Another great issue thanks to those of you who contributed articles and interviews.

What the heck is Nanotechnology and how does it affect this industry? Wikipedia says "The main unifying theme of nanotechnology is the control of matter on a scale smaller than 1 micrometre, normally approximately 1 to 100 nanometers, as well as the fabrication of devices of this size." Two contributors this month seem to think it could have expansive consequences to the future of solar panel design. In my Interview with Peter Lynch about the investment opportunities in the PV sector he states "I see great potential in the nano technology area. It is my feeling that if there is a huge blockbuster technology that is going to emerge and "take over" the PV industry, I feel that it will somehow involve breakthroughs and application of nano technology to the area of photovoltaics."

Also, in an article about a new study by the Helmut Kaiser Consultancy entitled RENEWABLE ENERGY MARKETS DRIVEN BY CLIMATE CHANGE it states that "Nanotechnology is undoubtedly one of the key technologies which will influence energy efficiency".

I think it's great to hear some optimism rather than all the doom and gloom of the past few months. I for one would rather keep listening to these engineers and business leaders rather than the politicians and rock stars about the future of the planet.

Why ... because promise and optimism leads to action ... and there is no better example of this than "THE HALF PROGRAM" which is a great plan of action for each of us to use to reduce our energy footprint as set out by Gary Reysa.

And, speaking of business ... it appears that the time is ripe to get leaders to pay attention. In a report about SemiCon West 2007, Rhone Resch, President of SEIA told the semiconductor industry that "Polysilicon demand for the photovoltaic industry will be more than twice that of the IC industry in 2010."  and it appears that they are ready to listen.

Next in the issue is a series of articles about Alternative Energy projects and progress being made all around the globe:

• BRAZIL ETHANOL MARKET discusses how Brazil seeks to produce enough ethanol to replace 10% of the gasoline consumed worldwide by 2012.
• In Britain a £14 BILLION TIDAL BARRAGE is proposed for the Severn Estuary.
• CONCENTRATED SOLAR FOR HAWAII discusses an interesting project to be built on the lava flow on the big island. A great use for land that cannot be used for much else.
• GREEN ENERGY OPTIONS IN THE CARIBBEAN - The Paradise Bay Resort is using wind and solar energy generated on site to set an example and save money.
• PLANT JATROPHA - GO GREEN - REDUCE POVERTY - We are learning that corn is not the best solution for biofuel production. A hectare of jatropha yields more than four times as much fuel per hectare as soybean, and more than ten times that of corn.
• SOLAR HEATING IN SASKATCHEWAN - It gets cold in central Canada but solar energy can still be used to generate heat.

On the transportation front have a look at THE AIR CAR. This one uses electricity in a very efficient way to compress air used to drive the car. And how about KITEBOATING - powering a boat with a huge kite?  Sounds like fun as well as economical.

Electric cars come is many shapes and sizes and can perform many functions. We received 3 articles about this including an INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD J. KASPER OF GEM which discusses Neighborhood EV's, SMALL ELECTRIC VEHICLES IMPROVE LIVABILITY discusses the BugE personal EV and ELECTRIC BIKES AND LARGE E-SCOOTERS discusses how battery technology can power the future.

And on the green building front there is a very interesting article GREENROOFS BENEFITS OUTWEIGH COSTS which discusses using green roofs in desert areas to same energy and grow food.

These along with several other articles make up what I feel is one of the best issues we've ever had the privilege to publish.

Enjoy the issue and please be sure to let us know your thoughts.

Bob Hetherington