...a plastic book any better than the traditional paper/cardboard variety? I'm not asking antagonistically...just a little confused.

Along the lines of the two books who mention, "Shoveling Fuel for a Runaway Train," by Brian Czech, is an excellent book for those interested in understanding the economics of a sustainable, or steady-state economy.

I would point out, though, that even the "plenty" of places that are using alternative energy today are tied to the fossil-fuel grid at some point. Until all governments begin to devote more spending to alternative power research, the process (and the improvements) will continue to be slow. In the coming days, I plan to write a more in-depth post on the economics of the touted alternative energy sources, but my bet is on solar. It could very well be the disruptive force it's proponents hope it will be. Trouble is, a lot of initial investment and battery research is needed, ASAP.

Anyway, it's nice to see another voice here at OM, though Chris is one of the most clear-headed folks dealing with environmental issues.

The benefits of the book are that it's waterproof, extremely durable, and recyclable by conventional means. It's what they call a prototype for something known as a "technical nutrient" where any materials that are made that don't biodegrade are made exclusively from nontoxic, high quality synthetic materials so that they can be infinitely recycled without degrading the quality (or increasing processing costs) with each successive product cycle.

Oh, and the book doesn't sacrifice trees and is super high contrast and easy to read. Tearproof pages, too.

Our dependence on foreign fossil fuel resources is not going to be reduced any appreciable amount in the near future until a clean, renewable liquid fuel alternative is adopted. Ethanol is the obvious choice because: 1) it is already being used as a gasoline volume extender and a high percentage blend alternative, 2) cars that run on both ethanol and gasoline and any blend inbetween are already being manufactured by the major auto companies, 3) ethanol emissions are generally less harmful than gasoline, and 4) new feedstock for the fermentation process include agricultural, forestry, and urban waste - thus reducing environmental plagues while diversifying the range of siting options.

Not many people realize that Henry Ford built the Model T to run on ethanol - but at that time a strong case was made for refining abundant oil into gasoline because it was cheaper than ethanol to produce. So the oil liquid fuel paradigm took root and begat the gasoline refinery and distribution network - and cars were modified to run only on gasoline.

Sixty years later the world experiences a severe "oil crisis". Part of the world (Brazil) responded by adding ethanol back into play as a competitive alternative to oil - reducing dependence on oil and bringing a supportive infrastructure for distillation, distribution, and flex-fuel vehicle manufacture for blends of ethanol and gasoline. Today, Brazil exports ethanol, is not dependent on oil availability, has cleaner auto emissions, and robust demand for its sugar cane crops. A model for a liquid, non-fossil fuel paradigm shift and its positive cultural impact has been amply demonstrated.

Much as been made of the "peak oil" conundrum that bodes catastrophic consequences over the next few decades. Since 1976 there has not been one new gasoline refinery built in the U.S. - so it would seem that we are destined to experience a collapse of the gasoline paradigm. This will be exascerbated by the emerging demand for fossil fuel by China and India. At the same time, there have been over 85 ethanol plants built in the U.S. - based on the standard sugar fermentation process using corn kernels as feedstock. Equally important, distribution networks, ethanol flex-fuel and biodiesel vehicles, and a pro-ethanol enterprise culture has been developed - primarily in the farm states.

The time has come to spread the ethanol paradigm into urban areas using new technology based on gasification of plentiful sources of unrecycled biomass - urban, sewage, MSW, forestry, and agricultural waste. The technology exists and it is far cleaner, safer, and efficient than sugar fermentation. It will also help reduce the need for landfill sites (by about 80%), reduce field spreading of sewage, co-generate green power, and provide a smooth transition away from fossil fuels.

If anyone is interested in one reading about one good example of exciting bioconversion breakthroughs, visit http://www.brienergy.com.

I should mention that one of the authors is Paul Hawken, one of the superstars in this field, and also Lovins from the famed Rocky Mountain Institute. Everyshould should read Natural Capitalism as it's really one of the best books I've ever read: visionary, inspiring, realistic, and it's something people can identify with and understand.

I will pick up Natural Capitalism. I just finished reading Brian Czech's Shoveling Fuel for a Runaway Train, and I would, in turn, recommend this book. At some point in the coming weeks, I hope to finish a long, rambling "review" of the book and post it at Hungry Hyaena. We'll see.

Scott, thanks for the link. Like SonofFunk, I tend to think solar energy the most promising "alternative" source, but biodiesel does offer us some excellent options. The availabilty of biodiesel fuel remains a concern, though, and with the success of hybrids, it may be difficult to convince many people to rebuild their engines and even harder to convince the automotive companies to put biodiesel cars on the market.

Read what this small, sustainable farmer is doing with her new farm in SW Ohio
http://boulerbelt.blogspot.com.

information on forming a local foods economy, going off the grid, growing nutritious food, dealing with climate change, farming on a micro scale, etc., etc..