Breaking OPEC, Building Agriculture
I had a truly amazing night last night. I was fortunate enough to attend an event where Dr Robert Zubrin gave a presentation called, “A plan for breaking the economic stranglehold of the OPEC oil cartel.”
Let me start by explaining that Dr. Zubrin is an internationally renowned astronautical engineer and the acclaimed author of The Case for Mars, which Arthur C. Clarke called “the most comprehensive account of the past and future of Mars that I have ever encountered.” NASA even recently adapted Zubrin’s humans-to-Mars mission plan.
-So, knowing that Dr Zubrin was a NASA guy, I assumed this would be a presentation that discusses all the different new energy technologies. Boy I was wrong. (but pleased)
Dr Zubrin stared by presenting persuasive evidence that our decades-long relationship with OPEC has resulted in the looting of our economy, and now the funding and protection of terrorist regimes and movements that are committed to our destruction. Dr Zubrin then went on to actually solve the problem. He explained that the single, most powerful way to stop the enormous transfer of wealth (thus power) to the Middle East is to enact a new US policy to make all new cars flex-fuel vehicles. We must switch to “omnivore cars” that can run on crop grown Ethanol or Gasoline. He pointed out that the rest of the world would certainly follow suite because they know we like to drive our cars, and they like to sell them to us. He also pointed out that this type of change would allow for distribution channels for alcohol fuels (ethanol) to catch-up and wouldn’t leave people with the “one filling station in 100 mile radius” scenario. Most importantly, this type of solution would also support agriculture in the US and through out the world and reverse the stream of US dollars that currently goes to the Middle East.
I found Dr Zubrin to be a brilliant man with a solid understanding of all the topics he covered, - even when the crowd threw him some curveballs. (They had obviously read the bogus reports that ethanol was not good for the environment, starved people, and had poor energy value.) He quashed every challenge to ethanol with science. He was friendly, didn’t speak over peoples heads, and was quite funny. If you ever have an opportunity to see him speak, do it. –And bring your nay-saying neighbor or friend.
Zubrin covered a lot of additional information that was incredibly insightful and interesting. I can’t give you a play-by-play of the entire presentation, but I do recommend you buy his new book. (no, I don’t get paid to endorse products) I personally bought 14 copies last night to share with others.
Visit http://energyvictory.net to learn more about Dr Zubrin and check out the proposed legislation that could make this solution a reality.
Legislation Summary: Open Fuel Standard Act
Bill Sponsors: Set America Free Coalition