Energy for the Long Haul

Science : Perhaps the greatest challenge in realizing a sustainable future is energy consumption. It is ultimately the basis for a large part of the global economy, and more of it will be required to raise living standards in the developing world. Today, we are mostly dependent on nonrenewable fossil fuels that have been and will continue to be a major cause of pollution and climate change. Because of these problems, and our dwindling supply of petroleum, finding sustainable alternatives is becoming increasingly urgent. This special issue focuses on some of the challenges and efforts needed to harness renewable energy more effectively at a sufficient scale to make a difference and some of the people who are working on these problems. As introduced in the first News article (p. 782), the Editorial by Holdren (p. 737), and the Perspective by Whitesides and Crabtree (p. 796), many of the outstanding questions require major research efforts in underfunded areas.