THIS WEEK ON
 SCIENCE FRIDAY...

Science Friday > Archives > 2001 > October > October 26, 2001:

Hour One: Energy Policy / Alternative Fuels

Earlier this month, fuel economy statistics released by the Environmental Protection Agency showed that the average fuel efficiency of vehicles in the U.S. has decreased from that of the previous year. A few days later, President Bush said that enacting a national energy policy was a matter of national security.

With the nation going to war, is it time to rethink our dependence on foreign oil? In this hour, we'll talk about some alternative sources for energy, from wind power to hydrogen. Are these technologies ready for prime time? We'll also find out about a clean-air vehicle from BMW that has a very unusual design. It runs on hydrogen -- by burning it.

Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255, and share your opinions online in our Listeners' Lounge (registration required)

Listen to this program in RealAudio!

Guests:
Peter Hoffmann
Editor, The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Letter
Author, "Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet"
Albany, New York

Lester Brown
Author, "Eco-Economy: Building an Economy for the Earth"
President, Earth Policy Institute
Washington, DC

Dave Buchko
Product Communications Director
BMW North America
Westwood, New Jersey

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Eco-Economy: Building an Economy for the Earth," by Lester Brown. W.W. Norton, 2001. "Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet," by Peter Hoffmann. MIT Press, 2001. (find more SciFri books here)

Search for books on:

Related Links:

The Electric Power Research Institute
The Department of Energy
Wind Power
Fuel Cells - Green Power

Department of Energy: Fossil Energy - Advanced Fuel Cell Power Systems
American Hydrogen Association
American Solar Energy Association Society
BMW 750hl vehicle

This segment produced by: Charles Bergquist