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Former CNN world affairs correspondent Ralph Begleiter says that no nation on earth has a black-and-white relationship with America. Instead, he says, criticism of our government or our policies often co-exists with an affinity for Americans and their culture. We'll talk about how the rest of the world sees the United States.

Guests

• Ralph Begleiter, former CNN world affairs correspondent and professor of broadcast journalism at the University of Delaware

For centuries, New Hampshire Yankees have always been known for being resourceful. Now, with a recession and many people either losing their jobs or thousands of dollars from their retirement savings, Granite Staters have begun to return to these dime-stretching ways. They are shopping smarter, finding money-saving deals and reacquainting themselves with old school cost cutting measures. Today we’ll look at this trend, what some are doing to cut costs and if this trend will continue when good economic times come back.

(This program was originally broadcast April 15, 2009)

Guests

• Garen Daly, executive producer of FrugalYankee.com, and the “Frugal Yankee” a bi-weekly radio show on WNTN, Newton, MA and a weekly television show on NE Cable News
• Amy Schmidt, Associate Professor of Economics and Business at Saint Anselm College

We'll also be joined by

• Wendy Thomas, author of a weekly column in the Nashua Telegraph called “Simple Thrift”. She's also started a blog called Simple Thrift, where she post tips and experiences about having 6 kids and being thrifty.
• Melody Polakow, a recently laid off vegetarian chef living in Portsmouth; she writes the blog Melomeals, on creative and inexpensive vegetarian recipes on $3.33 a day or less

All week NHPR has looked at energy alternatives to fossil fuels, including solar, wind, nuclear, biomass and more. We looked at powering the grid, heating the home and fueling the car. We looked what’s already being done in the state, what’s right around the corner, and what could be exciting opportunities in our future. But how do we figure out where we go from here? Today decisionmakers in the state join us for a special live broadcast to talk about New Hampshire’s energy future.

Guests

• Clifton Below, commissioner for the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission
• Amy Ignatius, director for the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning
• George Gantz, Senior Vice President of Customer Services and Communications for Unitil Corporation

Proponents say wind farms, like the one operating in Lempster, are a clean, reliable and affordable power source. But others suggest wind power is counterproductive, causes risks to birds and is an eyesore. We look at where wind is being used, why some are against it and its future on New Hampshire’s energy grid.

Guests

• Eric Steltzer, Energy Policy Analyst at the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning
• Ed Cherian, Development Director for Iberdrola Renewables in New England and Project Manager for the Lempster Mountain Wind Power Project

We'll also hear from

• Lisa Linowes, executive director for Industrial Wind Action
• Kevan Carpenter, Project Director of Climate Change Research Center at the University of New Hampshire; a wind turbine fuels power to Appledore Island all year

Wood is one of the earth’s oldest energy sources, but Granite Staters are considering wood chips as a new option for fueling the energy grid. Proponents see a lot of possibilities for biomass: New Hampshire is the second most forested state, and there are lots of trees available to burn. But critics warn that the wood supply isn't infinite and that wood isn’t an overly efficient power source. We’ll look at the benefits and challenges of biomass.

Guests

• Bill Gabler, project director for Clean Power Development, LLC, a New Hampshire company that focuses on the development of renewable and sustainable wood-fueled biomass-energy facilities
• Curt Whittaker, shareholder and head of the Energy Practice at the Concord-based law firm Rath, Young and Pignatelli

We'll also hear from

• Steve Walker, president and CEO of New England Wood Pellet
• Jana Chicoine, spokesperson for Concerned Citizens of Russell, a group critical of biomass energy located in Western Massachusetts
• Richard Despins, station manager of Schiller Station in Portsmouth, which is home to the Northern Woods Power Biomass Plant