I agree. With advances in wind turbines and solar, both should be pushed hard. If the claims made by SUNRGI are true, then this is the breakthrough we have been waiting for regarding solar energy.

Sunrgi claims bargain-basement power prices from new solar concentrator design » VentureBeat

Of course, most of the oil we use is made into gasoline for transportation. What we really need is a new fuel for transportation. Ethanol is very inefficient and that is the reason it is being pushed. As long as there is no real threat to gasoline, the oil companies profits are safe. If our government was sincere about alternative fuels, they would be pushing biodiesel and pushing Americans to buy diesel cars. Obviously they are not serious, since the power of the oil companies is very strong in D.C.

Biodiesel is far superior to Ethanol in every way, except one. It does tend to gel in cold climates. There are new fuel additives which can help reverse the gel effect, but for most of the US, this will not be a problem, except in the coldest winter months.

The oil companies are starting to invest in alternative fuels.

Citing research from Goldman Sachs, jatropha could be used to produce a barrel of fuel for around $43, less than the cost of sugar cane-based ethanol ($45 per barrel) or corn-based ethanol ($83 per barrel) currently favored in the United States.

This has caught the attention of oil giant BP. The company signed a $160 million deal with British biodiesel producer Dl Oils, creating a joint venture that aims to become the world's top producer of jatropha oil by 2011. Wall Street is also singing the tough plant’s praises. Goldman Sachs has touted jatropha as one of the top candidates for future biodiesel production.

Getting Down to Earth Amidst Soaring Oil Prices - Commodity Store with Sri Jegarajah - MSNBC.com

Ever see this ad fro SHELL and CNN?

http://www.odac-info.org/sites/odac....-08colourC.JPG

If you click on the ad it will enlarge so that you can read it.