OCPA 0 FaxLine Report
OCPA 0 FaxLine Report
a Dublie Doliev information service for members of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. Inc.
Thursday, October 12,2006
Dear OCPA Member:
"Over time, the U.S. needs to limit its dependence on foreign oil, especially from the Middle East, shifting to other sources of supply and eventually to new types of energy sources," notes Ariel Cohen, Ph.D and Senior Research Fellow in International Energy Security at The Heritage Foundation. Former CIA Director and Tulsa native James Woolsey agrees. "This is the only war, except maybe the Civil War, in which we pay for both sides. This is not a good long term strategy," The Oklahoman quotes Woolsey as stating at the Oklahoma Governor's Conference on Biofuels held earlier this month. "'The country's dependence on foreign oil gives a decided advantage to countries with crude,' he said." And such advantages can have some catastrophic consequences. "'Oil could be at $200 a barrel overnight if one mortar shell knocks off enough oil production offline or if the president of Iran pulls one or two million barrels offline just as a shot off the bow because we're trying to prevent him from developing nuclear reactors,' Woolsey said." There are viable energy alternatives that can supplement our production of fossil fuels. Mike Cawley, president and CEO of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc., believes that "switchgrass" is an important one, calling it "the beginning of Oklahoma's biofuel revolution." Such cellulosic crops, like switchgrass grown throughout the Great Plains and parts of the South, "are estimated to provide a significantly higher net energy balance than corn," Cawley claims. "Corn-based ethanol yields 34 percent more energy than used to grow the corn and convert it into ethanol. Cellulosic crops, on the other hand, net more than five times this amount." ABC News reported in February that corn producers get much more attention when ethanol is discussed because they "are supported by a large lobby and huge government subsidies. There is no similar lobby or investment for grass or wood." Dan Sperling, a professor at the University of California at Davis and director of its Institute of Transportation Studies, is quoted as saying that the downside of ethanol from corn is that "for every gallon of fuel you get, you put in about seven-tenths of a gallon of fossil energy, oil or natural gas." However, "ethanol from cellulose [like switchgrass] is a great energy strategy because for every gallon of ethanol, a tiny amount of fossil material [is used]." He adds, "There's a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gases, so from an energy perspective it's far superior." The report also noted that "Bush's goal is to increase research into the production of ethanol using such elements as grass and wood chips, which could make it a cost-effective energy source by 2012. The White House says ethanol could potentially amount to 30 percent of the nation's current fuel use." Even better news is that converting vehicles to use ethanol would cost only about $100 per car, which means that if we could ever make it widely available a market would quickly emerge -- especially considering that ethanol would provide a reliable supplemental energy source at about half the cost of a gallon of gasoline. Until next time. .. Brett A. Magbee, Vice President for Operations If you know others who would like to receive the OCPA FaxLine Report, please let us know by contacting us at: Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Inc., 1401 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104 Tel: 405-602-1667
oePA
is a research and educational
organization
I Fax: 405-602-1238 promoting
I Website:
public policies consistent
www.oepathink.org
with the principles of individual
liberty, free enterprise
and limited
govemment. Contributions to OCPA are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Nothing written in an OCPA FaxLine Report is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the membership of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Inc., or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before the Oklahoma House or Senate. United States Congress, or any other government body. ---
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a Dublie Doliev information service for members of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. Inc.
Thursday, October 12,2006
Dear OCPA Member:
"Over time, the U.S. needs to limit its dependence on foreign oil, especially from the Middle East, shifting to other sources of supply and eventually to new types of energy sources," notes Ariel Cohen, Ph.D and Senior Research Fellow in International Energy Security at The Heritage Foundation. Former CIA Director and Tulsa native James Woolsey agrees. "This is the only war, except maybe the Civil War, in which we pay for both sides. This is not a good long term strategy," The Oklahoman quotes Woolsey as stating at the Oklahoma Governor's Conference on Biofuels held earlier this month. "'The country's dependence on foreign oil gives a decided advantage to countries with crude,' he said." And such advantages can have some catastrophic consequences. "'Oil could be at $200 a barrel overnight if one mortar shell knocks off enough oil production offline or if the president of Iran pulls one or two million barrels offline just as a shot off the bow because we're trying to prevent him from developing nuclear reactors,' Woolsey said." There are viable energy alternatives that can supplement our production of fossil fuels. Mike Cawley, president and CEO of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc., believes that "switchgrass" is an important one, calling it "the beginning of Oklahoma's biofuel revolution." Such cellulosic crops, like switchgrass grown throughout the Great Plains and parts of the South, "are estimated to provide a significantly higher net energy balance than corn," Cawley claims. "Corn-based ethanol yields 34 percent more energy than used to grow the corn and convert it into ethanol. Cellulosic crops, on the other hand, net more than five times this amount." ABC News reported in February that corn producers get much more attention when ethanol is discussed because they "are supported by a large lobby and huge government subsidies. There is no similar lobby or investment for grass or wood." Dan Sperling, a professor at the University of California at Davis and director of its Institute of Transportation Studies, is quoted as saying that the downside of ethanol from corn is that "for every gallon of fuel you get, you put in about seven-tenths of a gallon of fossil energy, oil or natural gas." However, "ethanol from cellulose [like switchgrass] is a great energy strategy because for every gallon of ethanol, a tiny amount of fossil material [is used]." He adds, "There's a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gases, so from an energy perspective it's far superior." The report also noted that "Bush's goal is to increase research into the production of ethanol using such elements as grass and wood chips, which could make it a cost-effective energy source by 2012. The White House says ethanol could potentially amount to 30 percent of the nation's current fuel use." Even better news is that converting vehicles to use ethanol would cost only about $100 per car, which means that if we could ever make it widely available a market would quickly emerge -- especially considering that ethanol would provide a reliable supplemental energy source at about half the cost of a gallon of gasoline. Until next time. .. Brett A. Magbee, Vice President for Operations If you know others who would like to receive the OCPA FaxLine Report, please let us know by contacting us at: Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Inc., 1401 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104 Tel: 405-602-1667
oePA
is a research and educational
organization
I Fax: 405-602-1238 promoting
I Website:
public policies consistent
www.oepathink.org
with the principles of individual
liberty, free enterprise
and limited
govemment. Contributions to OCPA are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Nothing written in an OCPA FaxLine Report is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the membership of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Inc., or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before the Oklahoma House or Senate. United States Congress, or any other government body. ---
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