Way out in the middle of somewhere, a huddle of sentient energy pored over a problem.

“Well, where was Ø last time you heard anything,” ߆ vibrated in a peeved frequency.

“The silly © went to check out some 0.5 MeV gamma rays from a ‘fountain’ of antimatter positrons from the Galactic Centre region,” chorused some young energy.

“Don’t give me that,” ߆ fissioned. “Ø’s been out in the backwaters showing off to the low-lifeforms again, ay? The rotter’s taken my best Cybersaucer™ and fair dinkum, if it’s been damaged, Ø will pay for it with a long spell in solitary entropy.”

“Right-o, right-o, keep your quarks on.” The ancient resonator silenced them all with a quick pulse. “Get on Google Universe and find the ’ship.”

Regular readers will have realised by now that Al, the alien who crashed just up the road from here a few issues ago, is the object of the search. It had been drifting about trying to understand how the natives of the planet Earth organised their energy requirements.

It could see that the life-supporting atmosphere around the planet was falling out of balance. Carbon levels were rising alarmingly. Al had spent some time investigating the causes and to see what was being done about it.

Al connected to the terrestrial internet in the search for understanding. It stumbled across this quote:

‘We have the long-term vision that photovoltaics can solve many of the world’s problems in terms of electricity generation in a clean, low-cost, environmentally friendly fashion ... to see photovoltaics used ... probably on everybody’s rooftops.’

Al formed some eyes and rubbed them in disbelief. Since Professor Stuart Wenham from the University of NSW had told the ABC interviewer of his hopes for solar electricity, the Earth had gone round the Sun nearly ten times!

How could this be? Right here in the place that was agonising over whether the next carbon-emitting, coal-fired power station should be publicly or privately owned, the solution had been known for yonks.

It made a gob and then smacked it when it saw what the photovoltaic research team was up to now. The School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at NSW Uni holds the world record for solar cell efficiency. Here was the answer, so what was the problem?

Al’s communication circuits opened and a far-away transmission asked, “®ß† here, where on Earth are you?”

“Look. I can’t vibrate with you right now,” Al answered. “I’m on to a cosmopologist’s dream over here; it’s got all the makings of an Andromedean tragedy.

“It a battle for survival. On one side are the dark forces of vested interest, who have the upper hand at present and think they have it won.

“But there is a vast reserve of energy that could be harnessed to achieve a better outcome,” claimed Al, looking up.

“It’s the power of the bleeding obvious!”