The Feds have had a real tough time trying to deal with the country’s energy issues. It’s not a knock on President Bush, but coming from the oil industry could be clouding his vision a bit. Every probe has been about where we can get more oil or more coal. But there are other solutions out there. To Clark, the answer is to be creative. In the West, for example, the Western Governor’s Association established the Clean and Diversified Energy Initiative. It’s made up of 17 states that are trying to use the sun to create solar energy and the wind to create turbine energy. The goal is to increase the amount of energy coming from alternative sources. The states are not saying they are not going to use coal and natural gas, but they also don’t want to be slaves to the Middle East. As a result, there is a gulf between how the western and the eastern states look at the future. Clark hopes the Western mentality wins out.

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What about diesel fuel? Volkswagen and Mercedes are both putting a big emphasis on diesel-fueled cars. These are very different than the first diesel cars in that they burn clean fuel and they get good gas mileage. Volkswagen has a Beetle and a Passat, which average 40 and 30 mph respectively. Look for these on the market.