From this morning's Des Moines Register - FYI. Lyle To learn more: To read the letter to the president, go to the Energy Future Coalition Web site, www.energyfuturecoalition.org Editorials For national security, cut use of foreign oil Iowa would benefit from push for alternative fuels. By REGISTER EDITORIAL BOARD April 11, 2005 Unlikely allies are coalescing around the critical need to wean this country from the clutches of foreign oil. Joining environmental groups: defense hawks alarmed about the possibility of an oil crisis, evangelical Christians heeding Biblical admonitions to be good stewards of the Earth, and farmers and ranchers who can produce alternative fuels. The traction they're gaining offers a sliver of hope that President Bush and Congress can end at least part of their stalemate over energy policy. It also would benefit Iowa, which is well positioned to produce replacement fuels. With gas averaging $2.20 a gallon in Iowa, fuel prices have everyone's attention. The latest push came from a letter sent to the president late last month by a bipartisan group of former national-security officials. It states flatly: "The United States' dependence on imported petroleum poses a risk to our homeland security and economic well-being." Several factors fuel their fears: The Middle East is a volatile region. Some of the billions of dollars the United States pays annually for Mideast oil have been used to finance terror. Growing economies worldwide, especially China, exacerbate tight supplies and the risk of market disruptions. The letter writers recommend developing alternatives to oil and dramatically increasing fuel efficiency. That includes stepped-up production of hybrids and other advanced-technology vehicles. Of specific interest to Iowa: They also recommend rapid development of advanced biomass (any organic material used as an energy source, such as animal waste), alcohol and other fuel alternatives. An investment of less than $1 billion over the next five years in the alternative-fuels industry could significantly reduce foreign-oil consumption, they said. Iowa is already the nation's top producer of ethanol made from corn. Large-scale production of cellulosic ethanol, made from cornstalks, straw and other fibrous plant material, would require less energy for cultivation and allow co-production of electricity. Or biomass could be used to produce methanol, wood alcohol. Congress can start by taking up a bill to require doubling production and use of renewable fuels by 2012. Senate Bill 650 was introduced last month by Sen. Richard Lugar, Indiana Republican. Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin is a co-sponsor. If a congressional majority balks at a renewable-fuel mandate, it should fashion tax credits or incentives instead. Another tactic: Step up grants to install pumps that handle 85 percent ethanol, known as E-85. Or pass House Resolution 626, supported by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which would offer tax credits of up to thousands of dollars for consumers who buy advanced-technology vehicles. Any number of approaches would work. The key is to keep focused on achieving energy independence, to better prepare for an oil crisis that former defense officials are convinced is coming. ___________________________________________________ Lyle R. Krewson Sierra Club Conservation Organizer 6403 Aurora Avenue #3 Des Moines, IA 50322-2862 515/276-8947 515/238-7113 - cel [log in to unmask] ___________________________________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp