Automobiles have become an integral part of life over the past century. Unfortunately, the idea of sustainable transport wasn’t considered until more recently. Limited performance models powered by hydro motors and those operating on electricity were quickly forsaken for the power and convenience of gasoline and diesel engines.
We’ve all heard by now that corn-based ethanol has turned out to be a bad idea.
It’s been almost a year since The New York Times editorialized on the subject:
The economics of corn ethanol have never made much sense. Rather than importing cheap Brazilian ethanol made from sugar cane, the United States slaps a tariff of 54 cents a gallon on ethanol from Brazil. Then the government provides a tax break of 51 cents a gallon to American ethanol producers — on top of the generous subsidies that corn growers already receive under the farm program.
And unlike our inefficient corn-based ethanol, that Brazilian product actually yields 370% of the energy put into it.
So, why are we doing this? What possible calculus could convince us to even consider corn ethanol?
Corn is big business – and big agribusiness hires the best lobbyists.
Here, the return on investment is spectacular: plant a few tens of millions of dollars in seed money in the form of campaign contributions to senators and members of Congress, and reap billions of dollars in federal farm subsidies.
And for agribusiness, corn is king.
Imagine a roadway completely free of accidents. How much time would you save if you never had to search for another parking space? What if your car truly made life easier and at the same time caused absolutely no harm to the environment?
Let’s face it, trying to solve a big problem in one quick step rarely works out, particularly when the problem is global and touches on virtually all kinds of transporation. Too many alternative energy concept vehicles try too hard to rely on a single source of energy. Electric cars need frequent recharges and solar-powered vehicles of course need the sun. These three vehicles are a worthy stop-gap measure as the world slowly learns to rely less and less on conventional fuel sources and turns more and more to renewable energy.
They’ve talked about it, they’ve made prototypes and now finally here it is: a human-powered car (The HumanCar) that can reach speeds of up to 80 miles per hour. Beyond just sounding like one, this invention bears an uncanny resemblance to the walkable vehicle from the Flintstones. Love it, hate it, mock it or berate it this strange new vehicle is available for $15,000 as of Earth Day 2008!
Remember that amazing device from Back to the Future that converted garbage into fuel? Nowadays that isn’t as far-fetched as it once was. Everything from liquor and saltwater to diapers to landfills are being used to generate alternative sources of power that run equipment, vehicles and buildings around the world!
With elections looming ever closer in the US, more and more politicians are trying to establish strong positions in the political ecosphere. Of course in many regards the US is still a ways behind the rest of the world in terms of environmental policy. However, other surprising giants like China are even jumping into the fray, suggesting that even the world’s more reluctantly green super-powers are getting into the game.
