Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut had an Op-Ed piece in today's New York Post titled "Hot To Escape Oil" and it was interesting.I agree with much of what he says, hell it's common sense isn't it?
I mean Gas prices aren't ever going to drop down to what they were and as he puts it "We are just one well-orchestrated terrorist attack or political upheaval away from an overnight price spike to $100 a barrel that would send the global economy tumbling and the industrialized world scrambling to secure supplies." Well mayb Joe Lieberman has overstated it just a hair, but it's the type of quote that gets your attention. Right?
He's right though, most of the world's oil is controlled by people that hate US and our way of life. From that punk Chavez down in Venezuela to our "allies" in Saudi Arabia and their true allies in Iran, all love the petro dollars but most would love to see the demise of the US and our way of life.
I agree with Lieberman's assertion that we must do what we can to reduce our dependance on foreign oil as soon as possible. Worl wide oil demand is growing, especially in countries like China and India, and oil is a finite resource. But I was not familiar with the "Set America Free Act" that he has introduced with others. The requirement that half of all vehicles sold in the US must be Hybrid, Hybrid/Electric Plug In or Alternative Fuel Vehicles sounds tough until you realize that it includes cars designed to burn E-85.
The interesting thing about that requirement is that it requires half of the vehicles to be from this group, but it doesn't address the availability of the Bio Fuel. I love his enthusiasm when he says "We can do it. The pieces are there just waiting to be assembled. We dont need to pry exotic technologies off the drawing board." But he seems to be oversimplifying the situation. It's not enough to demand that half of vehicles sold in the US fit the bill, it's important to have the necessary infrastructure and incentives for people to buy these vehicles.
I'm not going to pick apart Lieberman's editorial piece by piece, read it for yourself. It's an important issue, but I'm not sure that Lieberman and his co-sponsors have the answer. Or maybe they do?
I know at least their heads seem to be doing more than just holding up their hats. Alternative fuel technology is going to be key to a cleaner, safer, more economically stable United States.
3 comments:
expanding this very big topic: I just read FEAR AND ENTROPY IN LOS ANGELES-cover story in LA CITYBEAT weekly mag. by my old Nitronic Research collegue Cole Coonce. May well be the best thing he ever wrote..it will make you cry. Serve with cold steak and loud Deep Purple..
I read the article, and I agree with your opinion, he scares the BEJESUS out of us and then proposes a half measure.
As a representative of the auto industry, I can tell you that in exchange for getting rid of CAFE, we will agree to make EVERYTHING hybrid-electric or E85 compatible, in any combination you wish, and we can do it in a relatively short time.
I'm looking for the politician with real cajones who will propose the only solution that will guarantee our success, and that is to tax the crap out of gasoline, which would foster EVERYTHING we want to happen, from the purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles to the use of mass-transit.
I believe the American people instinctively realize that there is no painless solution, and will vote for sanity.
Ok Hybrid Cars are not going to help us with our need for oil as you still not to use petrol in these cars, but it is a step in the right direction and shows that some of us are trying to do our part, so it is now time for more of us to embrace this idea so we do not demand as much as we once did from oil
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