Friday, May 11, 2007

Pain at the pump, wallet and lungs

Efforts to quell the 21st century oil glut/profit gloat includes thoughts about disrupting the supply and demand with a boycott. We need a new approach. While a boycott when done by millions will put pressure on the "free" market, will it help to eliminate dependence on fossil fuel? Will lower prices increase our use of fossil fuel and encourage car manufacturers to make even bigger gas guzzlers?

We need to pressure our government to look at more radical approaches like establishing a network to support the distribution of hydrogen made from electrolysis at the pump rather than gas. Better yet, fund local electrolysis generation plants that employ people in lots of communities, minimize the distribution and storage costs, and boost the local economy. Once the distribution system is in place, the mass production of vehicles that already exist will follow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_H2R).

So while, for personal economic reasons, I will purchase gasoline for my glug-glug car from lowest price pump to ease my pain, we can forge a path that eliminates noxious emissions from gasoline and ethanol (carbon dioxide, formaldehyde)and our dependence on the oil and fuel distribution cartels in the US and abroad.

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