April 30, 2009 – Ethanol could be the grand prize in the U.S.’s race for environmentally neutral energy independence. It derives from natural products like corn and sugar cane, and is high-octane, clean-burning and renewable. But there’s a hitch. It is expensive to manufacture a

April 30, 2009 – While scientists continue to make steady progress in the search for alternative energy sources, one immutable fact remains: it takes time to develop and broadly implement revolutionary technologies – 20 to 30 years, most likely. Meanwhile, coal continues to supp

April 30, 2009 – In 1839, Welsh physics professor Sir William Grove had a bright idea. He knew that water could be split into hydrogen and oxygen by sending an electric current through it, but he wondered: if the process were reversed, could hydrogen and oxygen produce electrici

April 30, 2009 – Splitting a uranium atom produces 10 million times more energy than combusting a carbon atom from coal. It also produces widespread dissent. Proponents of nuclear energy cite its “clean” footprint, long-term availability and efficiency. One ton of uranium produc