The May, 2012 edition of Scientific American magazine startled me. There was a one page interview of Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy in President Obama’s Administration, talking about progress we have made developing alternative energies that stated things one doesn’t hear in mainstream media these days and certainly not from the current batch of conservative presidential candidates. Here are some of these answers from that interview. Three and a half years ago we were importing 60 % of our oil from foreign countries.. Now in 2012 we only import 45%.

News flash.Housing collapse, gasoline prices spur migration into cities. Duh! There are other factors like young singles delaying marriage and the greying of America whose populations may prefer being closer to walkable urban centers. The latest census shows a great many urban areas are gaining population. 

Running on Empty was submitted to the 18th Annual Writer's Digest Self Publishing Book Awards. While it didn't win an award it did receive a good rating. The reviewer thought the cover needed improvements  but overall the book got high marks. The following is excerpted from the review. No name was given for the reviewer.

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning "poor" and 5 meaning "excellent," Running on Empty was rated 5 for structure and organization and 5 for grammar. The cover was rated 2.

Comment: This book is extremely timely, and I'm glad the author has decided to strike while the iron is hot. There's never been a bigger market for original and incisive material in the fields of energy and energy conservation. I urge the author to continue to retool and market Running on Empty to get the notice it deserves. Greene is obviously a master of the material, and I felt in capable hands all the way through. The writing is clear and punchy (though a bit technical at times for a general readership), and thanks to great organizational tools the text is easy to follow. This book has the best table of contents I've encountered among this year's entries, and that's carried through with excellent non-narrative elements including ample subheadings, accessible illustrations, and a fat glossary. Overall, a strong entry that would benefit from a little update of appearance. Best wishes!