An end to the reign of oil

The world is faced with a set of challenges now that are unlike any faced before. There are new and horrific diseases, state-sponsored international terrorists, problems with fossil fuel dependence and weapons of mass destruction in the hands of defiant dictators. Many of these problems will take the cooperation of dozens of foreign governments to fully combat, which is why adept worldwide diplomacy will be a necessity in the 21st century.

With that said, our appalling dependence on fossil fuels is one major problem that can be addressed entirely at home. We have the technology, the resources and the public support to achieve energy independence in just a few decades, now we need the leadership.

USA Today reports that “ethanol interest in the USA has mushroomed since Bush’s January State of the Union address. The president called for reducing by 2025 the USA’s dependence on imported oil by 75 percent in part by accelerating research into new fuels.”

Energy independence is not only for the major oil producing countries, and it is not just a pipe dream of tree-hugging environmentalists. It is a possibility and may be found in the fuel known as ethanol.

Ethanol is a plant derivative that is traditionally manufactured from sugarcane and corn. Cellulose ethanol can also be produced more efficiently from corn husks, saw-dust and many other common agricultural leftovers. It is non-toxic, water-soluble and quickly biodegradable. This fuel can be produced in the United States and has the potential to add thousands of new jobs to America’s heartland.

The beauty of ethanol over a futuristic, dream-like hydrogen is that we have the technology now. Cornstarch ethanol is being produced as we speak and cellulose ethanol production is improving at an exponential rate.

We also have the infrastructure now because ethanol can be blended with gasoline and used in all of our current cars, tanker trucks, tanks and pumps up to 15 percent ethanol. Higher grade blends such as E80 (80 percent ethanol) can be made widely available with only minor changes to current equipment. The advantage here is that ethanol can produce results now, and for far less capital investment.

Imagine a renewable, environmentally friendly, domestic source of energy with so much potential that it could replace the billions of barrels per year that we import from the Middle East. Western nations shell out billions and billions of dollars every year to totalitarian theocracies like Iran, and socialist dictators like Hugo Chavez. In many cases, we are at the mercy of our biggest enemies who control access to our worst addiction.

We should look to Brazil, who solved its dependence on foreign oil in just 30 years and is now the world’s biggest economy to run on ethanol as well as being a major exporter of the fuel. This energy independence amounts to an estimated $69 billion a year that stays in Brazil to revitalize the once struggling agricultural areas instead of being lost to foreign countries.

Still many people insist that what has been so successful in Brazil could not possibly happen here. The U.S. Department of Energy responded, “In terms of key energy and environmental benefits, cornstarch ethanol comes out clearly ahead of petroleum-based fuels, and tomorrow’s cellulose based ethanol would do even better.”

Support from ethanol is coming from a surprising coalition of interests. Environmentalists, farmers, venture capitalists, automakers and economists from across the political spectrum have united to promote the future of ethanol. They all see the potential and are eager to get the rest of America onboard with this long overdue energy revolution.

We need to insist on leadership that shares this vision of an energy independent America. President Bush deserves credit for going farther than any previous president toward this important goal but America deserves more. Ending our dependence on foreign oil, along with combating terrorism and reforming immigration, should be the bipartisan focus of his last two years in office.

Energy independence is a noble goal in itself, but ethanol has so many other important benefits that we need to take bold action as soon as possible. It is cleaner burning, totally renewable, domestically grown and the product of existing agricultural waste products. Perhaps the greatest benefit of ethanol would be the thousands of new American jobs and the massive reinvestment of trillions of dollars back into our own economy.

Let’s ensure that our future revolves around the Midwest and not the Middle East.

Matt Bushman is a civil engineering senior and Mustang Daily political columnist.