Thursday, April 15, 2004

Alternative Fuels

Now, every now and again, I get railed at for being a hypocrite. I am a big proponent of the free market, yet I also have this naive belief that government can help guide in a slightly more noble direction.

One case in point is that I do think there should be better environmental standards and fuel efficiency standards. And when I say this, people say "you can't support free markets and also want government control of those markets" or something like that.

Then I came across this article on how pig manure can become crude oil. Now, I am not naive to think that we will solve foreign dependence on foreign oil with this. But I do see environmental benefits of being able to turn manure into a useful product. Think about it. The waste has to go somewhere so it doesn't seep into the water table. And if we are able to create a viable product with it, so much the better.

However, the main reason why I think the concept deserves more attention is the idea that the fuel could be made (in the future) for a little at $10/ barrel. Now of course it would end up being more than that, but just the possibility deserves more research.

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