Some discussion questions for Dr. Kristina Johnson’s presentation:

Why is it very worthwhile for the U.S. to move towards greater reliance on renewable energy independent of others, even though in the future the main CO2 emitters are likely to be in the developing nations, especially China?

How does the basic research and also the commercialization on renewable energy in the U.S. compare with the rest of the world?

How well do the various ways that most electricity is currently generated in the U.S. lend themselves to making up the shortfall at times when demand rises and falls and when renewable sources vary?

Why is the transportation sector a much “tougher nut to crack” than electricity generation in the move towards greater reliance on renewables? Which renewable form is the most promising as a solution to the transportation sector and why?

How could you check Dr. Johnson’s claim that if every houshold replaced one 100 W bulb by a high efficiency fluorescent the power saved could entirely supply 3 million homes?