CNN rarely features much of interest but did run a piece recently on biofuels which included some attention to a nation which, unlike the United States, learned something from the oil crisis of the 1970s.
That nation resolved not to continue its dependence on Arab whims and wars and chose to become energy self-sufficient. Instead of virtually shutting down domestic oil exploration and ceasing to build oil refineries and nuclear generating plants, and bemoaning the cost of fuel—as we did, and are doing—that nation began developing its own resources. Those resources included limited domestic oil fields and an unlimited supply of potential biofuel.
Whereas America diddled and actually became more dependent over the last three decades on foreign suppliers of that black gunk necessary for our survival, at least one nation had some foresight. We worsened our situation by the latest fad, ethanol from corn, a process that if not heavily subsidized, would cost more than gasoline. In addition, by turning this basic commodity into a less-efficient fuel, we and other corn-ethanol nuts are starving people worldwide, we have driven prices of everything from corn syrup to tortillas to milk, meat, cereals, and hundreds of other products sky high, and we are breeding food revolutions across the planet.
The nation with that energy foresight is prosperous, thriving, burgeoning Brazil, a country of almost 200,000,000 people.
Brazil determined to be self-sufficient via turning cheap sugarcane waste into biofuel, and it succeeded. (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/10/world/americas/10brazil.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) That decision may have caused a very minor uptick in worldwide sugar prices, an extremely tiny uptick compared to what America has done by taking a basic foodstuff and burning it.
The United States may not have a sufficient tropical region to grow sugarcane to sustain itself, but we certainly have sufficient vegetable oil, cellulose, waste products, wood, grass cuttings, landfills, sawgrass, even algae! All could be converted to cheap, clean, fuel.
Of course, there will always be the naysayers, as seen in this International Herald Tribune article: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/10/opinion/edholt.php. Then, again, naysayers are usually liberals and out of touch with reality.
When will we everrr learn . . .?
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