Things are heating up
While the public shows a strong and consistent preference for new, clean, energy technologies, the fine points of energy policy are so convoluted that politicos give lip service to the new, and subsidies to the old. Public education can perhaps influence political campaign seasons by the debate on new directions and a mandate to enact them.

Energy is the lynchpin of our economic future – in the U.S. and throughout the world.
The stability of global markets, and the capacity of developing countries to meet the aspirations of their growing populations, plus the health of the earth’s environmental systems, and our children’s future quality of life – all will be affected by how we produce and use energy today.

The Energy Information Administration projects that the total number of miles traveled each year by light-duty vehicles (cars and light trucks) will increase to over 55% by 2020. This is a nearly 53% increase in fuel use, even with a 6% estimated increase in fuel efficiency by that date. The vehicular factor accounts for one third of U.S. CO2 emissions; not including heavy trucks, buses, boats, trains, and planes.

We aim at ambitious but achievable goals – cutting U.S. oil consumption and carbon emissions each by a third from current levels over the next 25 years, and sharply increasing access to modern energy services in the developing world.

Currently, the U.S. government provides $150 million in annual federal funding for bioenergy. Of this total, about $48 million is spent on biomass-based fuels and $24 million on biomass-based power; hardly momentous since one plant alone can cost upwards of $5 to $7 million. These expenditures reflect neither the magnitude of the problems we currently face nor the significance of the opportunities presented by these technologies. The Bioenergy and Agriculture Working Group recommends that the federal government triple the current level of bioenergy R&D funding.

By accelerating the pace of technology change and by using economic signals and market mechanisms to influence the world energy sector, we can begin the transition and bring those goals within sight.

[Ethanol and Biodiesel] [Cultural Clash] [Differences] [Downsides]

[Animal Residue Specifications] [Gas Prices]