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Science
Friday > Archives
> 1998
> September
> September 18, 1998:
Hour One: Energy Conservation
 | The need for energy is constantly expanding. Bill Richardson, US Secretary of Energy, said before the meeting of the World Energy Congress in Houston this week that the world would likely double its energy use by 2030, and quadruple its use by the end of the next century. Demand for oil is growing, and is predicted to keep growing at two percent annually over the next 20 years. The theme of the World Energy Congress meeting is "Energy and Technology: Sustaining World Development into the Next Millenium." But the attendees, mainly industry representatives and government policy-makers, are looking at the issue from a big-picture perspective. What are some things that individuals can do to conserve energy and promote sustainability? | | You already turn the lights out when you leave the room. Your parents told you over and over again not to stand with the refrigerator door open. And you're energy-savvy enough to feel at least a little guilt as you fill up the tank of your gleaming new sport-utility vehicle. It seems like things are pretty much under control.
But have you ever considered using solar power? Wind power? How about a fuel cell to power your house? One company has a model home running on a fuel cell the size of a central air conditioning unit, and predicts that the technology will be commercially viable in the next few years. Or what about even simpler things that people can do to conserve energy, like planting trees around buildings to provide shade, or using less-energy-hungry appliances - many electronic items, from microwaves to televisions, draw current even whenever they're plugged in. | 
A prototype fuel cell by Plug Power supplies
all the electricity in a Latham, NY home.
(image courtesy Plug Power, Inc) | Just don't unplug your computer or radio -- you'll need them to check out this hour of Science Friday.
Guests:
Alan Meier
Staff Scientist
Lawrence Berkeley National Labs
Executive Editor, Home Energy Magazine
Berkeley, CA
Amory Lovins
Director of Research
Vice President and CFO
Rocky Mountain Institute
Snowmass, CO
David Goldstein
Energy Program Director
Natural Resources Defense Council
San Francisco, CA
William Acker
Vice President of Product Development and Commercialization
Plug Power, Inc
Latham, NY
Books/Articles Discussed:
Related Links:
Home Energy Magazine
An ISDesign Magazine article about Amory and Hunter Lovins' House
Leaking Energy from Appliances
Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology
Energy Efficient Building Association
Lawrence Berkeley National Labs' Center for Building Science
Energy Star Homes (US EPA)
New Zealand's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority
American Hydrogen Association
American Solar Energy Association Society
Plug Power, Inc
Fuelcells.org
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