The dominant culture reaches deep inside us like a hidden, secret implant,
limiting our behavior and even our ability to think. Fortunately, it can
be excised. I have experienced days on end without it, but some people
are more prepared than others to appreciate its existence. Leaving the
United Paved Precincts of America (a.k.a. the USA) helps a lot. But the
ingrained myths of modern society -- especially technology's infallibility
in uplifting and amazing us onward to an artificial paradise -- help to
close minds.
Thus, mini-consciousness prevails on many fronts. As to energy, even with
the lessons of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, the prevailing condition
is Oblivia. (That's a state adjacent to its sister state named after
that famous river in Egypt.)
Too many people believe that expensive gasoline is the extent of potential energy
problems. But no-one gives a thought to the fact that there is more
asphalt-pavement and road surface in the U.S. than officially
designated wilderness.
With petrocollapse our problems just begin: with climate change we will
see our food supply in the fields pounded by extreme rainfall, alternately dried up by
heat waves. Washington, D.C. has just had its hottest spring in its
history, but no one is doing anything about it except to make it worse by
continuing their energy intensive lifestyle. Instead, military madness takes its turn at the forefront by giving us the McChrystal disloyalty episode.
It's so tempting to believe in a technological fix for the problem of
dwindling supply of cheap oil. Electric cars have been promised for everyone for decades, but
the deeper problem beyond somehow financing a consumer conversion from the internal combustion engine is the unthinking notion of a supply-side solution to the energy
crisis. Ignorance of energy issues is prevalent. For example, the popular focus
on someday enjoying primarily renewable energy, nuclear and coal -- instead of that nasty BP product out of the sea floor -- neglects the fact that these alternative fuels
only supply electricity, not the myriad products obtained from petroleum. Among other things, petroleum feeds a major portion of the world's population (for now).
Solar and wind technologies can only be brought to bear for the present economy on a global scale by 2050
for many trillions of dollars. But that still would not cover replacing the new
infrastructure's worn out components once it was somehow implemented. In
his new article
Can the world run on renewables, nuclear energy and
geo-sequestration? The negative case on Culture Change, Ted Trainer points
out
"About 60% of transport could be run on electricity, i.e., not trucks,
ships and aircraft... only 25% of all energy needed is in the form of
electricity, and almost all renewable sources, plus nuclear and
geo-sequestration provide only electricity, and biomass cannot make up the
shortfall..."
Biomass is the main hope for renewable liquid fuels. As it happens we received a press release today from the National Biodiesel Board that
trumpeted "Governors' Coalition Chair determined to help pass biodiesel
tax incentive," sent by Michael Frohlich (michael.frohlich "at" biodiesel.org).
This is what I could not refrain from telling him:
Dear Michael,
The world's energy dilemma cannot be solved from the supply side; it's all
demand side.
Biofuels are low in net energy, compared to the cheap oil that's basically
depleted, and would still depend on petroleum for the infrastructure. So
with petrocollapse, fuggettaboutit.
Check out the article "Peak Soil" on our website so you can understand how
impossible major biofuels production really would be.
Trying to produce ethanol out of food crops is unconscionable on a large
scale.
Biofuels can never begin to substitute significantly for petroleum fuels.
The tax incentive you seek is really more subsidy.
Growing the economy can't happen without truly cheap energy in "unlimited"
supply. The ecosystem has already indicated its inability to tolerate
more growth. And there are plenty of consumers on the planet. Too
many?
Peace, and ride a bike,
Jan Lundberg
Independent oil industry analyst
http://culturechange.org
The original release I responded to:
Governors’ Biofuels Coalition Chair determined to help pass biodiesel tax
incentive
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 24, 2010
Contact: Michael C. Frohlich/NBB
(o) 202.737.8801
(c) 202.258.6699
Governors' Biofuels Coalition Chair Determined to Help Pass Biodiesel Tax
Incentive
Chet Culver tells nation’s struggling biodiesel industry to keep
pushing
"energy revolution"
WASHINGTON, DC - Iowa Governor Chet Culver, who is Chair of the
Governors’ Biofuels Coalition, yesterday told the nation’s
biodiesel
industry that he is more determined than ever to help get the extension of
the
federal biodiesel tax incentive passed in Congress.
Culver addressed members of the National Biodiesel Board at their June member
meeting. He noted that the renewable energy industry is one of the best
opportunities to grow the economy.
