What we need to do now (not part of assignment)

We need to focus our priorities on renewable, domestic energy sources. It is in the interest of the United States and the world environment to do so. Investments in technology like cellulosic ethanol (currently my favorite transition technology) would produce enormous geopolitical benefits for the United States. Imagine the possibilities of our foreign policy if we no longer had to worry about foreign oil. The Middle East would be stripped of the majority of its relevance, reducing its clout and its ability to raise funds. We're paying for the Iranian nuclear program (peaceful or not, either way). We're sending our money into the unknown where it can potentially fund terrorism. Imagine all the current oil money flowing into the coffers of domestic farmers and refiners instead. Many whine that cellulosic ethanol will require billions of dollars more to perfect and implement. Yet what could the 1/2 trillion dollar estimated cost of the Iraq war have done for programs like cellulosic ethanol? The War on Terror is extremely important, however the need for a domestic replacement for petroleum supersedes it in the short term; the War would be more easily successful if we could perfect that ethanol process, bolster our economy, and then return our attention to it. Not to mention, an economy based on cellulosic (and corn/soybean ethanol, if it could remain price-competitive) ethanol is carbon-neutral, which solves yet another problem. The infrastructure exists: we have the fueling stations and increasing numbers of flex-fuel vehicles. If we can perfect cellulosic ethanol, then agricultural waste and other plant material can be easily turned into the carbon-neutral basis for our economy. This would give us the time we need in order to develop renewable supplies of electricity, which in turn could form the basis for a clean hydrogen economy. Here's an abstract timeline: (dates not given because it's simply a potential sequence of events, not a prediction)

Cellulosic ethanol process perfected ------> production and refining infrastructure created ------> carbon neutrality achieved in the transportation sector ------> carbon emissions slowed down from the United States, resulting in more time for renewable sources of electricity to be developed -------> clean electricity provides basis for electrolysis-based hydrogen ------> hydrogen infrastructure developed ------> clean hydrogen economy

Keeping energy dollars spent domestically in the domestic economy would produce obvious economic benefits (probably more than enough to justify the investment), as well as removing the political Achilles heel of foreign petroleum from the United States. The environmental benefits are side-effects, but excellent ones. Thus would the carbon problem in the US be solved through a self-strengthening measure, rather than business-depressing carbon caps imposed by a green-minded but misled Congress.