Fuel for the 21st Century

Thomas Friedman's editorial in NYT:

Fly  Me To The Moon

...suggests a "win-win-win-win-win" proposition:

If President Bush is looking for a legacy, I have just the one for him - a national science project that would be our generation's moon shot: a crash science initiative for alternative energy and conservation to make America energy-independent in 10 years. Imagine if every American kid, in every school, were galvanized around such a vision. Ah, you say, nice idea, Friedman, but what does it have to do with your subject - foreign policy?

Everything! You give me an America that is energy-independent and I will give you sharply reduced oil revenues for the worst governments in the world. I will give you political reform from Moscow to Riyadh to Tehran. Yes, deprive these regimes of the huge oil windfalls on which they depend and you will force them to reform by having to tap their people instead of oil wells. These regimes won't change when we tell them they should. They will change only when they tell themselves they must.

This idea has tons of merit.  The mind reels.

It is an idea, however, which could be characterized as "reality-based".  It will probably live its entire, short life on the editorial page, but make a mental note of it for 2008.

•  Sounds like a good reform democrat

  agenda item

  by Liberation Learning on Mon Dec 06, 2004 at 05:03:01 AM PDT

•  If I ran a campaign, I think

  that this would be one of the cornerstones.  Even a lot of the conservatives agree that things are messed up right now.  Currently the propaganda machine is spewing up the fact that it's because 'they' hate us, when it's in fact our policies they hate.  If we no longer support the fascist Saudi regime, then that country will reform itself.  Just as Iraq would have eventually.  

  There's so much whacking at the leaves of the weeds in this administration and not digging up the roots.  That's just plain stupid.

  There's so much good that this could bring about:
  

  • Reduce foreign interests allowing people of other countries to reform their governments.
    
  • Increase produce prices (in the case of ethanol/biodiesel), thereby enabling small farmers to make a living.  (Have to put back some New Deal stuff, too)
    
  • Better for the environment
    
  • We can keep some of our money here instead of shipping billions of it out of the country in the form of oil and military presence.
    
  • Stabilize our economy.
    
  • Renewable.  Hey, we'll never run out!  
    

  by sdlohrenz on Mon Dec 06, 2004 at 06:43:11 AM PDT

  •  Oil: "Hey, we're gonna run out!"

    "But what a ride while we do, eh boys?"

    BushCo isn't motivated to solve this problem because it is the problem.

    But the government of the USA should be pursuing freedom from oil as Job One, starting NOW, because it's a tough nut to crack.  As I see it, there is no current hypothesis that can balance the global energy scenario fifty years from now.  No combination of energy sources and efficiencies to accomodate the exponential growth of demand.

    by rockin in the free world on Mon Dec 06, 2004 at 08:20:40 AM PDT

    •  If I were Brian Schweitzer...

      (He's from my home state).  I would be working towards getting MT off of oil. Screw waiting around for the feds.

      - Mandate that all state government gasoline vehicles are using 5% ethanol all the time by the end of the year (which they all can do currently) and all new vehicles have the ability to use higher ratios.  
      -Make all gasoline sold in the state be at least 5% ethanol by the end of the year.
      -Mandate that all state gov. vehicles are using 85% ethanol/biodiesel within 5 years.
      -Work towards lower registration fees for the first 5 years for vehicles that have higher than 15% ethanol ratings (determined by the county, so could be tricky).
      -Pass a bill that mandates that all vehicles sold in MT must be 85% ethanol within 5 years.  
      -Provide guarantees on loans to setup some ethanol production plants, making sure that all it's input will be from MT farmers.
      -Raise mpg ratings immediately.

      It's a hard decision, but it needs to be done.  This is not going to get any better.  If only we had won the senate too!
      

      by sdlohrenz on Mon Dec 06, 2004 at 10:18:43 AM PDT