Axis of Ethanol

INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY ^ | 8 Feb 2007 | Staff

[Kitten Festival]

Energy: Could lowly switch grass mow down the petropower tyranny of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez? A U.S.-Brazil ethanol pact signed this week may supply the fuel to do just that.

Chavez's hostile anti-American dictatorship grows worse as his oil earnings pile up. With the U.S. as his best customer, buying about a quarter, or 1.1 million barrels, of Venezuelan crude oil each day, the bitter coda is that every barrel we buy fuels his anti-U.S. actions.

These range from crazed speeches to colonial acquisitions like Bolivia to rogue-state alliances with Iran and Zimbabwe to menacing moves against neighbors like Dominica, Guyana and Colombia with $4 billion in weapons purchases.

High oil prices, low supply and his own expropriations of foreign oil partners in Venezuela only increase Chavez's oil cash and clout. The U.S. has been largely helpless, because it has few alternatives to buying Venezuelan crude.

But a new deal announced with Brazil to pool ethanol technology and produce greater quantities of ethanol in both countries could help. ...

The ultimate aim of the ethanol deal is to create a commodity market. This could give every country in the region alternatives for energy buying. In turn, it will undercut Chavez's monopoly and abusive influence.

Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, who flew to Brazil to iron out the deal, made no secret of that. "Energy has tended to distort the power of some of the states we find to be negative in the world — Venezuela, Iran," said Burns, quoted in the Washington Post. "And so the more we can diversify our energy sources and depend less on oil, the better off we will be."

...this signals an impressive new U.S. diplomatic offensive

[curiosity]

Because I understand the value of commonsense! The energy contained in the molicules of ALL the alternative alternatives... Does not even begin to approach the energy contained in petroleum products!

That's true only if you exclude nuclear power from your definition of "alternative alternatives." There's more energy in an ounce or uranium than in a barrel of oil.

[MEGoody]

Boo hoo.

I see you've given up your humanity for lent. A little early for Lent season, but what the heck.

[SierraWasp]

Anyone ever tell you that "curiosity" is the main ingredient in having a high intelligence quotient? You got it!!!

Sure wish CA's Governor had it!!! (see new tagline)(Feb. 2010 Primary will be too late)

[Nam Vet]

I hear the idea of a Mexican style Victory Garden has really taken hold south of the border to keep a lid on tortilla prices.

Mexican Corn Field bump

Nam Vet (donning flame suit)