Cars may soon be running on slime.
If alternative forms of energy prove successful, Americans could someday drive cars powered by algae-based fuel and hybrids with rechargeable batteries, said Jay Hakes, former administrator of the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
More than 100 people flocked to the Bob Graham Center for Public Service in Pugh Hall to listen to Hakes speak about his book, "A Declaration of Energy Independence."
In his speech, Hakes - who is the director of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum - also offered his perspective on the energy crisis facing the U.S.
Decades of presidential leadership failed to take initiatives to change the country's dependence on foreign oil and seek other alternatives.
"It's time to rise above the political static and take long term solutions to these answers," he said.
Hakes said his book is more about the oil crisis than the climate crisis, but the two interact when it comes to future energy modifications.
He said the U.S. must focus on alternative forms of energy that offer great promises.
Strict requirements on utilities are in the future, he said.
Energy inefficient products, such as incandescent lighting, may become obsolete in the next 10 years.
"We've dug ourselves in this hole of oil," Hakes said.
"We continue to dig deeper in the hole of climate change."
