06 October 2005

I know I'm missing about a million details, but it strikes me that there's a connection to be made between our agricultural policy that pays farmers to grow marginal crops or nothing at all, the economic/security/whatever benefits to using less oil, and the growing market and acceptance of biodiesel as a motor vehicle fuel.

It's probably too much to ask that someone seeking office to connect the dots that I haven't and make a cogent policy out of this, but I know I'd be more inclined to vote for someone who does.

(Of course, I left out the whole part where the auto companies would have to get on board. If they don't make the vehicles, there's not much point to making the fuel. Feel free to suggest the appropriate subsidy, tax credit, or blackmail that would make that happen. Or to say that I'm out of my tree.)

1 comment:

Brian said...

Perhaps the first step is to find a state legislature or two that may be amenable (or sufficiently out of the pockets of the auto lobbies) to offer pilot programs and grants to fund the biodiesel generators and to purchase a select number of state-run vehicles (say, a land-grant university or other public services). Maybe easier said than done, but perhaps enough of a starting point to generate enough interest in the private sector if it is proven to reduce fuel costs.

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