Where can alternative energy take us?

You listen to the news, watch the commentaries, and look through the internet and the talk is always the same, the oil cannot last forever. News talks of shortages every winter, the commentaries say we are using more than we are producing and the internet just shows every point of view.
Has the gulf oil spill brought solar energy or wind energy back to the forefront? Is nuclear more of an option than it has been in years past. Can we afford any more damage to this planet or is there a point that we can no longer expect the planet to correct the mistakes we have made, the Chernobyl or Three mile accidents or the continuous oil spills all over this world.
What is the cost for alternative energy and will it help us? To manufacture anything will take raw materials and that will produce waste. We have been able to keep these wastes to a minimum so to build a solar energy source for a home or for an entire community becoming more and more worthwhile. Are we able to build a wind power farm that will provide power to a town or build a unit that we can use for our homes.
With rising fuel costs and the question that there will be no interruption to the worldwide flow of this oil, it is about time to get serious about looking at the future. The world's economy can also become another victim of a lack of interest to find an alternative energy source. With no oil to produce or not being able to safely transport this product could crash the economy world wide.
So the question still remains, where can alternative take us? Can we develop a solar energy source that will free our dependence and and money from a total dependence on this oil. Can we control a piece of our future that will enable us to continue to live as we have become use to. Can we develop a wind power source that will power the cities for the present as well as long into the future.
Alternative energy some day will be very necessary. Why not start now?