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11:32:00 PM EST
State of the Union: Looking at Bush's Energy Ideas
Corn Fuel the Big Savior? Last night I watched the State of the Union address with pen and notebook in hand, ready to capture Bush's big ideas on energy and climate change. I was initially impressed with his proposal to cut gasonline usage in the United States by 20 percent over the next 10 years. Wow, I thought, he's asking us to sacrifice something other than our civil liberties.
The cutting gas usage idea lost its luster this morning when I read in the Washington Post that Bush means cutting 20 percent of our projected usage levels in 10 years, not today's levels. Turns out it won't really be a cut at all. (Check out "Critics See Too Little Significant Change," by Steven Mufson in the Post.)
His idea to produce more alternative fuels (mostly ethanol from corn) did not impress me. I know that we can't grow enough corn to really make a dent in our oil supply. It turns out that ethanol only has 2/3 the energy value of gasonline (for an equal volume), so we need to produce more ethanol to get the same amount of energy. It will hard, if not impossible, to put a dent in oil use with a less-efficient fuel that has production limits. For a good discussion of these points and why biofuels like ethanol can't be the lone solution, see "Blindness on Biofuels" by Robert J. Samuelson of the Post.
I also heard New York Times science reporter Andrew Revkin on Democracy Now this morning, discussing some of these points as well as emission caps, saying that America needs to focus on better battery technology (I'm assuming for plug-in hybrid vehicles) in order to have a hope of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and meeting any caps set in the future.
My take: Bush gave lip service to energy independence and starting to meet the challenge of climate change -- he did call it a challenge, which is a big step for him -- but his proposals don't seem to have much substance.
My questions: What did you think of this part of the State of the Union address? Could you, would you reduce your gasoline use by 1/5 in order to reduce our reliance on imports and help fight climate change?
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Its very true Bush isn't really giving global warming as much consideration as it deserves, but neither are humans as a whole. Its not only our presidents job to come up with solutions for problems like these, its our own. But unfortunately, Americans don't seem to notice whats happening on earth or for that matter even care. If this was a blog about britney spears or Paris Hilton there would be tons more comments. Truth is, humans are too infatuated with material possesions and things of no substance, that in the long run there might not be a planet to even enjoy. We take and take from the Earth and expect nothing to ever change, but thats completely unreasonable. I really wish people would come together and try to fight climate change.
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Instead of worrying about what Bush had to say just start at home. Just start doing the little things and if enough people do start do the little things we can make a difference. If you got all of your friends to buy products from companies that have been certified climate neutral (http://climateneutralnetwork.
org/) it would start making a difference. Have your friends start buying from companies that are epa climate companies (www.epa.gov/stateply/docs/sha klee.pdf), look for energy star appliances, start walking more, turn your thermos down. We have to make the sacrifices to make up for the mistakes of our fathers. Did you know that if you changed your cleaning products to a good biodegradeable cleaners it quit possible to reduce the pollution output. -
You call it lip service. Empty words was what I thot about this and also his proposed ideas on healthcare, our insurance is paid for with before tax dollars now so how is that supposed to make a difference in our budget? Minumum wage earners don't have any money left after paying for necessities like food, clothing and shelter. It will take more than a tax credit!
1/31/07 9:01 PM