By Alastair Bland

The universe is brimming with energy. Here on earth it’s pulsating all around us: in air, sea and soil, in wood, bone and flesh. This is very convenient for humans who rely on it for powering nearly everything — from our cars to our computers to our triple soy latte-fueled days. Ages ago, our ancestors discovered that a simple way to capture and channel energy to our bidding was to extract materials from the earth and burn them. The problem is that now, short of furniture and wall trimmings, we’re running out of stuff to throw on the fire.

Enter renewable energy sources. Wind, sun, water and common ethanol crops (such as corn and soy) are the most obvious — and media-celebrated — “solutions” to our energy woes. But the truth is, the days of relying on one or two major sources to meet the world’s energy needs are as passé and unsustainable as coal and crude themselves. It’s going to take a hybrid of new technologies to meet the energy demands of tomorrow’s latte sippers.

Luckily for all of us, vast amounts of energy lie furtively in mediums we never might have suspected. With the race to solve the global energy crises in full tilt, progressive research labs the world-over are developing new and innovative methods of fabricating oil, gas and electricity … sometimes from thin air. Here’s our breakdown of four promising energy “super-sources” at work in the world today — some of them new, some old, but none mainstream … yet.

SUPER SOURCE I: Everybody’s Poop

SUPER SOURCE II: Horatio Algae

SUPER SOURCE III: Good Ole’ Garbage

SUPER SOURCE IV: Making Fuel Out of Thin Air