Whether you are concerned about global warming, or whether you are concerned about the national security implications of our dependence on imported oil, getting our civilization un-hooked from its addiction to fossil fuels is an issue that everyone should be able to agree on. And it should also be clear to anyone who is awake that waiting around for government to figure that out and do something about it is not the way to get anything done.

The biggest alternative energy ideas will require vast concentrations of capital to bring to reality. Hydrogen fuel cell cars, plug-in electric hybrids, wind farms, cellulosic ethanol plants, thousand-acre photovoltaic farms, and wave energy projects all require research and development expertise and capital sources that are far beyond the reach of the average citizen.

Energy Tags: hybrid cars, solar energy