Americans and their political leaders are increasingly embracing
clean,
renewable energy. But a foremost expert on
energy and technology is warning against relying on
ethanol as a solution.
Only one in fourAmerican voters today believe the United States is doing enough to promote and utilize alternative or "green" technologies and
renewable energy sources to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign energy sources, according to a new poll by Zogby International and TechNet's
Green Tech Task Force.
TechNet is a bipartisan political network of high tech CEOs promotes the growth of the innovation economy.
The Zogby/TechNet nationwide poll of 1,043 Americans found that 77% ofU.S. voters believe that our nation must do more to promote green technologies like
renewable energy sources.
Wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, hydrogen and alternative fuels are all cleaner
energy sources.
"The magnitude of global energy and environmental challenges demandsthat we act now to implement a sound energy strategy based on U.S. innovation," says John Doerr, TechNet founder and partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a leading technology venture capitral firm. "TechNet is committed to working with the president and Congress to reshape our energy future."
Renewable energy has been an area of research in the United States for decades, and maintains a dedicated lab at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado.
Leaders in both parties of U.S. government are also increasingly turning to support clean energy as an alternative to U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Burning fossil fuels is also thought to be a major contributor to the carbon emissions blamed for global climate change.
Democrats who now control the the U.S. House of Representatives have passed a bill that would cut subsidies for oil production and impose a "conservation fee" on oil and gas taken from deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Funds collected would be steered toward renewable, clean energy sources. President Bush is also said ready in his upcoming State of the Union address to further complain of the U.S. dependence on oil and embrace renewable clean energy.
The Danger of EthanolHowever, ethanol will not be an attractive clean- or renewable-energy solution, says veteran Washington correspondent and energy and technology expert
Llewellyn King.
Produced from vegetable matter high in sugar or starch and fermented and distilled to produce fuel, the United States already is producing 5 billion gallons of ethanol a year, King notes in his recent syndicated column. For more than 30 years, King published such publications as
The Energy Daily and
New Technology Week, and observed keenly developments in ethanol and other clean energies. Full disclosure: I used to work for Llewellyn King as editor of
New Technology Week.
King, who remains host of the national public affairs TV show "
White House Chronicle," says "President Bush is so taken with ethanol that he wants to expand production to 60 billion gallons a year by 2030."
The growing interest in ethanol is affecting the price of corn, driving up the price of meat, King says.
"Last year, there was a shortage of grain for livestock, and beef prices rocketed. Other dislocations are likely when corn becomes the must-grow cash crop," he writes.
Like others, King believes the United States must wean itself from oil and embrace new technologies -- but not ethanol. He suggests hybrid and all-electric vehicles as a better alternative.
"Not only is there something repugnant about using food for gasoline, but in all probability, it will cause damage to the whole agricultural cycle and to the agricultural economy," King writes. "This way lies madness. And it is shameful that so many environmental organizations, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council, have embraced ethanol—which may save no energy whatsoever."
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Labels: Bush, clean energy, Congress, corn, energy, ethanol, oil, poll, renewable energy, solar, TechNet, wind
