Time for an energy transformation

Illinois Renewable Energy & Sustainable Lifestyle Fair Aug. 12-13 at Ogle County Fairgrounds

Heat waves, hurricanes, forest fires, floods, droughts, air pollution alerts, high energy prices, electrical service disruptions, species loss, intense global competition for energy supplies and energy wars are all sending a loud, clear message: It is time for an energy transformation.

The illusion that we can maintain the American way of life on cheap energy is rapidly vanishing. Quality of life in the United States has already deteriorated due to peak oil and climate change. The list of acute energy-related problems is growing and unlikely to diminish without major changes in our lifestyles, businesses and industries. The essential solutions will take time, persistence and money to implement.

Energy investment banker Matt Simmons, author of Saudi Oil, Twilight in the Desert (Jan Lundberg, publisher, Culture Change), portrays a future with neither oil nor natural gas to spare. In Simmons