A Real Plan for Automakers and America
Congress will likely consider a “bailout” for the auto-industry today, Monday, Dec. 8, 2008. It is an opportunity for Flex-Fuel legislation (Open Fuel Standard Act) to pass as well.
Congress should require that new cars run on any mix of gasoline and ethanol and methanol. As a reminder, in the war on oil-dependence, this would be a game-changer.
The facts:
1) Flex-fuel is an inexpensive, proven technology.
  a. Cost is $100 per vehicle for new cars.
  b. The original flex-fuel vehicle was the Model-T (for 17 years).
  c. The US auto industry currently has over 4.4 million flex-fuel cars on US roads (but few would know it).
  d. Brazil consumes ethanol (from sugar-cane) for over 50% of its fuel requirements.
2)Â The cost of oil will rise again
  a. OPEC has already cut production by 1.5 million barrels per day.
  b. And is considering an additional cut of more than 2.5 million additional barrels per day (later this week).
  c. Demand for oil from China and India, with vastly growing middle-classes, inevitably will rise again.
  d. The easiest to extract oil on earth has been tapped, and it gets more difficult as time goes on.
  e. Oil is still $30/barrel higher than its 10 year historic low.
3)Â National-security demands that we reduce our dependence.
  a. Russia, Venezuela, and OPEC are repressive, regressive, and often anti-American oil exporters.
  b. We fund their misbehaviors and we end up supporting terrorism.
  c. We cannot hope to modify the goals of a nuclear-intentioned Iran when we are so dependent and while they control the waterway through which 20% of world’s oil passes daily.
4)Â Economic strength demands that we reduce our dependence.
  a. We are exporting millions of jobs that could otherwise be producing our fuel domestically.
  b. We could be “recycling” these domestically spend dollars-at a time in which we need it so badly.
  c. We could be developing the technologies that will fuel the future of the energy marketplace globally.
5)Â Many solutions.
  a. We also need solar, nuclear, wind, and drilling.
  b. But we need Flex-Fuel biofuels NOW as the surest short-term path to addressing our dependecies and to create security and economic strength.
  c. The best time to get the auto-makers to cooperate is while they need a “bailout”.
6)Â Please, contact your Senator today–not tomorrow.
  a. Call (202) 224-3121 and ask to be transferred to your Senator’s office.
  b. You can make a difference with just a phone call.
  c. Call both of your Senators.
Â
Reprinted w/ Permission from MoveBeyondOil.org
E-mail: info@movebeyondoil.org
Phone: 516-717-0000
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4 Responses to “A Real Plan for Automakers and America”
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THIS IS AN *UPDATE* WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RE: “Urgent Call to Action”.
To clarify the call to action, when calling your Senator’s office,
Please ask that “Senate Resolution 3303, the Open Fuel Standard Act, be passed along with any assistance to the auto-industry.” They will need to push the Senate leaders Reid and McConnell.
And here is an even better link to list of your Senator’s office.
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?OrderBy=state&Sort=ASC
If you cannot access this link, the main Senate switchboard is (202)-224-3121.
To be clear, we are hoping that this separate proposed legislation (SR 3303), referenced above, is included as part of any assistance to the auto industry.
And, if it does not get included, then we hope it passes as part of the many other energy and financial rescue packages being considered by Congress.
(The House bill number is 6559 for those who wish to contact their Representative.)
Here is the original email from earlier today which you could ‘cut and paste’ or forward to your Senator as well–phone calls are best to begin with.
Now is the time to make a difference.
Peter Forman
Here’s a sample you can gleen from:
Senator __________;
Any bail-out for American auto-makers MUST include mandate for efficient FLEX-FUEL vehicles that can run on any mix of gasoline, ethanol, or methanol.
Please refer for more information: http://blog.fuelclinic.com/2008/10/30/the-case-for-future-proof-flex-fuel-vehicles-ffvs/
This simple and cost-effective mandate is required to create an alternative fuels market in our country, enabling consumers to decide how to fuel their cars without expensive new equipment or infrastructure.
Please make sure to only support this bailout if these requirements are included.
i think the results of moving over to Bio-fuel is well documented. Starvation in the world has increased significantly due to converting food production over to Bio-fuel production. All while not even putting a dent in the crude market. Brazil can run mainly on bio because they are small and have excess in sugarcane exports therefore they can afford to convert some to Bio-fuel. Bio-fuels are not a viable replacement of Crude. You say that it is affordable but you are mistaken. Bio-fuel is more expensive to produce at current crude prices and gets you less gas mileage.
If you really want energy independence then you would be pushing for Nuclear power and electrical cars. Problem with electric cars is that the battery technology is too far behind to be practical, so lets spend money in battery technology instead of wasting it on bio-fuel.
Scot – there is no connection between bio-fuels and starvation. Bio-fuel (specifically corn-based ethanol) production continues to climb, and food prices have continued to fall since 2008 Spring/Summer. There _is_ a connection between food prices and oil prices, as most food is transported and processed with tradtional fuels. There _is_ a connection between traditional agri-industry and a smear campain against competitive bio-fuel manufacturers. Bio-fuels unjustly got a bad rap earlier this year. I agree that we need to move to nuclear power should encourage electric vehicles for those who prefer them – but there is a HUGE up-front investment to get that to work. FLEX-FUEL costs $100 per new vehicle, and when there is a large enough market, filling stations will install the required tanks and pumps to sell to the new market.