Energy Independence

The New Voice ^ | March 10, 2008 | Herman Cain

[K-oneTexas]

Energy Independence: Brazil's Best Kept Secret By Herman Cain

Last week I had the opportunity to experience some of the customs of the Brazilian people, and to learn first-hand some of the similarities and differences between Brazil and the United States. The customs and similarities were not surprising, and often quite enjoyable, but one big difference really took me by surprise – namely, Brazil's energy independence.

Brazil's reputation for the production of quality beef, coffee and sugar is well deserved, especially when experienced at a traditional Brazilian barbeque. It is a meat lover's dream. And experiencing one of their traditional adult beverage concoctions, called "caipirinha", is like drinking lemonade, but you don't feel the bus that hit you until the next day. It has a kick and a stomping all in one specially blended combination.

Brazil is a country of about 180 million people compared to the United States' 300 million. Brazil has a much smaller economy, more inflation, a far lower median income, a higher unemployment rate and a modest military – because they do not bear the responsibility of being a world economic and military superpower.

Most of my visit was in Sao Paulo, one of the largest cities in South America, which struggles with the same issues as most large cities, including economic development, traffic congestion, crime, poverty and political stress.

But! Brazil is energy independent!

This demonstrates what can happen if the leadership of the nation exercises the political and national will to become energy independent, instead of paying energy independence lip service for 30 years as our Congress has done in the United States.

Brazil's energy independence did not happen overnight.

Robert Zubrin clearly explains this transition in his book Energy Victory, and I had the opportunity to confirm his account anecdotally with many Brazilians during my stay.

In essence, Brazil developed a competent energy policy in the 1970s while we as a nation were ringing our hands over the Arab oil embargo. Since that time, Brazil has gradually adapted the use of flex-fuel technology to all cars in Brazil. This means that all cars in Brazil can use either gasoline (which is 25 percent ethanol from sugar cane) or 100 percent ethanol.

When a Brazilian stops to fill up at a local station, the car does not care what is put in the tank. The engine determines what it is burning and burns it accordingly. This technology is not foreign to U.S. automakers, since they produce a large portion of the Brazilian car market.

Additionally, Brazil encouraged and facilitated the acquisition and processing of all of its natural oil resources that did not depend on foreign oil. They did not have a "don't upset the caribou" restriction like we have in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, nor did they have prohibitive restrictions for drilling, as we have in our own U.S. continental borders.

While Brazil was achieving energy independence from 1972 to 2006, the United States' dependency on foreign oil went from 30 percent to 60 percent. Brazil's use of foreign oil went down to zero.

The United States has never lacked the skill to solve its problems. It has been the lack of will, which translates to a deficiency of leadership. And since we are in a 2008 presidential race, we see this deficiency even more, and hear less and less of a truly competent comprehensive energy strategy.

It was great to experience some of Brazil's customs, great food and wonderful hospitality, but it is way past time for Congress to do what they should have done 30 years ago.

Brazil's best kept secret is one of our country's greatest shortcomings.

[businessprofessor]

They have responded with the No Energy Act of 2007: restrict development of oil, natural gas, and nuclear and mandate non viable biofuels, particularly corn-based ethanol. We need lack of response, not meddling by the rats, rinos, and corn farmers.

[businessprofessor]

You should not forget about corn farmers in the sugar subsidy madness. Tariffs on imported sugar mean corn syrup will be the substitute. I think that the corn lobby is the unnamed co-conspirator in the sugar subsidy madness.

[VeniVidiVici]

Sugarcane cultivation requires a tropical or subtropical climate. Are you going to wait for global warming to catch up with your plantings?

Yes. Should be waterfront by then too :)

[K-oneTexas]

I realize the completely idiotic stance in Congress of having 'NO' National Energy Policy. I realize we use ethanol as fuel, I agree it is stupid to use food as fuel. The chart posted by 'thackney' even shows that oil out produces ethanol in Brazil. This lack of an energy policy we can debate 'Ad nauseam', forever. Congressional inaction or wrong action, too. Alternative fuels and energy also.

I'm trying to figure out this technology. I know the auto industry for decades can make manufacture a carburetor that is capable of getting 50 or even 100mpg ... but don't. Auto industry collusion with the oil industry? Auto industry collusion with Congressional idiots? This too is another discussion.

This article speaks of technology in which the engine doesn't care what fuel is put in the tank, it burns whatever fuel that is put in it, correctly. I've never read about this here in the US.I read of changes to engines for ethanol, water and a few others ... but they never combine them.

