Who Turned Out the Lights?

Who Turned Out the Lights? is an entertaining and nonpartisan guide to the current U.S. energy crisis from Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson, coauthors of the breakout bestseller Where Does the Money Go? At once light-hearted and fun—like Jon Stewart’s America: The Book and Stephen Colbert’s I am America (and So Can You!)—and deadly serious, Who Turned Out the Lights? helps readers understand what’s really at stake in the energy debate, an intelligent answer to the partisan Capital Hill squabbling between the “Drill, Baby, Drill” and “Every Day is Earth Day” lobbies.

This plain-English guide cuts through the noise to explain the real choices America faces on climate change, oil dependency, and our energy future:

• The Real Price of Oil: A clear-eyed look at OPEC, Wall Street speculators, and why the U.S. has been stuck in a cycle of gas price panic and complacency for forty years.
• The Nuclear Option: An unbiased breakdown of nuclear power—from the accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl to why it remains one of our most significant sources of carbon-free electricity.
• Wind and Solar Power: A realistic assessment of the challenges facing renewables, explaining why the wind doesn’t always blow where the people are and what it will really take for solar to compete.
• National Energy Efficiency: Beyond changing lightbulbs—an examination of how building codes, appliance standards, and even the size of our homes contribute to America’s energy consumption.