Practical Tools To Speed Up the Transition Away from Petroleum
August 13, 2008
By Charles Cresson Wood
It is human nature to resist change when such a change involves anything else but known and desired results. We see evidence of this all around us, even in the U.S. Congress. When it comes to getting off of petroleum-based fuels, Congress has dragged its feet for decades. While special interest money no doubt also encouraged this foot dragging, we have now reached a point where the world is in an undeniable oil crisis. click here to read more
Don’t Expect The Market To Resolve The Petroleum Crisis
August 13, 2008
By Charles Cresson Wood
In one of America’s most famous business newspapers, a recent article explored the causes of the run-up in food prices (1). One economist was alarmed because some countries — such as Vietnam and India — are now restricting exports of food, and/or increasing tariffs on exported food, in an effort to ensure that their populations are adequately fed. This economist is quoted as saying “Countries should, in general, rely on trade for food security.” In the eyes of this and many other economists, the free market should instead be used to most efficiently allocate food among the world’s population. click here to read more
Avoiding Inflationary Pressures By Kicking The Petroleum Habit
July 30, 2008
By Charles Cresson Wood
A recent front page story in the Wall Street Journal* reported how Dow Chemical had raised prices on a wide variety of its products, some as much as 20%. Dow blames its soaring costs for energy, noting its oil and gas costs grew by 42% in a single year. Dow blasted Washington for policies that have led to higher energy costs. But the blame does not rest solely on the shoulders of government. Businesses and individuals have also been dragging their feet when it comes to transitioning to petroleum substitutes. With increasing demand and decreasing supply, the market price of petroleum is now signaling that it’s important that all these parties rapidly transition to alternatives. click here to read more
