Plot Synopsis

In this four-part special, host Dr. M. Sanjayan, the lead scientist at The Nature Conservancy, examines where our nation's energy could come from and how we are striving to create a clean, limitless, secure supply of energy. To really understand the depth and breadth of the topic, Sanjayan explores why we need new energy sources, which of Earth's potential energy supplies are most viable, how much energy we might need in the future, and what countries are leading the charge to find and use alternative energy sources. The four episodes are: "The Energy Revolution" highlights the beginnings of a shift in energy use that will change the world; "The Energy Planet" touches on the various ways nature produce's energy -- from wind, water, the sun, volcanoes and hurricanes, to the smallest cells to the tallest trees; "Striking a Balance" looks at the politics, socioeconomics and special interests that affect how we use energy; "Leading the Charge" focuses on countries outside the United States that already adopted newer sources of energy, such as highly efficient wind turbines to cutting-edge solar cells. To find the answers, the program travels to more than 30 different locations around the world -- from an offshore oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico to the oil sands of Canada to Washington, DC to Beijing, China -- to meet with the people at the heart of the issue.