A phased-in shift of federal taxes from income to energy is a GOOD idea because....

This entry was posted on 2/25/2007 5:17 PM and is filed under uncategorized.

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• 2/26/2007 10:44 PM Realist J wrote:
  To finance any fuel changes and technologies, taxes MUST be either moved or raised to finance, and changes must be made very, very soon. Being reliant upon fossil fuels (especially those from "our friends") must end. Small steps can be done (i.e.: ethanol, biodiesel and wind) right now, with hydrogen and beyond for more long-term.
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• 7/5/2007 8:47 AM Jim Blair wrote:
  Hi,
  
  Ethanol from corn is mostly a way to get the "farm vote"; it raises food prices but does little or nothing to reduce oil consumption. Depending on which data you believe, ethanol from corn either consumes MORE energy than it produces, (Cornell study) or the gain is so little that the entire US corn crop would replace in the range of 10% of us oil consumption (Minnesota U).
  
  Bio-diesel from soybeans looks a little better IF you don't consider the N2O released in growing the soybeans. N2O is a several times stronger GHG than CO2, so the minor CO2 reduction would be offset in its climate change effect.
  
  If the US wants to "bite the bullet" on this oil addiction problem, it would most likely mean powering our transportation system with electricity. Either directly with battery powered cars and/or indirectly using hydrogen generated from water.
  And depending on how the electricity is generated, that may, or may not, do much for climate change--which is a separate problem from oil addiction.
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  1. 7/6/2007 1:40 PM Jim Blair wrote:
     PS I intended to say that N20 is a several HUNDRED times stronger Green House Gas than CO2. Sorry for the slip.
     
     And since soybeans are a nitrogen fixing legume, we get the N2O released even when less fertilizer is added.
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     1. 7/7/2007 11:50 PM Paul Riehemann wrote:
        Jim,
        
        Thanks for your comments.
        
        Agree, ethanol is not a solution.  From what I've read, the energy balance is around 1 gallon of fossil fuel in, to get 1.3 gallon of ethanol out -- and, of course, ALL 2.3 GALLONS CONTRIBUTE TO GLOBAL WARMING AND AIR POLLUTION.
        
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• 1/24/2008 6:45 AM jasen from wisconsin wrote:
  in europe rapeseed is used for biodiesel as well as soybeans. I agree that electric is ultimately the best choice for cars and light trucks.
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