Archive for June, 2006

This title is probably the last thing you want to hear right now, especially if you recently filled up your tank and are wondering what happened to all that cash that was in your wallet.

The price of gas these days has become painful, that’s not exactly breaking news. Unfortunately, here’s the really bad news: the price of oil and gas will only increase and we are on the express train to a global oil crisis.

1. Oil reserves are becoming harder and harder to find and gather.

2. China, India, and much of the developing world are growing their economies at impressive rates. With all this development, they want a piece of the good life pie that America and developed world have been enjoying. Â They want to have cars and use energy consuming appliances. The appetite of these countries for oil, especially China, is staggering. The fundamental economic law of supply and demand will only drive the price of oil higher.

3. Sadly, turmoil in the Middle East continues so oil supply disruptions are still a very real threat.

4. Hurricane forecasters are predicting another brutal hurricane season and storms are only getting stronger. After the one-two punch of Katrina and Rita last year, it’s clear that refineries along the Gulf Coast region and the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico are vulnerable to these monster storms. When refineries are damaged, it doesn’t much what the price of crude oil is when barrels of crude oil can’t be processed into gas.

Here’s the bottom line: if we continue with the status quo we are setting ourselves up for a disaster.

The only way to prevent a devastating oil crisis is to start using alternative energy and start driving more fuel-efficient cars. One way to get this done is through high gas prices. I’m not talking about waiting for market forces to double the price of gas, I’m talking about making gas prices artificially high through a heavy gas tax. Proceeds from this gas tax can be marked for developing the technology to help kick the oil habit and for offsetting any economic damage in the form of tax breaks based on income and the small business community. Expensive gas will also mean that alternative fuels and energy technology will become competitive.

Yes, a steep gas gas tax would be painful, but we can either have a considerable amount of pain now or a devastating amount of pain down the road. I’m definitely not the only person saying this right now. There is a growing chorus of experts that are much smarter than myself who believe high gas taxes are fundamental to a more promising future. America’s citizens and elected officials have a choice to make. History will judge all of us on how we handle this crucial problem.

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Posted by Tim Roth, author of the political blog Think Anew and Act Anew

We are calling the top E85 States the top because they seem to be the best states promoting E85 fuel via fueling stations. We figure if you can’t buy the fuel in your state what’s the use of having the car. (Aside from being prepared that E85 may reach your state or city in a reasonable fueling distance.)

The top 10 states with the most E85 fueling stations are:

1. Minnesota – 210
2. Illinois – 122
3. Iowa – 38
4. South Carolina – 36
5. South Dakota – 35
6. Indiana – 30
7. Missouri – 28
8. Nebraska – 26
9. North Dakota – 23
10. Wisconsin – 14

We were surprised to see the Corn Huskers of Nebraska bringing up the rear of the top 10, and happy to Wisconsin made it. If you live in one of these states and are wondering where these E85 fueling stations are, leave us a comment and well be happy to get to the bottom of it for you.

GM has a whole line, and has had a whole line of E85 cars available and will continue the line in their 2007 models. The following is a list of GM’s 2007 model E85 available cars.

Chevy Acalanche
Chevy Impala
Chevy Monte Carlo
Chevy Silverado
Chevy Suburban
Chevy Tahoe
GMC Sierra
GMC Yukon
GMC Yukon XL

If you want to find out about their full line from all the years of available E85 automobiles check out GM’s Flex Fuel site.

Check out this article that appeared in Wired Magazine about hybrid cars. Very interesting discussion about how Toyota has truly embraced the fascinating technology that powers hybrid cars. I smiled when they mentioned a few famous Toyota Prius owners: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, and former CIA director James Woolsey. Yes, that’s right, a former CIA directer is a hybrid owner. There was a special called “We Were Warned” that aired on CNN about high gas prices a couple months ago (still replays from time to time, highly recommended). In the special, Mr. Woolsey was interviewed while cruising around in his Toyota Prius and they showed his compelling bumper sticker: “Osama Hates This Car” – a reference to how Osama bin Laden uses the politics of oil to promote radical Islam. (Stay tuned for future articles that subject)

Enough about Mr. Woolsey’s bumper sticker, here’s the article:

“Rise of the Green Machine” by Brendan I. Koerner, a fellow at the New America Foundation – article was published in Wired Magazine

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Posted by Tim Roth, author of the political blog Think Anew and Act Anew

“We have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil” – President George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, Jan. 31, 2006

“Americans have always pulled together during tough times to accomplish great missions. We can do it again. This time we need a moonshot for energy independence and good jobs. A crash program for sustainable energy independence would create three million good jobs, free the nation from imported oil, and promote a healthier environment. States and cities are leading the way toward a clean energy future. Now, the time has come for our nation to take up the challenge.”

-from the website for the Apollo Alliance

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy announced a bold mission: put a man on the moon within the decade. This ambitious goal became the Apollo program and on July 21, 1969 the Apollo 11 mission accomplished the late President’s goal: Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon.

In the spirit of the Apollo program, the Apollo Alliance was born. This group adovcates energy interdependence and the multitude of benefits of alternative energy. While this group focuses on the United States, their work and research is beneficial to the entire world.

The Apollo Alliance is just one example of many groups that are pushing for alternative energy. I feel that an important aspect of this blog should be not just “What?” and “How?”, but the “Why?” aspects of alternative energy.

I decided to highlight the Apollo Alliance as an introduction to the benefits of alternative energy and also introduce myself as a contributer to this blog.

Who is the person behind this entry? My name is Tim Roth and I have the honor of writing for my friend Erik’s blog about alternative energy. I’m the author of the political blog Think Anew and Act Anew. While I’m fairly liberal, I promise that my articles will be non-partisan. I’m not here to grind any political axes because this is issue is far too important. I hope to use my political knowledge to explain why we need alternative energy. My articles will range from foreign policy to the meetings of your local city council.

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Posted by Tim Roth, author of the political blog Think Anew and Act Anew

The name E85 comes from the fact that the fuel is made up of 85% Ethanol and 15% petrol (gas, what is used to power your car, etc).

Ethanol is a form of alcohol that can be derived from places such as corn. The push to use E85 comes at a time when the United States along with the rest of the industrialized world is dependent on oil. Some say a push towards ethanol based fuel will relieve this dependence while boosting the withering farming economy in the US.