This publication was written by Curt Suplee, based on an original draft by Allen Bard, Marilyn Brown, Mike Corradini, and Jeremy Mark. It was edited by Stephen Mautner and Terrell Smith in collaboration with Jim Zucchetto, Alan Crane, and the National Research Council’s Board on Energy and Environmental Systems. The interior was designed by Francesca Moghari and the cover was designed by Michele de la Menardiere. Production was managed by Dorothy Lewis.

We would like to thank Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (www.llnl.gov) and the Communications Institute (www.communicationsinstitute.org) for their contributions to this booklet.

Copyright 2008 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Cover © Peter Dazeley/Photographer’s Choice; 1 © Digital Stock; 2 © PhotoDisc; 3 C. Mayhew & R. Simmon (NASA/GSFC), NOAA/NGDC, DMSP Digital Archive; 4 (t) © PhotoDisc/Kent Knudson/PhotoLink; (b) © Corbis; 6 © Digital Stock; 7 (t) iStockphoto.com; (b) Joel Renner—DOE/NREL; 9 © Digital Stock; 10 © Image Club Graphics; 12 © Patrick J. Endres/AlaskaPhotoGraphics.com; 13 © PhotoDisc/Jack Star/PhotoLink; 14 © Corbis; 15 © Corbis; 16 (t) © PhotoDisc/PhotoLink; (b) © Corbis; 17 (t) © PhotoDisc; (b) © Corbis; 20 © PhotoDisc; 21 (t) © Daimler AG; (b) VisionsofAmerica/Joe Sohm; 22 (t) Terrell Smith; (b) Steven Puetzer/Getty Images; 23 © PhotoDisc/C. Lee/PhotoLink; 24 Courtesy Westinghouse Nuclear; 25 VisionsofAmerica/Joe Sohm; 26 Courtesy Tesla Motors; 27 (t) VisionsofAmerica/Joe Sohm; (b) Matt Stiveson and DOE/NREL; 28 DOE; 29 Charles Bensinger/Renewable Energy Partners of New Mexico and DOE/NREL; 30 NASA

Figure on p.18 by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. All other artwork by Danial James Studios. Pie charts, bar graphs, and line graphs based on information from the Energy Information Administration.