer cost-savings. In commercial spaces, where lights often are on eight or more hours per day, one 10-inch tubular skylight providing 4,200 lumens of light for eight hours a day will save a business owner about $70 per year on the electrical bill. Article >> More about Dan Chiras >>

Build a Solar Home and Let the Sunshine In. By Dan Chiras. Practical suggestions for building a home that employs passive solar features at little additional cost but with great savings in both energy and money. Article >> More about Dan Chiras >>

Wind Energy Demand Booming: Cost Dropping Below Conventional Sources Marks Key Milestone in U.S. Shift to Renewable Energy. By Lester R. Brown. The (often) fixed cost of wind energy is increasingly attractive relative to the rising cost of electricity generated using conventional methods. Article >> More about Lester Brown >>

Hydropower: The Other White Meat. Presentation by Roger Ballentine to the National Hydropower Association 2004 Annual Conference. Covers politics and opportunities for the hydropower industry in the future. Speech >> More about Roger Ballentine >>

Transportation Energy

The Short Path To Oil Independence: Gas-Electric Hybrids and Wind Power Offer Winning Combination. By Lester R. Brown. Describes the exciting potential to produce electricity with wind turbines and use it at night to charge the batteries of gas-electric plug-in hybrids. Article >> More about Lester Brown >>

The Promise of Biofuels. By David J. Hayes, Roger Ballentine, & Jan Mazurek. Summary of a policy report produced by the Progressive Policy Institute's Energy & Environment Project. It details a "homegrown approach to breaking America's oil addiction" and the contribution biofuels could make to that goal. Summary >> Full Report >> More about Roger Ballentine >>

Clean Cars: Kicking America's Oil Habit. By Roger Ballentine and Jan Mazurek. Summary of a policy report produced by the Progressive Policy Institute. It describes the key obstacles that political leaders must surmount to make real progress toward energy independence. Summary >> Full Report >> More about Roger Ballentine >>

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