Renewable Rhetoric
Renewable Rhetoric
The New York Times reports, “President Bush on Monday visited a small plant that turns soybeans into a clean-burning form of diesel fuel.” The visit was designed to cast the president “as deeply interested in backing new, environmentally friendly technologies that would eventually increase energy supplies.”
The event made for good pictures – but that’s about it. Earlier, Reuters reported that the assistant secretary of energy told Congress that Bush “plans to oppose efforts to include a national renewable energy requirement for utilities” in the energy bill. The requirements are key to serious renewable energy development – without forcing companies to use alternative energy sources, there will be no real way to guarantee that America starts getting more of its energy from renewable sources.
In Montana, the need for a mandate was recognized by lawmakers working on the same issue. Here, the legislature recently passed a bill forcing the state’s energy companies to derive a certain percentage of its energy from alternative sources. This not only broadens Montana’s energy base, but also will help spur the rural economy because it is expected to immediately create an agricultural market for ethanol development. The oil and gas industry (which has underwritten Bush’s campaigns for years) doesn’t like these kinds of mandates – but they are necessary if people are serious about reducing America’s dependence on oil.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
It’s very unlikely that soybean oil would yield a net energy gain once the inputs of fuel and chemicals are taken into account. Bush chose the most fuzzy of all the options to score points with uninformed voters and, especially, agribiz interests looking for even more manna from Bushie heaven.
May 17th, 2005 at 12:14 pmAlso, the fertilizers to grow said crops are petroleum-based.
But it’s a step. Let them think it’s their idea. Maybe in ten years they’ll discover solar power and conservation!
May 17th, 2005 at 12:27 pmDon’t act so surprised. Did you see Kerry out “duck hunting” in that ridiculous camo outfit? This is politics. Whether soybeans become an energy source depends more on the cost of fossil fuels than anything else.
May 17th, 2005 at 1:20 pmJust testing
May 17th, 2005 at 1:31 pmZ.
FYI, John Kerry really does duck hunt. GW Bush does not really promote renewable energy.
Or did you just vote for the best dresser last November?
May 17th, 2005 at 3:01 pmNo, Tom. I didn’t vote for Bush. And I would only have voted for Kerry at gunpoint.
May 17th, 2005 at 3:11 pmI was in Iowa in September, and saw ethanol being sold at most gas stations. It was only one or two cents cheaper per gallon. Is it not true that the energy used to produce ethanol more than makes up for that small cost differential vs regular gasoline? I suspect the same applies to soy bean diesel fuel as well. We need better, Mr president!
May 18th, 2005 at 9:38 am