Ethenol: Just One Alternative Fuel
You’re right; ethanol is not spelled with an “e”. Still, its surprising how many ways this word has been misspelled on Google. (Sounds like ethenol to me too…) I guess some things are just too familiar, or too simple to want to change, even if its the best thing to do. Like most innovations, the best alternatives are usually right under our nose.
And ethanol is just one in a family of readily available, earth friendly alternative fuels and materials that are already being used today.
Someday an alternative fuel could power American industry, causing it to surge; along with alternative energy stock… the same stock that leads to alternative energy mutual funds (and we luv those…); the same stock that allows an alternative energy company to develop alternative automobile fuel in the first place! Fuel to get you to your alternative energy home without an alternative terrorist attack. Aren’t alternatives fun?
So this is not another article about foreign oil -- and that’s exactly because of our dependence on foreign oil. We’re not in need of alternative diesel fuel sources but an alternative to diesel fuel itself. I’m sick of all this hand-wringing about our dependant state, while the list of alternative fuels is long and varied.
However, we can’t really transition to any alternative fuel source until we talk about an alternative fuel vehicle, because alternative car fuel is what will make the quest for alternative fossil fuel sources obsolete.
Why not support American farmers who grow controllable, natural cellulous material like corn and low-grade hemp from which to distill ethanol instead of supporting volatile terrorist nations? In fact, such earth-friendly crops such as hemp, soy beans and linseeds are versatile materials enough to lessen dependency across the board on petroleum-based products like plastics, synthetic fabrics, casting materials and adhesives – no technological leap needed…just ask George Washington Carver.
All we need is an infrastructure to produce and distribute such products -- farms growing them, cars that burn them and outlets to distribute them.
Like so many innovations, is alternative fuel just too familiar, or too simple to be taken seriously?
~ Jerry Manders
07-18-2006:03:12:24
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