I agree that hybrids are a sorry excuse for a "green" alternative. Aside from the fact that they currently cost more as Khosla points out -- just because a car or SUV is a hybrid, doesn't make it truly energy efficient. Auto makers are slapping hybrid engines in cars to appeal to the growing buzz about going green, when in fact, many of the hybrids out there are only a very dull shade of green.

Take the Ford Escape hybrid, for example. It's currently considered the most efficient SUV on the market ... getting a whopping 30mpg. 30mpg! Big friggin deal! You can get better mileage in a regular gasoline Civic.

The worst part about hybrids is that THEY STILL USE GASOLINE! Sure, maybe a little bit less, but as long as we are driving hybrids, we're still dependent on burning fossil fuels, contributing to CO2 in the atmosphere, and making the oil companies richer.

Hybrids are a marginal improvement in fuel efficiency. Marginal is not good enough to make any difference worldwide. We need to focus on orders of magnitude of increased efficiency. I believe that one day, hydrogen will be our answer. Solar electric is on a good path, too ... but still far from being feasible.

What can you do right now? Save your money on the fancy-shmancy hybrid, and buy a diesel car, and fill 'er up with biodiesel. It's carbon neutral, totally renewable, and requires no special modification to your car.