Modern economies are unthinkable without plentiful and affordable energy supplies. The double threat of global warming and climate change makes it mandatory to look for new, non-polluting energy sources. When searching for future energy supplies we must be very much aware of the critical role that energy plays in modern economies. It is imperative that we keep in mind the immense investments and the priceless inventories that were made by previous generations when building existing energy supply infrastructures.

Electricity has become the predominant energy form used by industry, commerce, and consumers alike. Transportation is a close second with industry, commerce, and individuals virtually incapable to maintain economic activity without immediate access to affordable liquid fuels for cars, trucks, ships, trains, and airplanes.

Continuing use of fossil fuels will result in unacceptable levels of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. We have learned that this accumulation is responsible for global warming and that it is the root cause of climate change and its many incarnations. The world does not have a choice any longer. We must completely halt carbon dioxide emissions before the year 2050 or the world will have to deal with escalating and uncontrollable climate changes.

The costs of dealing with climate change can potentially overpower world economies, can inflict extreme suffering on most of the world's peoples, and can eventually lead to a worldwide economic collapse. Such a collapse will be the precursor of the disappearance of our civilizations.

Changing over from polluting fossil fuels to clean, new energy sources will be expensive. Trying to replace well performing industry segments would not only be foolish; it could be suicidal. We cannot dare to slow the world's economies. Economies must be highly productive when we attempt to halt all fossil fuel combustion and begin instead to use only clean, renewable energy sources. The changeover will create much additional economic activity, which can result in an overall positive effect on world economies during the next two generations.

In our efforts to change to new energy sources we must try to modify rather than replace existing energy consuming, energy converting, and energy distributing systems. We are well advised to continue the use of existing electricity generating plants, electricity transmission grids, petroleum refining plants, gasoline and diesel fuel distribution systems, inventories of cars, trucks, ships, trains, railways, airplanes, and airports. We must continue to use our manufacturing plants to produce these valuable and life supporting devices and the service systems with their trained personnel to keep them running.

Replacing even a part of this infrastructure would last generations and would cost trillions upon trillions of dollars. Replacement costs will be out of reach for even the most wealthy, most industrialized, and most technologically advanced countries. We must find solutions that keep much of the existing energy infrastructures in place. We must develop new technologies, which will not overburden our economies and which will not risk economic slowdowns, recessions, or total economical collapse.

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