Probably because there’s not enough money going to politicians to BE interested in it. Bush, to his credit, has mentioned coal-to-oil several times over the years, but it simply falls on deaf ears. I’ve heard it in speeches where the normal talking heads will take a chance to point out a funny-looking snicker rather then what was said anyway. All the people that pull the strings live in sound-byte land, nobody ever really looks into anything until the subsidies start to roll in, or the voting constituency cries loudly enough. Irregardless of the popularity polls between Obama and McCain, the drill/no drill polls are now roughly at 70% favorable, regardless of political party.
To be truly progressive, a good model may look something like this:
-Immediately approve new drilling and new nuclear power plants. Configure new plants to also be capable of being used for coal-to-oil production. Nuclear power plants can also be used as the most effective and efficient way to create hydrogen. Ironically, the green-dream of hydrogen would most likely rely on more nuclear power to make it even remotely feesable as an energy source.
-Immediately fund increasing refining capability, this is paramount NOW. And in typical fashion, ‘greenies’ are trying to block refinery expansion, even if the NEW plant with 3 times the capability reduces overall pollution 80%…
-stay with ethanol, but dump wasteful and dangerous subsidies for corn ethanol and focus on the truly productive yields of sugar cane(and some other new crops currently in the works).
Oil prices are driven by speculation. If new refining capability is approved and gets underway, and drilling is allowed, this WILL make an immediate difference. Other tactics like releasing half the reserves will also drive the price down. Don’t believe the bullshit-there is PLENTY of oil in this world to be had. The obsession we have with putting ourselves at the mercy of third-world countries however, is a mystery to me.
I have nothing against ‘alternative energy’, but it is something that will really only flourish off of the back of fossil fuels. And without stability in the supply of fuel, there will never be stability in progress. The technology nor capability are ready to wean us off of any oil, nor is there any reason to dump billions of tax dollars into it to rush inefficient variations into use. Right now its mostly politics, tax-payer subsidies, and get-rich-quick schemes. Becoming self-sufficient is paramount to this nation, not to mention holding the key to funding such massive undertakings of true alternative energy and our own nations infrastructure(i.e. the nation’s dams and levys, waterways, and roads.)
