Sigh.... I just read this article on autobloggreen.com.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/04...battery-break/
The problem with the article is that when someone gives a grant, there are (usually) no strings attached after the grant is given. It's merely a grant to do research. The problem is that the author does not understand that fact, nor that the leading Saudis long ago turned a corner. They have realized that they will someday run out of oil and that they need to reposition themselves, in the name of capitalism, for the future. They realize that they have nothing to sustain themselves in their present condition, apart from oil.
Case in point, the Masdar Headquarters for energy and sustainability- technology.
http://www.metaefficient.com/archite...-it-needs.html