`ENGLISH FOR SENATE POSITION PAPER ON:
Energy and Environment
This discussion with energy issues is combined with those of
environment because the use and conservation of energy is the single
most important consideration in the preservation of the environment.
The United States has the dubious distinction of being both the world's
largest consumer of energy and emitter of greenhouse gases. If the
United States were to undertake a long-range national effort aimed at
eliminating all usage of fossil fuels for surface transportation,
electricity generation, and building heating and cooling, its
greenhouse gas emissions would decline by well over half from those
occurring now.
In addition, replacing the need for imported oil and natural gas would
have an immediate stimulative effect upon the domestic economy as the
money formerly sent abroad for energy imports would be kept within our
borders and used to create industries and employment with the United
States. The consequent reduction of foreign indebtedness and the
ongoing balance of trade and balance of payments deficits would
stabilize our economy as well as end the possibility of interruptions
of foreign energy supplies with its risks for our economy and society.
Short (next 5 years), medium (5 to 20 years from now), and long (20 to
35 years from now ) energy substitution and source replacement programs
need to be implemented immediately at the national level.
Multi-fuel and hybrid cars, trucks, and buses are already operating in
increasing numbers. A national program to replace all newly
manufactured and imported suface tranportation vehicles (including
diesel powered trucks and river boats) sold in the United States with
E-85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline) powered engines is possible and ought
to be required and achieved during the next five years. The
present 53 cents per gallon tariff on imported ethanol from Brazil
should be immediately rescinded because it unduly restricts the supply
of fuel needed for conversion to E-85 vehicle usage. Profits
from domestically produced ethanol production are now well over $1.00
per gallon and the tariff on ethanol imports is no longer needed to
encourage domestic production. If E-85 powered hybrid vehicles
with overnight home plug-in home electric battery recharging capability
were introduced, many of these vehicles used in shorter daily trips
would not need to use any onboard fuel at all except when driven on
longer trips, and overall E-85 vehicle mileage could exceed 100 miles
per gallon. In contrast, the efficient diesel- powered cars now
in widespread use in Europe average about 40 miles per gallon of
fuel. The technology already exists to build these vehicles: all
it takes is the political will to implement a national program to
require their manufacture and use.
A one-cent per ton mile tax on all freight tranported within the
borders of the country should be immediately imposed and the revenues
raised therefrom used exclusively to pay for the infrastructure ( new
fuel pumps, etc) costs of E-85 substitution for gasoline and diesel
fuel consumption. Similarly, a one-cent per kilowatt hour
tax on all electricity used within the country should be imposed and
exclusively used to pay for the construction of massive wind turbine
electricity generation facilities in remote high plains regions
and other suitable locations throughout the country as rapidly as the
funds raised from these taxes will permit. Funds from both taxes
should also be used to finance the electrification of all major
railroads east of the Mississsippi River and the three major
transcontinental railroads during the medium term phase with all
remaining railroads throughout the country becoming electrified during
the long term phase. The high plains region of the country is
particularly well suited for wind powered turbine electricity
generation because it is sparsely populated, economically depressed,
vulnerable to crop failures and extreme weather, and in desperate need
of an industry that is evironmentally benign that will result in a
steady and continuing source of regional income and employment.
The production of ethanol requires significant energy inputs to grow,
harvest, transport, and process the corn and other grains required by
the industry. One estimate claims that twenty percent more energy
inputs overall are needed to produce a single gallon of ethanol than is
contained and released when that gallon is burned as fuel.
Prolonged grain cultivation for ethanol production also is likely to be
a major cause of the long term exhaustion of farmland with continuing
loss of topsoil from the unrelenting tillage of farm land. During
the long term energy transition phase, surplus electricity generated by
the national wind turbine electricity generation program should be used
to produce hydrogen for powering all non-electrified vehicles employed
in surface transportation (and aviation, as well, if feasible).
As fuel supplies become available, production and use of hydrogen
powered vehicles should gradually replace the manufacture and use of
ethanol powered vehicles.
When the transition to the entirely renewable wind-powered energy
economy is completed, shortly after the year 2050 the United States
will have totally ended its dependence upon foreign energy sources,
eliminated the majority of its greenhouse gas emissions, and preserved
its remaining hydrocarbon reserves and agricultural lands for the
benefit of future generations of Americans.
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Designed by Imad-ad-Dean,
Inc.