"Unfortunately a lot of people have not had the chance to understand
what we
are already doing, much less what is possible," Culver said. "I
can’t think of a better alternative than biofuels and biodiesel. It is
homegrown, cleaner, and energy efficient. Plus it is a great way
Americans can say
no to imported foreign oil.”
Culver went on to say that it “makes no sense” that the biodiesel
incentive has not been extended yet.
"If we can’t extend the biodiesel tax credit, how can we even
think
about anything beyond that relating to renewable energy?" he said.
"Biodiesel is the only commercially available advanced biofuel in the
U.S.," said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board.
"We applaud
Governor Culver and the Governors' Biofuels Coalition for calling on
Congress
to pass this important biodiesel tax incentive. Biodiesel must be on a level
playing field with petroleum, which has had decades of substantial
subsidies."
The federal biodiesel tax credit expired in December. In the five years
since it
was enacted, the energy legislation has been highly effective, leading to:
• More than 150 biodiesel plants sprouting throughout the country
• 53,000 green jobs added to the economy
• Successful commercialization of the first advanced biofuel
in the U.S., made
from a variety of agricultural byproducts and co-products
NBB members from around the country spent yesterday visiting with their
Congressional leaders in Washington. Among them were several member
producers of
the Iowa Biodiesel Board, who invited the Governor to speak to the industry.
# # #
The National Biodiesel Board is the national trade association of the
biodiesel
industry and is the coordinating body for biodiesel research and
development in the
U.S. NBB's membership is comprised of state, national, and
international
feedstock and feedstock processor organizations, biodiesel producers, fuel
marketers
and distributors, and technology providers.
Additional information about biodiesel is available online at
www.biodiesel.org.
KCE Public Affairs, for National Biodiesel Board
10501 Adel
Road, Oakton, VA 22124 United States
In our final instance of energy oblivia and mini-consciousness, we find the Washington Post is comfortable with the government's total lack of leadership: at this historic juncture of petroleum disaster, there is no sign of any policy shift toward curtailment
of energy consumption to address oil addiction.
The Post kindly responded to my follow-up inquiry on my
letter-to-the-editor: "We were unable to use it." A few days later, June
19th, the Post published two letters under the heading "Missed chances to
press for energy reform". One of them pointed out that the Boycott BP
movement "lacked the same thing that was missing in President Obama's Oval
Office address: a call to use less energy... we could do more carpooling,
use more public transportation, turn off electricity and be a little less
comfortable. As consumers, we wouldn't do that. As U.S. citizens, we
should. It's time to wake up and realize our lifestyles are part of the
problem in the energy crisis." - Dee Naquin Shafer, Sarasota, Fla.
My inquiry: "Was this read? "Mitigating the Gulf oil disaster - poll critique"
Greetings,
I have been featured in interviews twice in the Post, with photo both
times, and hope that my independent oil analysis might help readers
understand what's going on and the possibilities for action.
I received the automatic acknowledgment for my letter, but wonder if an
editor actually saw and read my letter. Could you please let me know?
Thanks,
Jan Lundberg
My original letter Subject heading: "Mitigating the Gulf oil disaster - poll critique"
Dear Editor,
The poll on BP and offshore oil drilling conducted by the Post and ABC
News neglected to tap into sentiment for real solutions to the Gulf oil
disaster. For example, there was no question asked in the poll about
curtailing energy use. Such as: "Do you believe that oil consumption is
the basic problem with oil pollution (of the sea and the atmosphere), so
that you would like to see disincentives for energy waste and incentives
for using less oil and energy?"
The continuing focus on blaming BP and/or the government, while relying on
questionable eventual cleanup, does nothing to mitigate the extra presence
of polluting oil into the global environment today in the Gulf. We have
to face the fact that all oil, even if obtained without mishap, is burned
or spilled.
President Obama could lead the way to emancipation from oil dependence by
accomplishing an immediate reduction of national and global oil
extraction, refining and consumption equal to the amount being spewed into
the environment by the BP blowout. The Holy Grail of renewable and
alternative energy sources is alluring but cannot really replace oil when
they basically produce just electricity.
Jan C. Lundberg
Oil industry analyst, Culture Change
visiting Washington, D.C.
(215) 243-3144
email: jan "at" culturechange.org
Permanent mailing address:
P.O. Box 4347, Arcata, California 95518
Culture Change mailing address: P.O. Box 3387, Santa Cruz, California, 95063, USA, Telephone 1-215-243-3144 (and fax). Culture Change was founded by Sustainable Energy Institute (formerly Fossil Fuels Policy Action), a nonprofit organization.
Some articles are published under Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. See Fair Use Notice for more information.