We can't expect the governments and big business to get too enthusiastic about alternate fuels (the good kind) because they won't do it unless they find a way to attach a meter to the sun and the wind so they can CHARGE us for it. 

Therefore, it's up to us as individuals to investigate and tinker with alternate energy sources. It's up to us to invest in PV panels for our homes and small businesses. It's up to us to install solar concentrators for heating our water and air. It's up to us to put in wind generators or smal hydro generators on our property. If we live out in the country and off the grid anyway, it's a lot easier--and you won't have to deal with so much paperwork and bureaucracy and fussing neighbors (who are really just jealous).

I've discussed many different alternates in my Solar-Max-Advantage blog and on my Squidoos on Wind Energy-Sailboats, Solar Electricity, Energy-Efficient and Alternate Fuel Vehicles, Energy Efficient, Conservation, and Environmental Alternatives, Solar Heating and Cooking, Wind Energy, and Alternate Energy - Moving Electrons.

Since I've built my own parabolic solar collector (for cooking and water heating) and my own solar water heater (copper-plate/tubing in plywood box covered in glazing) and my own solar oven, I know the gratification one can have when you can capture energy that's "off the grid"!  Now, I just need to buy some PV chips/panels and inverter and other equipment and a few books (such as "PV for Dummies"), and I can build my own solar installation for my home. It's cool that you can get this stuff on eBay (you can even see them on my Squidoo sites!).

Gas prices are inching back up again... the oil companies figure that we may have already forgotten the near $5/gallon prices from last year... and that our pain threshold didn't max out too much.  Let's surprise them! Let's wean ourselves from the grid and corporate and government handcuffs! Let's harvest our own energy!

And pass this around to your friends!  The more folks here, the more ideas we can get for a better future!

Tags: Alternate-Energy Solar-Energy Biofuel-Energy Wind-Energy

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