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Politicians can do more
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As a public, we are being duped by our politicians to believe that ethanol will somehow save us from being dependent on foreign oil and slow global warming. Corn fuel does sound amazing. Think about it: ethanol is something that can be manufactured from corn cellulose grown by American farmers, put in our tanks to run our gas-guzzling automobiles and reduce carbon emissions. Perhaps one day, we could use this magical corn fuel to save us from our grubby gasoline needs. President Bush really did look like a good guy when he signed for 200 subsidies that put $7 billion of taxpayer money into developing this alternative, wonder fuel.
The Global Science Forum Conference on Scientific Challenges for Energy Research assert that it would require 75 percent of the farmable land on Earth to produce enough ethanol in order to satisfy the needs that petroleum currently sustains in the U.S. alone.
Many resources currently used to keep people from starving will instead be used to grow crops for hungry gas tanks. Changing the usage of land also has a dramatic effect on increasing greenhouse gases.
In Congress, lawmakers claimed that using corn-based ethanol reduces greenhouse emissions if used instead of gasoline by 20 percent. This does not take into account the possible 93 percent increase of greenhouse emissions from converting land into these farms over a 30 year period as noted in a recent study by affiliates of Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
Politicians only promote ethanol to look good. They want people to believe they’re trying to do the right thing by spending billions of taxpayer dollars on a hopeful, but awful idea.
Many more ways of easing our consumption of power is possible through the law.
Legislators could follow the European Union by requiring newly-produced cars to have a minimum rating of 47 mpg by 2012. Our politicians have come up with a similar, but far less ambitious idea. Their plan requires a minimum of 35 mpg rating for new cars in the year 2020. American competitiveness is pathetic. We are way below the curve by international standards in trying to solve our energy concerns.
Boise could implement a city-wide plan to save green money by shutting down some parts of the power grid. The Boise Depot does not need to be bathed in a wash of expensive glow night after night at 4 a.m. The Capitol Building’s lights do not serve any need for the people late at night and instead symbolize wasteful government.
Money needs to be pulled from unrealistic solutions like ethanol and given to more promising developments. If Congress passed bills that made it harder for industries to open up coal or oil plants, alternatives like wind and solar power would become much more attractive. Companies should be made to develop alternative technology in order to maintain their high margins of profit.
New schools and other public buildings could be required to install ground source heating pumps (GSHP), which bring the natural thermal sources of the earth from underground to heat and cool. No longer would large buildings need to depend on huge air-conditioners constantly running to keep cool, or the reverse for heating.
At least Idaho is making attempts to help.
Our House deserves some kudos for finally passing a bill making Canyon County, one of the most awful smelling counties in Idaho, reduce air pollution or require that drivers take vehicle emissions tests. Canyon County delegates all voted against the bill because they believe this bill will hurt industry.
Well too bad. The Treasure Valley and the rest of the world has had to put up with their lack of pollution control for too long.
Idaho – consider changing your wasteful habits.
KEVIN KELLY
Opinion Writer