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The Department of Energy is now saying that wind power could represent 20% or more of our future energy needs.

Wind power in the United States began as something of a curiosity and a big money loser. The first wave of installations took place in the '70s just west of Palm Springs, Calif.

Today's windmills are highly automated and can even rotate to catch the wind. We're also getting closer to figuring out how to store the energy that's generated, which had long been a problem.

However, one of the main deterrents to wind power remains the "NIMBY" mentality. People love the idea, but "not in my backyard."

For example, the wealthy are protesting the installation of wind power off the coast of Massachusetts. Likewise, The Houston Chronicle reports that some HOAs in Texas are fighting solar installations.

Clark thinks we all need to grow up and look at the greater good. We need a gut-check as Americans. Are we going to be sitting ducks to foreign energy, or will we seize the moment and work to find alternative forms?

There are now 51,000 storage units throughout the country. Unfortunately, a lot of people are now living in their storage units because of economic hardship in the housing market. This is a dangerous and usually illegal practice.

In related news, Clark recently saw a very sad eviction in progress. Someone's possessions were piled up on a side street, and people just came up and took what they wanted. Could you imagine coming home to discover that you're homeless and bereft of your belongings?

Meanwhile, what happens when you stop paying your monthly storage bill? Clark read a New York Times report about a cottage industry springing up around the auction of property that's been seized from negligent accounts.

One storage company near Clark's house prominently posts signs -- illegally, on telephone poles -- when they're getting ready for an auction.

If you do have to put something in storage, know that you must get insurance on your belongings. In his TV work, Clark has done stories about how some people found their belongings damaged by flood or vermin and had no recourse. In fact, a rat jumped out at the camera while they were filming the story!

CLARKONOMICS: Clark was recently talking to a radio station manager who was very upset that he routinely trashes auto leasing. As it turned out, leasing was a great idea for this guy.

In fact, if you're the kind of person who gets "new car fever" every couple of years, leasing may be the perfect option for you -- especially if you like luxury cars.

Yet auto lease defaults are way up. For most people, they're really just a financial noose around the wallet.

So what can you do if you're over your head in a lease? You may want to try getting approval for a qualified person to take over your lease. Clark suggests LeaseTrader.com as one website where you can begin your search.

Here's one caveat, though: If you have a giant gas-guzzling SUV, you probably won't find many takers willing to get you out of your lease!

Finally, car buyers may be able to steal a deal on vehicles that are returned to the dealer after being leased. Again, this is especially true when it comes to luxury cars. You may even find that a 3-year old luxury ride that's already been leased once will be a better deal than a brand-new mid-priced model.

eBay has been a source of arguments between Clark and Christa for years. Clark has long felt that eBay should offer protection to buyers who get ripped off by sellers. Christa, meanwhile, has taken a more libertarian view. She believes they could offer protection if they wish, but it shouldn't be required.

They've both agreed that it would be great for sellers to have the option to get bonded by eBay after successfully completing a certain number of transactions. Buyers could then have confidence that they won't be ripped off with counterfeit goods.

Of course, there are crooked buyers out there too, but that's another story.

In response to softening transactions, eBay now is experimenting with a new policy in Australia that could eventually go worldwide. They'll back every transaction up to nearly $20K. eBay is basing its math on the belief that only a small fraction of transactions are crooked.

In the past, eBay had pseudo-protection through PayPal and through itself for fraud. But that was more of a marketing ploy than anything else. This, however, is apparently the real deal.

Sellers are already making a big fuss Down Under because the only method of payment allowed under this new plan is PayPal, which is owned by eBay. So is this move just intended to boost PayPal's business, or is it a real effort to boost the confidence of buyers?

There's no doubt that eBay is going through a rough adolescence with all the counterfeit goods and accompanying lawsuits. Regardless of the legal outcome, eBay has already lost buyer confidence. What people are willing to pay for branded goods has gone down dramatically as a result. Buyers automatically assume they're going to get a counterfeit. So the marketplace, in its own way, is already at work here.