I was thinking about the huge profits that oil companies are making these days and how that seems to belie the future of alternative energy. I had to ask myself whether we are really ready to shift at least some of our focus towards alternative energy when oil companies are booming and not feeling any hits it seems, even in light of our country's reliance on foreign oil. I forget what the profits Exxon had recently were, but they were hardly an incentive for the company to shift from the oil status quo. I decided that I should turn away from this news and instead, read about businesses that are facing up to the importance of alternative energy, even some that are currently quite reliant on fossil fuels. A prime example is Richard Branson of Virgin Atlantic, who recently pleged all of the profits for a decade from the transportation division of his empire, to be used for alternative energy projects. This amount is estimated to be around $3 billion. Mr. Branson admitted that Virgin Atlantic's airplanes consume 700 million gallons of fuel per year. Many business owners would be justifying this, as a necessary part of running an airline. Instead, Mr. Branson indicated that he wants to combat global warming and is determined to research biomass as a possible source of fuel for his aircraft. Apparently, the biomass to jet fuel equation hasn't quite been figured out yet, but this seems to be the impetus for Mr. Branson's huge pledge over the next ten years.

I was so impressed by this commitment by Virgin Atlantic, as it is a huge move for a company so reliant on fossil fuel consumption to admit that there has to be a better way. I would be thrilled if Virgin Atlantic ended up figuring out how to make jet fuel out of biomass and being even more profitable for that. It is a myth that people who care about the environment and alternative energy are anti-business or don't understand how companies operate. On the contrary, as Virgin Atlantic's bold move indicates, there are companies aware of their impact on the planet, that realize they must take a bold step to set themselves apart from the pack. I don't doubt that Mr. Branson had some future business plans in his mind when he pleged the money but really, who cares as long as he is making a difference? In my mind, the companies that have a real vision for alternative energy in this era, when it is still catching on, are going to move far ahead of those still clinging to fossil fuels. While the oil company executives of today may be profiting handsomely, this may not be the future for the oil company executives of tomorrow. If oil companies want to continue to profit in the future, they are going to get in on the alternative energy wave, before they miss the boat. If they refuse to diversify their energy portfolios in a bigger way than they are today, there will certainly be other innovative individuals and companies that will jump in. I hope the latter make millions for taking a leap of faith.