This article seems to imply that American can't do it.
Seems like the Anti-American mantra of the left has been usurped by the trembling oil companies. I wonder if this guy got a grant from Exxon.
Saying America is incapable of finding a solution to its energy problems is to have no faith in America. Thos who consider themselves "realists" in this regard are in the pockets of those who stand to lose, are traitors, or both.
Between Reason and the NY Times, how did you reach that conclusion?
I have no doubt that America could do it.
If significantly economically motivated with the proper incentives in place, we could achieve anything.
As far as the Brasilian model, how many of these writers have spent any amount of time in Brasil driving with Brasilians?
It sucks, period. They have tiny cars and they drive like imbeciles for the most part. Brasilians earn close to what works out to be $100 US a week on the average. Gas is exceptionally expensive and most people I knew were middle/upper class. My other friends never expected to own a car in their lives, although things have improved greatly and now that opportunity is available to more and more people. However, if more people owned cars, particularly at the proportional level as in the US, does anyone think they'd be able to be self sufficient?
The "Brasilian Model" is misleading.
Do it right and come up with an "American Model" that could actually sustain our nation and not an emerging 3rd world country.
Look, I love Brasil except for their @#$% commies, but let's get real. This isn't something we as Americans want to imitate. There are salvageable points in their approach, but it's no where near realistic for our nation.
When did it become American bashing to say America can't violate the laws of physics?
I don't work for Exxon, and I'll tell you that ethanol as a primary fuel source for automobiles is a pipe dream. We can make biofuels work (biodiesel is very promising) but there just isn't enough corn out there for ethanol to replace gas.
My guess is the reason Bailey isn't offering a solution to our out of control end of the world energy crisis, is because he's not saying we have one to begin with. He's talking about the out-of-control lack of brain power with the moonshine idiots.
As for the out-of-control idiots who say we're doomed with some kind of devastating end-of-the-world energy crisis, that's probably coming up in a different op-ed piece.
And that is THE best way to motivate American inventors to get it done!
I don't believe there will be any one magic replacement for crude. It'll be a combination of fuel sources. I reckon it'll be a combination of electric hybrids, coal gas, hydrogen injection in current gasoline engines, biodiesel, ethanol, methanol, fuel cells and probably some technology that hasn't been announced yet.
"This article seems to imply that American can't do it."
Agreed, excuses, excuses, excuses!
The phrase "American energy independence" is meaningless, and the notion that America has an "energy problem" is a fallacy.