Harnessing Earth’s energy one day at a time Life on earth is sustained by the light and heat of the sun Every day, 365 days per year, the earth is warmed by the power of the sun—the amount of solar thermal energy absorbed by the earth’s oceans in a single day is greater than the total thermal … Read more

Methanol — The OTHER Alcohol One of the many ironies of the environmental movement is that in all the talk and hype about renewable energy sources, we almost never hear about one of the oldest and most versatile of all renewables — methanol. There are plenty of discussions of hydrogen and ethanol economies and electric cars … Read more

2.7 pounds of sugar contains as much energy as 1 pound of crude oil America has more Sugar than the Middle East has oil. How can this be? When people are asked where sugar comes from they will most likely answer sugar cane or sugar beets because that is what most people are familiar with. Yet, sugar is … Read more

When we speak of oil dependence, in the context of energy independence, we are talking about dependence on foreign governments to supply our nation’s oil—which effectively gives those governments control over the U.S. economy as well as influence over U.S. political and legislative outcomes. Energy independence is not about ending the use of petroleum, nor is it … Read more

“Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface, making them the world’s largest solar collectors. The sun’s heat warms the surface water a lot more than the deep ocean water, and this temperature difference creates thermal energy. Just a small portion of the heat trapped in the ocean could power the world. Oceans also produce mechanical … Read more