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Discussion: ethanol vs. investment in foreign economies
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fdeveau |
ethanol vs. investment in foreign economies
Apr 8 2008, 8:04 PM EDT
The discussion on ethanol makes some good points. However, it ignores the huge investment in foreign economies that our country is currently making by its reliance on petroleum. We all know what's happening at the gas pumps. Those dollars are going to foreign countries; some of which are bent on the destruction of this country. Others are purchasing our domestic companies. It may well be worth an increase in taxes to become energy independent. Brazil made the investment in alcohol years ago and is now virtually energy independent. The cost to Brazil was significant at first, but it has paid off.I am not advocating taking a blind eye to the environmental problems that ethanol can create. Those problems can be dealt with, in part, by government restrictions on the use of fertilizer. Also, new technology will further reduce emissions as emission controls are enhanced. In summation, many of our country's current political and economic problems are due to our dependence on foreign oil. Ethanol can go a long way towards eliminating that dependence. We need to keep our eye on the big picture while evaluating alternative energy sources such as ethanol. Do you find this valuable? |
katie.dorman |
1. RE: ethanol vs. investment in foreign economies
Apr 16 2008, 12:36 PM EDT
Yes, it does ignore the foreign investment aspect. The issue of ethanol production and consumption in the U.S. is so complex that it is difficult to encompass every aspect of it and furthermore give each aspect its due credit. Thank you for that insight. Brazil is a much different story in that they used ethanol derived from sugar cane, which is more sustainable (although difficult to harvest) and far more efficient than corn. It may provide a good model to follow, but this difference must be accounted for. Ethanol is realistically only effective in the short-term as it is unsustainable and inefficient, but may pave the way for the research and development of better alternative fuels to further the end goals of the environment and economy. It is indeed important that we take care to avoid negligence on both accounts. Unfortunately, it does not seem that there’s any one good answer to solving the problem of dependency on foreign oil. Do you find this valuable? |
