NORIHIKO NAKAMURA

Executive technical adviser, Toyota Motor Corp.

Chosen because: Nakamura, 68, is Toyota's sage when it comes to fuel cells. His past work includes Toyota's research into other fuel sources, including natural gas, methanol and clean hydrocarbon fuel. In 1999 he was made general manager of Toyota's fuel cell development program, which rapidly grew under his supervision. He was promoted to senior technical executive in 2001.

Quote: "Oil and natural gas are getting scarce, and there's global warming, so we need something that's carbon-free," Nakamura told Bloomberg News. "There are only several years left to do something about this."