By Michael Grunwald This may sound too good to be true, but the U.S. has a renewable-energy resource that is perfectly clean, remarkably cheap, surprisingly abundant and immediately available. It has astounding potential to reduce the carbon emissions that threaten our planet, the dependence on foreign oil that threatens our security and the energy costs that threaten our wallets. Unlike coal and petroleum, it doesn't pollute; unlike solar and wind, it doesn't depend on the weather; unlike ethanol, it doesn't accelerate deforestation or inflate food prices; unlike nuclear plants, it doesn't raise uncomfortable questions about meltdowns or terrorist attacks or radioactive-waste storage, and it doesn't take a decade to build. It isn't what-if like hydrogen, clean coal and tidal power; it's already proven to be workable, scalable and cost-effective. And we don't need to import it.

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By Lou Manfredini Our HouseSmart contributing editor shares four key areas where a little investment upfront can mean long-term savings. Mention the words "energy efficiency" to the average homeowner, and the specter of sticky weather-stripping and leaky solar collectors from the Carter era comes to mind. Gadgets, yes, but not exactly technology that'll save you money. Today that has changed, as a range of efforts unfolds across the country. Taken together, these hint at a new era, one in which real progress is being made in cutting fuel and electric use without necessarily forcing us all to move into yurts. Rates on energy bills continue to rise, and everyone is looking for relief. There are ways to address the crisis and save the environment (see page 8), but what we're talking about here is your pocketbook. The following are ideas on how you can turn back the meter:

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By Peter Miller Photography by Tyrone Turner Not long ago, my wife, PJ, and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer a nagging question about climate change. Scientists have reported recently that the world is heating up even faster than predicted only a few years ago, and that the consequences could be severe if we don't keep reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere. But what can we do about it as individuals? And as emissions from China, India, and other developing nations skyrocket, will our efforts really make any difference?

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Jun 19th 2008 From The Economist print edition A fundamental change is coming sooner than you might think SINCE the industrial revolution 200 years ago, mankind has depended on fossil fuel. The notion that this might change is hard to contemplate. Greens may hector. Consciences may nag. The central heating's thermostat may turn down a notch or two. A less thirsty car may sit in the drive. But actually stop using the stuff? Impossible to imagine: surely there isn't a serious alternative?

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Everyone agrees it's time to get serious about renewable energy, but the barriers go beyond technology By Kent Garber Posted March 20, 2009 To describe what's needed to wean the country off fossil fuels, people often use the word transition. As in "the transition to a clean-energy economy." But transition is too smooth. It suggests steadiness, even inevitability, as if the endpoint is predetermined. Countries obtain and consume energy is anything but predetermined. There are no definite answers to questions about the role one source of energy or another will play 15 or 20 years from now, no clear sense about the type of fuel (if any) people will put in their cars, no consensus on how quickly any of this can happen or at what cost.

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