Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Cheap solar power only 5 to 10 years away says optimist.

Check this out. I posted a reference to Ray Kurzweil and his estimate that we are 10 or 20 years away at some point recently. There has been an optimistic view of the world that I like to think of as the Star Trek TNG future, unlimited power and devices to make anything (Earl Gray Hot for example) for you from that free energy.

If you had free solar power, how would the world change? It looks like in most of our lifetimes this will happen.

Isn't it interesting how fast science and technology are changing the world?

I have been wondering how much our Jimmy Carter era push into solar set us back on these issues or moved us forward? What if that big US government push hadn't happened until 15 years later, when the technology really worked? What would happen if we didn't have an oil man in the White House and the US government pushed hard now? I'm certain for less then the cost of the Iraq war, we could have no need for Middle Eastern oil, through solar and wind power.

I think we can thank Al Gore and this film making buddies for driving this issue toward the top of the priorities. To bad he isn't President, we might have our energy problems under control now.

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