Filmmaker John Johnson is deploying a technique adapted to the YouTube age to persuade Americans to act against climate change. In collaboration with the creators of popular video programs on the Web, he is developing scripts that show people conserving energy and water and considering how their consumption choices might affect the planet. The first programs will go online later this year.

US marines in Afghanistan run through some 800,000 gallons of fuel a day. That's a higher burn rate than during an initial invasion, and reflects the logistical challenges of running counter-insurgency and other operations in the extreme weather conditions of Afghanistan.

The costs of shipping water and fuel to the troops is also becoming unsustainable. The price of a gallon of petrol in a war zone can cost up to $100.

We examine the potential economic implications of using vehicle batteries to store grid electricity generated at off-peak hours for off-vehicle use during peak hours. Hourly electricity prices in three U.S. cities were used to arrive at daily profit values, while the economic losses associated with battery degradation were calculated based on data collected from A123 Systems LiFePO4/Graphite cells tested under combined driving and off-vehicle electricity utilization. For a 16 kWh vehicle battery pack, the maximum annual profit with perfect market information and no battery degradation cost ranged from ~$140 to $250 in the three cities. If the measured battery degradation is applied, however, the maximum annual profit (if battery pack replacement costs fall to $5,000 for a 16 kWh battery) decreases to ~$10-$120. It appears unlikely that these profits alone will provide sufficient incentive to the vehicle owner to use the battery pack for electricity storage and later off-vehicle use. We also estimate grid net social welfare benefits from avoiding the construction and use of peaking generators that may accrue to the owner, finding that these are similar in magnitude to the energy arbitrage profit.

Okay, let’s say you are not impressed with these guys’ opinion. Think about the following in response to a question “why should industry care?”

The effects of combined driving and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) usage on the lifetime performance of relevant commercial Li-ion cells were studied. We derived a nominal realistic driving schedule based on aggregating driving survey data and the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule, and used a vehicle physics model to create a daily battery duty cycle. Different degrees of continuous discharge were imposed on the cells to mimic afternoon V2G use to displace grid electricity. The loss of battery capacity was quantified as a function of driving days as well as a function of integrated capacity and energy processed by the cells. The cells tested showed promising capacity fade performance: more than 95% of the original cell capacity remains after thousands of driving days worth of use. Statistical analyses indicate that rapid vehicle motive cycling degraded the cells more than slower, V2G galvanostatic cycling. These data are intended to inform an economic model.

The true potential for saving energy involves a much bigger story, one that requires taking into account the entire power train. That’s because an energy efficient motor can reduce energy use by only 10%, even under optimum operating conditions. Far more important in saving significant amounts of energy are the use of electronic speed controls, which can reduce energy use by 30%, and optimizing mechanical systems, which can reduce energy use 60%.

The state of California is trying to find ways to carry its abundance of renewable energy from areas that have it to areas that do not. Last week, the Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative (RETI) released Phase 2 of its conceptual transmission plan, designed to develop a renewable energy infrastructure.

The biggest question asked when planning to install solar panels is, “can they tolerate extreme weather conditions?” Every year many roofs are damaged by the weather extremes.  Is it really wise to put solar panels on a roof that has to withstand those kinds of weather extremes?  Here is some information to help you decide.

A space elevator would essentially be a long rope made of nanomaterials, stretching from Earth to a counterweight at geosynchronous altitude, about 22,000 miles (35,406 kilometers) above Earth's surface. Special craft, like elevator cars, would travel along the ribbon, carrying people and goods into space in a matter of days.

This report provides a Europe-wide resource assessment of onshore and offshore wind potential in a geographically explicit manner. In addition to calculating raw wind resource potential, this study also introduces and quantitatively analyses the environmental and social constraints on wind sector development. Concerns addressed include the noise and visual impact of wind power, as well as the deaths of birds and bats that fly into rotor blades. The report also evaluates the future costs of wind energy production across Europe in order to gauge the potential output at competitive rates.

Around one in 10 household solar panel systems have been replaced for malfunctions within 10 years of installation, according to a survey released by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). About 13 percent, or 34 of 257 households surveyed have had their solar panels replaced fully or partially within 10 years of installation, while output records from another eight systems suggested possible failure.

Investing in new nuclear power plants, which produce electricity 24 hours a day and seven days a week, can be a major growth engine for our economy. Nuclear plants can be located close to growing demand centers, and next to existing transmission lines. Renewables, which produce power intermittently, must often be sited far from cities and the grid.

Germany's first offshore wind power park, Alpha Venture in the North Sea, has begun the gradual commissioning of the first three of its total 12 turbines, a spokesman for the venture said on Wednesday.

Researchers the world over are striving to develop organic solar cells that can be produced easily and inexpensively as thin films that could be widely used to generate electricity.

What is the Energy Credit Card? - It's a regular credit card that is credited by your    local utility with real green rewards - It's just as easy and convenient to use. - It can replace the card(s) you have now. - Good anywhere credit cards are accepted. - It can help reduce your credit card debt

In a major effort to accelerate the scientific breakthroughs needed to build a new 21st-century energy economy, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the delivery of $377 million in funding for 46 new multi-million-dollar Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) located at universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and private firms across the nation.

In this report, McKinsey & Company offers a detailed analysis of the magnitude of the efficiency potential in non-transportation uses of energy, a thorough assessment of the barriers that impede the capture of greater efficiency, and an outline of the practical solutions available to unlock the potential.

Most economic policy models now suggest a significantly negative impact on the economy if U.S. policymakers choose to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to any significant extent. There are a number of reasons for these inappropriate outcomes. Primarily, they are an artifact of the models and not the data. By turning to the historical record in the United States we can examine recent data to inform policymakers and business leaders what the economic policy models should be saying about energy and climate change policies. We can also use this historical record to perform a diagnostic review of recent modeling exercises to improve our understanding of their missed opportunities.