Nova

The Big Energy Gamble

The latest public opinion polls show that a vast majority of Americans believe the world is facing a global climate crisis. We are willing to pay more for "cleaner energy," and we want our government to take appropriate action to mitigate the crisis. But we don't have a clue what those actions should be or how the various energy "solutions" we hear about can help. The Big Energy Gamble shines the spotlight on California - an oasis of conservation in an energy-hungry country. Does California know something about energy the rest of the nation does not? The program will look at everything California is doing, from energy conservation and efficiency to the development of new sources of carbon-free power, to find out how the rest of the country can join in their aggressive pursuit of a sustainable energy future.