Go outside on a gusty day and you'll feel the wild force of the wind. For at least a thousand years, people have sought to harness its power. We've used sails to push boats to new distances, and windmills to pump water or grind corn. Today, we're using the wind to create electricity. In our polluted, energy-hungry world, wind power comes forward as a clean, green, renewable answer. In 2008, the United States became the world's top producer of wind energy, and China doubled its wind power capacity. The real beauty of wind, however, is that you don't have to wait for the power company to install a wind farm near you. Concerned citizens all over the world are looking to be part of the new energy solution, installing their own personal wind turbines in their backyards or even on their roofs. Can your family join them and harness the power of the wind?

Imagine living in a world with clean air and very little pollution. Imagine never having to hear your parents complain about paying the electric bill. Does that sound too good to be true? It's all possible with solar energy. Learn how actor Ed Begley Jr. lives in his solar home. Read how solar power works and why scientists think solar energy will be the next great energy resource. You can learn how to save energy in your own home. You can even find out how to make your own solar oven and cook yourself a solar hot dog feast.

On average, each American throws away a staggering one ton of trash every year. Most of that trash will reach a dead end in a landfill, taking up space and polluting the earth. We can all make an effort to live a life less trashy by recycling, reusing, and being smart about what we buy. But what can we do with the trash we do make? Cities all over the world are making their trash work for them by turning it into energy. In waste-to-energy power plants, trash is burned in a controlled way to generate electricity while keeping it out of the landfill. Even landfilled trash can be used to generate energy, if we harness the gas released when garbage breaks down. Turning trash into energy is a practical way to help our landfills last longer and reduce our need for polluting energy from coal and oil. Tell your parents!

Can one person really make a difference? Yes! Every environmental change you and your family adopt can make the earth a cleaner and greener planet for you and the generations of people who will follow in your carbon footprints. Discover what you can do in your home to make it a better place for the environment, and how going green can save green—money, that is. Meet other young people who are making a difference, and read about the green-living efforts of some of your favorite celebrities.

Solar power (photovoltaics) is now a $1 billion industry, and it's poised to grow rapidly in the near future as more pressure is placed on limited fossil fuel resources and as advances in solar technology drive down the costs of residential solar systems. Twenty-six states now offer tax and utility credits to solar energy users, and the market for solar power products and services is expected to increase 25 to 40 percent each year over the next 20 years. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Solar Power for Your Home, Second Edition, helps readers understand the basics of solar power and other renewable energy sources, explore whether solar power makes sense for them, what their options are, and what's involved with installing various on and off-grid systems.