KQED World: Sat, Apr 6, 2013 -- 5:00 PM

Humans need energy. We always have and always will. But if we continue to burn fossil fuels until they're all used up, we'll cook our planet through the inevitable warming effects of carbon dioxide. But we don't have to do that: there are many sustainable energy options. If we look at Earth as if we have an operators' manual, we can create clean energy for a growing population, bring power to the billion and a half who live off the grid, improve the environment and create an age of technological innovation full of new "green" jobs. Hosted by Penn State geologist Richard Alley, and taped on location worldwide (New Zealand, Brazil, China, Morocco and Spain, and all across the United States) the program includes case studies of how and why the US military is reducing its "carbon bootprint," targeting emissions levels and energy efficiencies more ambitious than many nations. The program also looks at wind energy and communities coming back to life in West Texas, and provides hard numbers on how much power we can harvest from other sustainable resources such as solar, geothermal and biomass.