Posted on 05/02/2006 10:14:41 AM PDT by mnwo
From: The Washington Times' Insight Magazine
Issue Date: May 1-7, 2006, Posted On: 5/1/2006
Collins: Ending America’s addiction to Middle East oil
Commentary by U.S. Rep. Mac Collins
The United States is addicted to oil. Congress, the federal government and big business have been aware of this problem but like most addicts they failed to correct their destructive behavior until they hit rock bottom.
It is essential to our nation’s security that this country becomes unshackled from its dependence on foreign oil. This is not a time for academic or elitist debate on environmental impact. This is the time in our history to put an end to fossil fuel reliance through energy independence. There is a solution and it does not lie in trade relationships with Middle Eastern nations that, even at their best, view us as tolerated customers as opposed to valued allies. The solution to America’s energy woes can be found right here at home. The development of alternatives to foreign oil such as bio-fuel made from wood byproducts; ethanol made from corn; the reduction of unneeded government regulations on the building of domestic oil refineries; and the drilling for new sources of domestic oil in locations such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) all hold the key to our freedom from foreign oil.
No problem can be solved overnight and the United States has certainly waited too long to address this great failure. However, despite the failure of past energy policies, the Bush administration and my fellow Republicans are embracing a new policy that, if not hampered by the opposition party, will result in not only energy security for the United States but a level of national security that we do not have now. The development of underutilized, readily renewable domestic resources holds the key to our independence.
Last year, 157 Democratic members of the House of Representatives voted against our energy bill in a display of partisanship that did not help this problem one bit. I am thankful that my colleagues in the Republican Party were able to overcome the opposition’s unpatriotic objections to what will be the first stage in our nation’s energy future. The everyday use of ethanol and bio-fuels as a substitute for petroleum-based energy sources will take several years to accomplish, even under the best of circumstances. Therefore, in the short term, the United States needs to aggressively develop our enormous, and almost infinite, domestic energy resources.
The first stage of any successful energy program will be the development of the resources that already exist. Right away, for example our nation can eliminate the regulations that stand in the way of building new refineries. Furthermore, we will drill for oil at ANWR in Alaska. I do not believe that domestic oil production alone will safeguard our future energy needs. The time has come for the United States to look forward and develop renewable alternative energy sources that can be found on our family farms. Both wood based bio-fuels and ethanol will fill the gap between our ability to produce petroleum domestically and our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Rather than continuing to enrich Middle Eastern oil sheiks, the time has come for those dollars to find their way into the pockets of our own citizens. This can be accomplished by directing both private and federal research dollars toward developing the resources that exist in our very own fields rather than recklessly continuing to funnel our hard-earned money to nations, and terror havens, that do not share America’s interests or values.
(Mac Collins is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives. Congressman Collins served 12 years in Congress, and in the Republican leadership of the House as a member of the Republican Steering Committee and as Deputy Majority Whip. He was also a member of the Ways and Means Committee and the Intelligence Committee.)
"The everyday use of ethanol and bio-fuels as a substitute for petroleum-based energy sources will take several years to accomplish, even under the best of circumstances. "
Not really - I installed one of these in 3 hrs and used $60 worth of corn / month instead of $400 worth of heating fuel.
http://www.americanenergysystems.com/countryside.cfm?tabID=4
We had long lines at the gas pumps in 1972. Our government knew then that we were dependent on foreign oil.
Despite Republicans being in charge of things for a while (Reagan, Nixon, Bush I and II), nothing has yet been done about our dependency on foreign oil.
Who can we get into office that will accomplish what needs to be done?
How much did that stove cost?
Ronald Reagan's first official acts of office included removing Jimmy Carter's solar panels from the roof of the White House, and reversing most of Carter's conservation and alternative energy policies.
What do you do when there is no electricity to run the stove?
Ethanol conversion is 30% efficient, and to run cars on pure ethanol will require engine modification.In newer cars it means the computer chip. 3-$500. Without subsidies it costs about $80/barrel equiv.
A better technology is Thermochemical Conversion, it is 80% efficient, and will also handle most of this country's solid waste problems. The problem is, that it creates oil at an unsubsidized cost of $80/barrel. Thus, it will compete directly with cheep middle eastern oil. (All they would have to do is drop their price and we are skewered.)
Therefore ethanol is a better short term solution, since it gets our basic transportation costs out of the hands of foreign oil. Caveat: Ethanol/Gasoline blends are a waste of time, since they compete with oil, and for that, they are way too expensive.
Did I miss the word "nuclear" somewhere.
Gobbling up our remaining petroleum now is not the way to go. We need to be conservative and save it for a gradual transition.
Actually, using up all the cheap petroleum is the way to go. Once cheap oil is removed the price will drastically stabilize. And what makes it better is that the worlds arid regions will be at our mercy, since they do not produce enough hydrocarbons to convert!Remember, Petroleum IS the renewable energy source!!
If you haven't noticed at $75/bbl it ain't so cheap these days, and if we use more it will also be more expensive.
The key point in my post was the absence of any discussion of nuclear power options.
The most probable route will be Coal gasification with the required steam being generated by small nuclear reactors. They can be located in the inactive sections of the mine. That will provide containment if necessary.
The gas produced by the gasification can be shipped by pipeline to any location in the US, cutting shipping costs dramatically. It is simple to convert automobiles to use this type of fuel.
I think they're up to $1800 this year - the SS vent pipe is another $300 - no chimney - its direct vent like a clothes dryer.
Some have a car battery backup - it draws only 3 amps.
" The problem is, that it creates oil at an unsubsidized cost of $80/barrel."
For transporation fuel, we have all we need for the next 100 years in Canada and Colorado for $20/ barrel cost.
Let's invade Canada instead of Iran.
$75 a barrel is cheap, and it comes out of the ground for a buck a barrel, (in the middle east.) It will get very much more expensive before it is all said and done.
We can make petroleum for $80/barrel, but cannot take advantage of those technologies as long as our prices can be undercut.
Got it. I think that is because the focus is on transportation.
I was curious about the chimney, thanks.
We can eliminate dependence on foreign oil by developing Canadian tar sands.
how often do you have to add fuel?
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