Dan Kammen, director of the renewable and appropriate energy lab at the University of California, Berkeley: “Not every flavour of ethanol is good for the environment. Quite a few of them are not.”
Howard Hankins, motorist: “I was getting 53 miles per gallon, and now it’s down to 47. No matter how I drive, I can’t get it to change. It’s frustrating that they’ve crammed it into my gas tank. They are claiming it’s a panacea for all our troubles. It’s not giving the consumer any benefit at all.”
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simplicator | Sep 24, 2008 | Reply
As programmed, ravenous American consumers we believe it is our right to burn as much petroleum as we possibly can. Fairly soon, we will run out of easily obtained oil and its skyrocketing price will make ethanol much more palatable. Our cheap energy joyride is coming to an end and it is unlikely our grandkids will enjoy frivolous pursuits, like water skiing (yes, I love it too).
If we don’t throttle back energy consumption and our dependence on petroleum, future generations will experience a much different America than we did. Our perpetual optimism and opportunity will grind to a halt as the foundation of our economy crumbles for lack of cheap, abundant energy. It’s up to us to resolve our energy problem before America becomes a 3rd world country.
By fixating on what you pay at the pump you are missing the true cost of petroleum in the form of our tax dollars subsidizing Big Oil, paying for multi-trillion dollar wars and the destruction of the environment. Ethanol isn’t perfect, but it is part of the cure for the real problem: petroleum. You are simply complaining about the wrong part of the mixture in your tank.