Who Turned Out the Lights?: Your Guided Tour to the Energy Crisis (Guided Tour of the Economy) - Softcover

"I would hope that government officials, politicians, and everyone that should be involved in the energy crisis- which means you and me-would read Who Turned Out the Lights? This book is factual but not boring. Its suggestions for energy consumption are meaningful." -- Blogcritics.org "In this clear, concise, and accessible book, Bittle and Johnson go beyond name calling and finger pointing and take a refreshing middle ground. It's an invaluable read for anyone interested in our energy past, present, and future." -- Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder, authors of The Clean Tech Revolution "How far will we go to satisfy our oil addiction, and who will decide our energy future? If you want in on this discussion, then this book is for you. There are also real solutions available right now; all we have to do is listen, learn, and act." -- Antonia Juhasz, author of The Tyranny of Oil: the World's Most Powerful Industry-And What We Must Do To Stop It.

We are on the verge of a crippling energy crisis that could undermine our economy and change our way of life. In "Who Turned Out the Lights?", Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson, editors of the award-winning nonpartisan Web site PublicAgenda.org, offer a much-needed reality check. Neither 'Drill, Baby, Drill' nor 'Every Day is Earth Day' is an effective energy policy, and these kinds of ideological roadblocks have left us spinning our wheels for too long. If we don't get our act together and do something now, we'll be scrambling to get the energy we need to make life as we know it possible. But while the topic is serious, learning what you need to know about it doesn't have to be. Featuring chapters entitled 'Dam It: Hydroelectric Power' and 'Time for the Nuclear Option?' and sidebars like 'This little piggy went to market while this little piggy passed laws', this book will be anything but dry. By applying the same winning approach they used to irreverently explain the federal budget crisis in "Where Does the Money Go?" , Bittle and Johnson will use pop culture to help define the fundamental concepts that shape the debate and explain the three risks we face: that we won't be able to afford the energy we need, that we'll be dangerously dependent on foreign energy, and that we'll destroy the planet before we have a chance to solve the problem. They will also help readers understand the pros and cons of a range of ideas on the agenda, including alternative fuels, nuclear power, clean coal, electric cars, fixing up our houses, taxing carbon emissions, and many more. In the end, the authors take one position: we must change the way we get and use energy, and there's no more time to waste. Beyond that, they'll leave how to get from here to there as an open question - one Americans simply have to understand better and tackle head on.