Z-Car

Wind, solar, wave and geothermal (with energy-storage technology) offer the highest opportunities energy for self-sufficiency, without having to "burn stuff", which drives up the price of food & impacts the climate. Seems obvious that we need a "Manhatten Project" style inititive to get public and private industry a jump-start.

Anybody ever heard of producing energy with alge? I wouldn't expect algae fuels to occupy any more than a respectable niche in an array of alternative energy sources. Nothing has been definitively proven about their potential. But it would seem to be interesting science and engineering.

My guess is that solar will be the future. But, Japan is already one of the worlds largest users of solar power. In fact so many solar panels are being used in Japan and California, that obtaining them in other locations has become very difficult. Plenty of people want to buy, but there is no supply to meet the demand! Some showrooms have one panel and have a price ten times it's value so they don't sell their demonstration model.

I read an article a couple weeks ago on scientists who have created a form of algae that can separate water into hydrogen and oxygen. While it is possible, it sounds unlikely that they will be able to scale the technology. But, who knows?