Includes bibliographical references and index.

Energy catastrophes. Fukushima ; The Gulf Oil Spill ; Global warming and climate change -- The energy landscape. The natural-gas windfall ; Liquid energy security ; Shale oil ; Energy productivity -- Alternative energy. Solar surge ; Wind ; Energy storage ; The coming explosion of nuclear power ; Fusion ; Biofuels ; Synfuel and high-tech fossil fuels ; Alternative alternatives : hydrogen, geothermal, tidal, and wave power ; Electric automobiles ; Natural-gas automobiles ; Fuel cells ; Clean coal -- What is energy? The properties of energy ; The meaning of energy ; The beauty of energy -- Advice for future presidents. Energy technology policy ; Key considerations ; Beware ; Your legacy.

The near meltdown of Fukushima, the upheavals in the Middle East, the BP oil spill, and the looming reality of global warming have reminded the president and all U.S. citizens that nothing has more impact on our lives than the supply and demand for energy. Its procurement dominates our economy and foreign policy more than any other factor. But the "energy question" is more confusing, contentious, and complicated than ever before. We need to know if nuclear power will ever really be safe. We need to know if solar and wind power will ever really be viable. And we desperately need to know if the natural gas deposits in Pennsylvania are a windfall of historic proportions or a false alarm that will create more problems than solutions. Richard A. Muller provides the answers in this must-read manual for our energy priorities now and in the coming years.