In a recent interview with the French publication Les Echos, Mikhail Khodorkovsky answered questions about what he would do if released into freedom, and addressed earlier statements he has made regarding renewable sources of energy. He answered, “I don’t want to leave Russia. As for questions concerning alternative energy (or rather, new energy sources), I’m still just as interested.” I somehow don’t recall ever hearing about the commitment of the current Russian tandem-rulers to the traditions of the development in our country of alternative energy. Apparently, they’ve got just one thing in their plans: trade in hydrocarbons until their complete and total depletion from the bowels of the Russian land. In the meantime, ecological catastrophes force world leaders to think about climbing down off of the oil thorns as quickly as possible. Just recently even U.S. President Barack Obama focused on this topic. In discussing the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Obama commented that this must finally become a true signal for the transition of the entire country to alternative sources of energy and a strong argument for abandoning the attachment to combustible fuel.