by Lloyd Frazier
Almost on a daily basis, there is a theory or breakthrough on new fuel alternatives for our gasoline thirsty cars. There is a current article on the New York Times site about turning atmospheric carbon dioxide into gasoline. There is a very good rebuttal on the Climate Progress blog as well. Every time a new, possible alternative is touted, an equal or better rebuttal is presented. It is more of the same. In the late 80’s, I attended a science demonstration at the college where I was enrolled. It was a demonstration of super conduction. Remember that boondoggle? By super freezing ceramic magnets with liquid nitrogen, they made them levitate. It seemed very exciting at the time. But, there were huge scientific road blocks to overcome. Shortly after that, some scientists at a Utah university claimed they achieved cold fusion which since has been refuted. Then came the critics saying universities were competing for funding and that is what brought about these demonstrations of miraculous scientific discoveries.
Now the focus is on energy alternatives that promise an end to our foreign oil addiction. Just exactly how much of these new ideas are junk science meant to draw attention for funding and federal subsidies and what is legitimate is open to interpretation. Quite frankly, the American public is growing weary and more skeptical than I can remember. We have to draw a line in the sand at some point. Common sense tells us that building a completely new fuel dispensing infrastructure is a monumental, hugely expensive undertaking. That is why hydrogen is not in our near future. Ethanol, be it either from corn or a cellulose source, seems to make more sense, but at what cost? It requires vast swaths of land and almost as much energy to produce as energy you get in return – barely a net energy gain. Some ethanol producers claim they are achieving up to a 7:1 energy output now, however. One company, Coskata, in partnership with GM, is working on refining a process they developed that produces ethanol out of waste. That seems like a win-win there. Bio-diesel is making inroads in the commercial market but not so for the everyday consumer, yet. Just what is going to be the magic bullet? Doesn’t electric vehicles make the most sense right now? The infrastructure is already there. The electrical outlet in your garage is your source. Or, are we so addicted to the smell of gasoline and the rumble of that engine that we cannot go back? I have to admit, that would be hard to leave behind. There is something very emotionally satisfying about driving around in a car with a nice exhaust note when you press on the throttle. Old habits die hard. Current events dictate that we take action to wean ourselves from our oil addiction. Less talk and more action is the equation. Getting the federal government out of subsidizing farmers is one big step. When governments subsidize things like this, they create artificial markets for products that really are not viable alternatives. Give free reign to the entrepreneurial equation. If there is a buck in it, the cream will rise to the top. Tax breaks for innovation is the real key. It has worked for a lot of other things in the past. Just quit throwing tax payer money in the wrong directions for crying-out-loud!
