The Department of Energy thinks wind power could be a major player in the United States by 2030; mankind’s most toxic inventions; and VW teams with Sanyo to power electric vehicles. Welcome to the Tuesday edition of The Daily Five:

Blow Hard: Wind to Supply 20% of U.S. Power?: A report by the U.S. Department of Energy suggests that the United States could realistically supply 20 percent of its energy need with windpower by 2030. That would put North America on equal footing with European wind energy leaders, such as Denmark. The DOE paper — issued Monday — makes a few assumptions, such as an adequate supply of turbines. Most manufacturers are backed up on orders for several years. (WSJ.com)

Antarctic Melt Releasing DDT, Tainting Penguins: Yet another reason to fret about climate change: Airborne pollutants formerly locked in Antarctic ice are being released by ice melt. Of particular concern is DDT, banned since the 1970s. Higher-than-expected levels of the pesticide have been turning up in penguin eggs. Biologists tracked the source to glacial meltwater, and will be monitoring DDT levels to see if they increase as melting accelerates. (National Geographic)

The 5 People Responsible for Mankind’s Most Toxic Inventions: What are mankind’s most toxic inventions? The folks at EarthFirst have been giving the matter some thought, and profile the people responsible for their development. The list: plastic, diesel fuel, motor vehicles, the power plant, and the atomic bomb. No word on chemical and biological weapons, which seem a tad nastier to us than, for instance, diesel. Be sure to check out EarthFirst’s new website layout, which debuted Monday. (EarthFirst)

Follow the Money: Kleiner Bets on Green Tech, Mobile, and Web 3.0: Silicon Valley VC firm Keiner Perkins is betting on CleanTech as one of the next decade’s hottest investment opportunities. Also promising mobile technologies and the next generation of social media applications. It was just two weeks ago that Keiner Perkins announced the assembly of a $500 million green fund designed for investment in “mature” CleanTech companies. (Max Gladwell)

Report: VW and Sanyo Electric to Partner on Li-Ion for Hybrid and Electric Cars: While General Motors is shopping lithium ion battery packs from companies such as LG Chem/CPI and A123, Volkwagen seems to be taking a different route. The Nikkei reveals VW will team with Sanyo to make Li-ion modules by 2012. Sanyo demonstrated lithium ion powerpacks for hybrids and plugins at the Tokyo Motor Show last autumn. (Green Car Congress)

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