Skip to content

Tag Archives: US

Lexington Project

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Well, it appears that John McCain has been following my blog. Today he has kicked off his plan for US Energy Independence, named The Lexington Plan. McCain’s plan states that the U.S. will be independent of foreign energy sources by the year 2025.

For the town where Americans asserted their independence once before,” McCain explained of the plan’s namesake in Virginia. “Let it begin today with this commitment: In a world of hostile and unstable suppliers of oil, this nation will achieve strategic independence by 2025.”

“Much will be asked of industry as well, as automakers and others adapt to this great turn toward new sources of power, a great deal will depend on each one of us, as we learn to make smarter use of energy, and also to draw on the best ideas of both parties, and work together for the common good.”

“That is the scale of our achievement when we set our minds to a task, that is what this country can do when we see a danger, and declare a purpose, and find the will to act.”

As the readers of my blog will notice, that is exactly what we have been saying here for the past several months. If the country focuses, and asks for sacrifice, we can become energy independent in the not too distant future. What a difference that will make across out country, as well as around the world. We can stop the huge transfer of wealth from the US to the Middle East while strengthening our economy.

Filed in Energy-Independence, Politics | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (6)

Fossil Fuel Use to Grow

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

According to the Energy Department, despite persistently high oil prices, global energy demand will grow by 50 percent over the next two decades with continued heavy reliance on environmentally troublesome fossil fuels, especially coal and oil.

The projections by the Energy Department’s statistical agency said that without mandatory actions to address global warming, the amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide flowing into the atmosphere each year from energy use will be 51 percent greater in 2030 than it was three years ago.

“Fossil fuels … are expected to continue supplying much of the energy used worldwide,” the Energy Information Administration report predicts, in spite of the growth of renewable energy sources, especial wind and biofuels.

“Global energy demand grows despite the sustained high world oil prices that are project to persist over the long term”. Oil could cost as little as $113 a barrel or as much as $186 a barrel in 2030, the analysis concluded.

This seems to be common-sense information, who would guess that energy use would not increase in the future? What seems even more obvious is that we need to start taking strong steps towards isolating the US from the rest of the world in terms of energy supply. We need our own supply of energy, preferably renewable or nuclear based, that will shield us from the volatility of the global energy market.

Filed in Energy-Independence, Global Warming, Oil Companies | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (6)

Splash and Dash – US Taxpayers Lose Once Again

Saturday, May 31, 2008

US Taxpayers are getting screwed out of millions of dollars by a biofuel subsidy that helps to lower gas prices in Europe. Last year this subsidy cost the American taxpayer $300 million, and it’s projected to cost the American taxpayers $600 million in 2008.

The scam is known as “splash and dash.” It consists of an existing $1 subsidy for every gallon of biodiesel fuel blended with regular diesel in the United States. Biodiesel is produced abroad and shipped to the United States, where it’s blended with just a “splash” of regular diesel. For example, a tanker-load of about 9 million gallons of foreign biodiesel requires just 9,000 gallons of American diesel to make it qualify for the subsidy. But every gallon in the shipment receives a $1 subsidy that is paid by the US Government. The ship then makes a “dash” for Europe.

Each load of biodiesel, made from South American sugar cane or Asian palm oil, generates $9 million in tax credits for the importer/exporter. Congress and the National Biodiesel Board know the loophole is being exploited, they can see that the US is exporting much more biofuel than it is producing. But, they claim that they are unable to identify the companies that are “stealing” our money.

We need to immediately end “splash and dash” by eliminating the subsidy for any biodiesel exported from the United States. We all should be outraged that we are subsidizing Europe’s use of biodiesel at our own expense.

Filed in Energy-Independence, Oil Companies, Politics, Scam | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)