+ Thomas Friedman on "Geo-Greenism"

Thomas Friedman, author of "The World Is Flat," and now "Hot, Flat and Crowded" made a great appearance on NPR's Fresh Air last night. He made a very passionate, yet highly rational and reasonable argument for addressing a variety of critical issues, but his best moments were his recommendations on stimulating alternative energy innovation. This excerpt from his latest book outlines many of his main points:

I am convinced that the best way for America to solve its big problem the best way for America to get its "groove" back is for us to take the lead in solving the world's big problem. In a world that is getting hot, flat, and crowded, the task of creating the tools, systems, energy sources, and ethics that will allow the planet to grow in cleaner, more sustainable ways is going to be the biggest challenge of our lifetime. But this challenge is actually an opportunity for America. If we take it on, it will revive America at home, reconnect America abroad, and retool America for tomorrow. America is always at its most powerful and most influential when it is combining innovation and inspiration, wealth-building and dignity-building, the quest for big profits and the tackling of big problems. When we do just one, we are less than the sum of our parts.

Click here to listen to the full interview