USE UP, WE'LL MAKE MORE:

Fueling The Future: With the outlook for oil uncertain, it's time for new ideas. Here are five emerging technologies--from buoys that harness the power of waves to bacteria that extract electricity from wastewater. Together they can keep the world humming. (KRISTIN ROTH, October, 2005, Popular Mechanics)

Imagine driving your car for months without refilling your gas tank, powering your home with the energy of ocean waves, or running a laptop computer on electricity generated by your jacket. For anyone facing a gas pump that reads $2.50 for a gallon of regular, or looking ahead to the prospect of record heating oil costs this winter, such visions of energy utopia might seem far off. But today's worrisome energy situation contains a silver lining. Rising prices, increased awareness and new government policies are driving energy innovation to new levels.

Some of these breakthroughs will take years to reach their full potential. Others are virtually ready to roll. Will we ever reach a state of infinite energy? In a strict sense, no. There is certainly a finite amount of oil in the Earth. And even the hydrogen that powers the sun will start to run low in, oh, about 5 billion years. Barring a sudden leap in fusion reactor technology (see Next-Generation Hybrid), there won't be one new source of energy that solves our problems in a blinding flash. Instead, progress in meeting humanity's energy needs will come from a combination of cutting-edge technologies. Solar, wind, wave and other alternative energy sources will play a part. So will improved efficiencies as modern technology learns to do more with less.

The five bold ideas outlined here will help ease the pressure on fossil fuels. Each is relatively near implementation, and will pave the way for further breakthroughs in production and efficiency. It won't happen overnight, but the pace of change is accelerating as scientists, industry and consumers focus on the problem--and its solutions. Because, in the end, while the sources of energy might be finite, the human capacity for innovation is not.

The finite nature of the sun could be a problem.

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 13, 2005 7:27 AM