The rapid increase in the price of crude oil in recent years (as of 2005) and the resulting“sticker shock” at the gas pump have caused the scientific and engineering communitiesto finally understand that it is time for some reality checks on our priorities. Energyis the real problem that faces the world, and it will not be solved by the recent fads ofbiotechnology or nanotechnology. Energy consumption is the main producer of carbondioxide, so it is directly linked with the problem of global warming.
