The Chimp-In-Chief's "Big" Energy Announcement - Ethanol, Ethanol, Ethanol - ENN

[hatrack]

WASHINGTON -- President Bush's annual speech to Congress next week is likely to call for a massive increase in U.S. ethanol usage and tweak climate change policy while stopping short of mandatory emissions caps, sources familiar with White House plans said Tuesday.

Bush's annual State of the Union address is expected to touch on key energy policy points, after Bush made the surprise pronouncement during last year's address that the United States is addicted to Middle East crude oil supplies. A rising focus on "energy security" by both the Bush administration and Congress has added momentum to efforts to employ home-grown fuel sources like ethanol to reduce U.S. dependency on oil imports.

Following that theme, Bush is likely to call for more U.S. usage of home-grown supplies of ethanol, the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Iowa -- which grows more corn than other U.S. state -- is also a key stop for candidates in the upcoming 2008 presidential elections. One source briefed by White House officials said Bush's speech Jan. 23 could call for over 60 billion gallons a year of ethanol to be mixed into U.S. gasoline supplies by 2030.

EDIT

"I think it's going to be a big number," the source said on condition of anonymity. "It's in the ballpark of even above 60 billion (gallons) by 2030."

EDIT

http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12044

We don't get a policy that acknowledges thermodynamic or agricultural or meteorological reality. No, we get "big numbers". Whee.

[nebenaube]

1. sad to say this but...

IMO the only way we will be able to produce enough bio-diesel and ethanol based fuel that contains a high enough heat content to keep living the way we do will probably require incorporating cannabinols in the final product. The funny part (chemically speaking) is that industrial grade hemp isn't going to suffice, since most of the constitute oils in 'hemp' are too small in a molecular sense. On the other hand, the 'active' ingredient is a large molecule in comparision to the other cannabinols which could probably be catalytically 'cracked' into long chain hydrocarbons. Of course, what I suggest here is mere speculation. I know of no research that is available to either refute or substantiate my speculation. However, it's generally cheaper to decompose a molecule than to synthesis one...