The World Bank is weighing into the cost of carbon debate, with its clean energy chief warning that "in only four decades, we have to be a carbon non-intensive economy". Speaking at an alternative energy conference, Daniel Kammen said the situation requires "a new industrial revolution in 40 years". Of course, forward-thinking materials handling professionals are already conscious of the need to consider more energy efficient forklift technology and while there's not one uniform thrust, there are several promising developments, as we regularly report in Forkliftaction.com News. And while the economic challenges of the past year may have curbed research and development, there's no doubt that energy and environment are on everyone's priority list and that further progress can't be too far off.