After the Introduction and an explanation of “The Coming Oil Crisis,” the next part of “MidEast Oil Forever?” (subs. req’d) begins the discussion of the technology-based solution — and how the Congress is working to block it. Yes, long before Shellenberger & Nordhaus claim to have pioneered the positive technology message that everyone else supposedly never tried, many of us were waging a public death-match (without their help) to save those technologies — especially since the Gingrich Congress was dead set against a regulatory approach, such as tougher fuel economy standards.

Even back in 1996, we understood the promise of cellulosic ethanol and hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles — though after years of trying, we could never get Detroit to give them any more than lip service. Back in the mid-1990s, I still had some optimism for hydrogen fuel cell cars — but the inability to make key breakthroughs over the past 10 years, and the realities of the alternative fuels market, have since persuaded me it is a dead end, especially from the perspective of global warming.

Here is what we wrote:

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You can listen to the the Bob Siegel piece, “On the Road with GM’s Newest Hydrogen Car” here.

A bit disappointing, since Siegel interviewed me for 10 minutes, but barely used any of it. So this is kind of a fluff piece, as GM wants. Still NPR has a link to Climate Progress, so I can’t really complain … too much….