| xyzer - you implied that something cheaper and more efficient (economically, as opposed to geo-politically, or environmentally) will 'come along'. My point is that things don't just 'come along' ... it takes time for new technologies to become economically efficient for widespread public use (cars, air-travel, appliances, cable TV ... all were expensive and inefficient in their inceptions).
We are in a unique time, and the energy crisis is a unique situation. Power is a necessity to civilization, it is not a luxury that should be controlled by oil companies, terrorists, or dictatorial governments. To supply power with a consciousness not only to the expense at which it is produced, but to the environmental and political ramifications that using the current technologies has is vital to extend the lifetime of reliable fossil fuels for 'cheap' power in the future.
Every opportunity to use renewable energy should be exploited to offset the dependancy on fossil fuels, but the reality is that fossil fuels will be the lifeline of power for every society in the world for at least another century. But we need to prepare for life beyond that as well. |