Alternative energy sources are being researched and developed to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Fluctuating costs of oil, coal and natural gas, along with their possible negative effects on the environment, has made energy sources such as wind and solar more cost-competitive with fossil fuels. More energy strikes the Earth in an hour than humans need in a year. We are now hard at work developing a variety of technologies to convert its power...

The energy demands and rising cost of oil have encouraged scientists and engineers to develop renewable energy alternatives. Biofuels are renewable energy sources from organic materials such as plants or animals that are directly converted into liquid fuels. The two most common biofuels in use today are ethanol and biodiesel. Engineered biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel that are made from starches, sugars and cellulose are already in use as...

Make your own free power from the sun ! Solar panels are easy to install and have no moving parts. You can even sell power back to the power company and make money every time the sun is shining. Markus Rothkranz takes you through his creative solar powered home and shows you how to make your own power from the sun, with lots of energy saving tips. In these economic times, it's nice to know you can be self sufficient, save lots of money and be completely...

Transforming energy is a documentary about the hope of alternative energy as a solution to the problems of global warming and the end of cheap oil and gas. It takes us into the lives, the passion, the commitment and the hard work of the people who are on the ground now, working to create a new energy paradigm.

Some of the biggest opportunities for energy improvements occur in the building trades. This program presents an overview of job opportunities in this booming industry where there is a high demand for trained professionals, designers, and workers to help improve the efficiency of commercial and residential buildings through better design of new buildings and smart improvements to existing structures. Making our homes and offices more energy efficient...

See how to conduct home experiments that transform potential energy into kinetic energy and use falling water to make energy.

Filmmakers Loren and Matt Feinstein provide an eye-opening account of the downside of alternative, food-based fuel sources. Delving deep into the world of agrofuels and monocrops, they explore how the increasingly common practice of diverting food crops to the industrial production of cellulose-based fuels is devastating indigenous communities, undermining small farmers, and endangering the environment across Latin America. Turning to the promise...

Except for the Dardanelles/Gallipoli campaigns, the extensive combat operations in the Middle East during World War I have been largely overlooked in documentary programs. Given the historical significance of the Ottoman Empire's demise in 1918, and the ongoing importance of Middle Eastern oil reserves to Western economies, a close study of this conflict provides two important lessons: 1. The Treaty of Versailles, agreed to by the Western Powers in...

The recycling industry is still in its infancy but is growing fast with everything we buy, consume, and then throw away. This program introduces job opportunities in recycling including a profile of an electronics recycling start-up and a San Francisco municipal program to recycle cooking oil into biodiesel fuel. Job opportunities in recycling include collection, transportation, receiving and sorting, disassembly, handling hazardous materials, scheduling,...

Environmentally Sustainable Construction is a philosophy for designing and constructing homes and communities. By incorporating these principles, architects, designers, builders and tradesmen can create a living environment that is truly sustainable. Each chapter in the DVD is devoted to separate concepts that combine to contribute to the overall philosophy.