I'm only on page 30 of Energy Victory, but the man is speaking my language: his first point is that there is one thing the U.S. government can do to facilitate effective research into new energy sources, and create a more neutral relationship between the petroleum industry and the U.S. economy: mandate that all cars be flex-fuel. Not just ethanol and gasoline, but methanol and gasoline as well. We will always need liquid fuels because of their greater efficiency, so government's place now is to create the conditions such that gasoline, methanol and ethanol can compete on a flat playing field.

And that doesn't exclude hybrid/electric cars: I'm a big fan of both. I just think that there will likely always be a need for some sort of liquid fuel liquid fuel, and we cannot tie our hands regarding what that turns out to be. I love my mom's Prius (except when I'm on a sustained incline), but there's no reason that the internal combustion engine in it has to be petrol-powered. And it's the same for the Volt.

Joy's Program to Save the World:
(1) Flex-fuel vehicles,
(2) enhanced domestic drilling,
(3) continued research into fuel cells [combined with bitchin' cool forms of electric power], and
(4) increased use of alcohol-based fuels.

There is more, but these are the fundamentals right now; I just wonder why no one else sees that the emperor isn't wearing any clothes? Sit him up!

We'll see if Zubrin rearranges my priorities 2-4 above. Right now, though, he and I see eye-to-eye on that first point.

But make no mistake; increasing domestic drilling is only a hair's width behind on my priority list right now. We can't do research properly without buying ourselves the time to do it. And necessity may be the mother of invention, but blind panic is not.

The energy problems are solvable, but we need time, good research, and flexibility.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 11:33 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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