Reflecting on History to Build the Future

My reflections on history help me to imagine a better future. People forget that automotive pioneers were at the height of high technology. Primitive by today's standards, their work was breakthrough in its day. If those people were born 100 years later, many would be focused on one of the great opportunities of this century - alternative energy. Unfortunately, when the topic comes up it is frequently equated with climate change, resulting in an emotional debate about the validity of global warming and the images of tree-huggers. The business model is difficult because like most nascent technologies the scale of use is very small and development costs are burdensome. What is not factored into the equation is the cost of protecting national interests, such as access to Middle Eastern oil. This cost includes, but is not limited to, war operations. A frightening potential cost is the recovery from a massive terrorist attack funded by the billions of dollars we funnel into countries harboring extremists. I have been following T. Boone Pickens and his effort to awaken America to the need to take immediate action. The history we write today will shape our children and grandchildren live in the decades to come.