Does anyone know what this engine technology is called so I can be researched more? What is this old technology?

[ontap]

We need a common sense response not the pandering to different interest groups we are getting.

[fabian]

check out hydrogen generators on ebay...much more mpg’s for about $280. Used by many people...why wouldn’t the car makers put this onto their cars? I know why.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Switch Grass is nothing more than a University study cash cow. It has never been placed into actual production to verify the claims made in regards to it’s productivity.

It’s easy to make a laboratory study appear any way the hosts of the study want it to. The Grant money keeps flowing in, but it never seems to leave the confines of the University.

Ethanol production takes large amounts of sugar to produce alcohol by the volume of sugar in the raw material. Which is why Brazil uses cane sugar. Tropical jungles support that well. We use corn because corn produces a moderate supply of it. Sugar beets would make a better choice, it would seem, but not much interest so far.

We need to stop this environmental stupidity for sure, if we ever hope to become energy independent. But that reality will never take effect until the Liberal Gorebull Warming hoax is finally defeated. And it does not look good for the next several decades.

The only viable answer would be to let the country and the economy crash so bad, that the Democrats take all the blame for those reasons. Then, maybe the public will wake up and start thinking for themselves and begin allowing what ever it takes to duplicate what Brazil has accomplished. And more so, stop basing everything on ignorance and rhetoric.

[A. Patriot]

Nuclear is the answer. This article will enlighten:

http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis/archive/issue.asp?year=2008&month=02

[Free Vulcan]

You can grow sorghum which is almost as good.

[Vigilanteman]

We need to stop this environmental stupidity for sure, if we ever hope to become energy independent. But that reality will never take effect until the Liberal Gorebull Warming hoax is finally defeated.

A good way to defeat the Gorebull Warming hoaz might be to actually push this project:

Qattara Depression

If Greenland melted down completely, 88% of the excess water produced could be contained by flooding the uninhabited Qatarra Depression in northwest Egypt, producing thousands of miles of valuable lakefront property, generating electrical power as water flowed from the Medditerranean to the depression and potentially turning much of the surrounding Sahara Desert into arable land.

It took Greenland 18,000 years to accumulate as much ice as it has now. How long do you think it will take it to melt?

[Ann Archy]

Yes, and now that it’s a DEMOCRAT CONGRESS it’s even WORSE!!

[RightWhale]

Flex-fuel is available from most car manufacturers. About 2 million US cars are already so equipped. It might cost $100 or more if the option is ordered.

[RightWhale]

The USA has been a net importer of oil since 1970 or so. No amount of drilling will make a perceptible difference for a perceptible period of time.

[Ann Archy]

Good grieg, if we had started drilling last decade we would be on our way to independence and even EXPORTING oil!!!!!!!!!

[RightWhale]

Some think so, but it simply isn’t possible.

[nuke rocketeer]

I don’t think so, but it would have kept our imports to ~50% of consumption, loosening the margins and keeping the price lower.

[K-oneTexas]

After reading about 'Flex Fuel' this appears to be something that is being done in the US. My son-in-law has two pick-ups that run of E85, ethanol, or diesel. The article appeared to say Brazil was doing this and the US auto manufacturers were not doing. Maybe some better wording was needed in the article.

It's been more than a month but when the last price of gasoline comparison around the world was published I seem to remember Brazil was paying close to what we were paying in the US per gal. OPEC and refining costs seem to dictate price even in Brazil. Even if US produced its own crude oil for refining and stopped buying from OPEC or others, would the price go down that much? I know about the taxation of crude/ng and the plants taxability, as well as general econ principles. But nothing about production and refining costs, labor, etc and how that effects the price at the pump. Oil at $100/barrel can't be the only determining factor in $3+ gas at the pump. An oil industry hand might be able to explain this and reducing the cost at the pump.

[thackney]

I know about the taxation of crude/ng and the plants taxability, as well as general econ principles. But nothing about production and refining costs, labor, etc and how that effects the price at the pump. Oil at $100/barrel can't be the only determining factor in $3+ gas at the pump.

Gasoline Components History
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu/gaspump.html

[mysterio]

Energy independence should be the top national priority.

[thackney]

Although gasoline refining cost has become more volatile, most of the price increase is from the rising crude oil cost. The chart below is from the previous link converted to cents from percentage.