Reducing U.S. oil appetite... by smart mandates and taxing. (Flashback)

Philadelphia Enquirer ^ | January 31, 2008 | Rick Santorum

[Josh Painter]

I suggest that in the short term, we dig our way out of this problem. The United States is the "Saudi Arabia of coal," and Pennsylvania is sitting on hundreds of years of this affordable and accessible resource, which, with innovative technologies - spearheaded by Pennsylvanians - we can use cleanly and right away.

Pennsylvania coal already generates most of the electricity in this state. The industry is in the process of doing it more cleanly through clean-coal technologies, such as gasification of coal into methanol, a form of alcohol that can be burned in internal combustion engines directly or used to manufacture synthetic gasoline and chemicals. These technologies can lead to a whole host of new clean uses that can help us reduce oil imports.

[...]

Across Pennsylvania, farmers are also digging and planting corn and other crops that will be turned into ethanol that can replace gasoline in our cars. Most cars in America can't run on ethanol, however, so who is going to install ethanol pumps at the gas station without the cars to run on it? At this point I would say to all of my hard-core conservative friends: Hold on to your hats.

What we need is a government mandate! We need to mandate that all cars sold in the United States, starting with the 2010 model year, be "flex-fuel vehicles" - that is, they should be able to run on a blend that is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline (the so-called E85 blend), or even a coal-derived methanol/gas mixture. This mandate would cost a fraction of the new fuel economy standard with the added benefit of saving barrels more oil...

[Josh Painter]

Full title: “Reducing U.S. oil appetite This is one cause that could be helped by smart mandates and taxing.”

(Editor would not post it until the title was shortened)

[Standing Wolf]

What we need is a government mandate!

That's the statists' answer to every real and imaginary problem anyone can cook up. The record of government "answers" or "solutions" is so dismal, it amazes me anyone could still propose them. There are none so blind as those who will not see, I guess.

[donna]

Another Plunge in 3-Month Rolling Average of Petroleum and Gasoline Usage
http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/mikeshedlock/2012/03/11/another_plunge_in_3month_rolling_average_of_petroleum_and_gasoline_usage

Gasoline usage: Demand dropped 9.6% in 2008; total decline from 2005 thru 2008 was 28%
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2012/02/what-does-declining-gasoline-consumption-mean/

[stayathomemom]

I predict that there will be a mandate that one must live within a specified distance of their workplace.

[BfloGuy]

Every time I start to think I could be satisfied with Santorum, something he said in the recent past shows up to remind me that I can’t. Mandates?

[StormEye]

Because Moochelle Obama is so concerned about obesity I expect a mandate from the federal government that all grocery stores, fast food outlets, restaurants and any business, organization or person selling food and drink, must shutdown for 24 hours starting every Monday at 12 midnight. Furthermore, any person found to eating anything during those 24 hours will be fined $2000 dollars and spend ten days in a federal penitentiary living of stale bread and water.

To apply for an exemption you must donate at least $2000 dollars to Obama's third term reelection campaign.