Question

What will we use to power machines when we run out of gas and oil? If we don't use solar electric cars what will we use?

An excellent question; one unfortunately without an easy answer. At this very moment, thousands of research scientists, environmental specialists, government officials, and even entire businesses are working towards an answer to your question. While our supply of fossil fuels (gas and oil) may never "run out," (some officials will take advantage of this observation), it is an indisputable fact that within the next 100 years our sources of petroleum will become so depleted that the cost of surfacing the material will become so high that other sources of energy must be considered. Unfortunately no known alternative seems to hold the perfect solution. Coal is neither clean-burning or in continual supply. Nuclear power requires the disposal of hazardous radioactive waste. Wind, water, and solar power remain expensive options, necessitating the building of expensive capture equipment (solar cells, river dams, windmills). Biofuels (such as corn-derived ethanol) may be difficult to harvest in large quantities, and they are many times more explosive than fossil fuels. Ultimately, our shift towards other energy resources will most likely be market-driven. Solar-powered cars are expensive now because gas is cheap and easier to use; when gas becomes rare, the price for solar energy harvesting will drop in comparison.
May 1, 2002