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Apart from the more well-known alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and nuclear power, Science in Action looks at some of the more unusual forms of alternative energy.

From alcohol fuel cells which, Shelly Minteer from the University of St. Louis in the US, says can run on gin, vodka, whicte wine and flat beer, to a solar power tower being built in Australia under the guidance of engineer Wolfgang Schiel from Stuttgart in Germany.

Then there's using osmosis, the pressure that builds up when salt and fresh water are separated by a semi-permiable membrane. Klaus Viktor Pinemann from GKSS Research Centre near Hamburg in Germany thinks if they can get the pressure high enough they can convert it into electricity, ideal for countries such as Norway who have plentiful supplies of salt and fresh water.

And finally Dr. Dave Beach from Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States thinks the replacement for petrol and diesel in our cars could be made from powdered metal, used in rocket fuel.

Listen here (Real)

First broadcast: Friday, 17 February, 2006 at 1006 GMT