Alternative Fuels: Moving U.S. Transport Off Oil
Uploaded by davidlane on Oct 31, 2007
ALTERNATIVE FUELS: MOVING U.S. TRANSPORT OFF OIL
David E. Lane
U85-5550 The Politics of Oil
Graduate Program in International Affairs
Washington University in St. Louis
Spring Semester 2006
Introduction
A single day’s news reflects the broader ramifications of U.S. dependence on fossil fuels. Securitization of oil and energy supplies is a major focus of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and around the globe, but these efforts have a far greater cost than just what we see at the pump. Military operations in Iraq alone have cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars but rather than making Americans safer, the occupation has become a catalyst for anti-American sentiments in the Middle East and beyond. For reasons such as these, it would seem prudent to begin a national transition towards decreased petroleum dependence
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The military, petrochemical arena (plastics, pesticides), and the aviation industry are all sectors where petroleum needs are vital and for which no large scale viable alternative exists. Electricity generation from oil, once largely based upon petroleum, is now down to an almost negligible 2% nationwide (EIA 2004). These sectors do not comprise the largest area of demand for oil even when combined. It is personal transportation alone that accounts for over 60% of all petroleum consumed in the U.S. (Klare 2004, 193). Addressing vehicle fuel efficiency is therefore the key to making a difference. Other alternatives such as public transport, walking, and bicycling, are useful but cannot compare to the impact that vastly improved automobile efficiency would make. With nearly 200 million vehicles, the U.S. is the largest consumer of oil in the world. The size of the country with its many population centers still relatively conducive to a mix of personal automobiles and public transportation precludes the likelihood of citizens abandoning cars en masse in favor of public transport. Energy costs are increasing, but most of the country is unlikely to face the same set of constraints a citizen of Tokyo or Paris faces that make ownership of a car unappealing. Personal automobiles, with their promise of unlimited mobility seem deeply ingrained into the American psyche.
In analyzing any potential new fuel source, it is essential to know how much energy is returned on energy invested, its “EROEI”. Another way of expressing this is to ask whether a given alternative energy is economical to acquire, refine, transport, store and use. This includes looking at all points in the chain, from its source (fossil...