Energy

Recent history has been extraordinarily difficult for U.S. and foreign car makers, as they’ve been hit by everything from the deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression to a tsunami in Japan. In response to consumer concerns about operating costs, the 2012 Detroit Auto show featured many models with higher gas mileage, but there was also plenty of choice for those still in the market for bigger and more powerful vehicles.

On April 20, 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, leading to the largest oil spill in world history — more than five million barrels. While much of the surface oil dispersed faster than expected after the well was capped in July, undersea plumes linger, as do the spill’s impacts on the environment and human health.

Current LED lamps are five times more efficient than incandescent lamps and have a much longer lifespan than compact fluorescent light bulbs. To evaluate a product’s true efficiency, however, its entire life must be taken into consideration, from manufacture through disposal.

The time when heavy appliances dominated home energy use seems almost as remote as the era of gaslights and streetcars. Today our homes’ electric outlets have never been more sought after — computers, printers, modems, set-top boxes, and endless chargers all clamor for power — leaving refrigerators and washers as small players in the utility bill we receive.

On summer days, city air can be 5 or more degrees warmer than that in surrounding areas. Known as the “urban heat island effect,” it results in part from limited shade trees and the large surface area of pavement and dark roofing materials.

Over the past five years the price of oil has gone through wild swings — record highs are followed by more “normal” periods, sharp spikes alternate with modest troughs. Powering all this volatility is a complex mix of economics, political factors and industry developments.