The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 172
U.S. citizens, or at the least legal workers who are “paying their fair share into
the system”).
If CNG and propane conversions to existing vehicles are allowed there are
about two hundred million vehicles in the country that could be candidates.
These conversions open the door for thousands of new mechanics, and for the
increase in jobs at the conversion kit manufacturing facilities. Incidentally, we
already have excellent educational institutions in the U.S. with programs in
place to train these new mechanics.
The nearly half-trillion dollars that leaves our country each year to pay for foreign oil stops. That money gets spent domestically to purchase other domestic
products or services, which winds up supporting and enlarging an entire range
of additional domestic businesses and their employees. The Auto Channel refers to this as the “Ethanol Dividend.” It could just as well be termed the “CNG
Dividend” or the “Propane Dividend” or the “Methanol Dividend,” but you get the
point. You can learn more about this in the chapter earlier in this book.
A Surprising Omission
In perusing the California Air Resources Board website and their description of
this new mandated program, I found it quite surprising that the authors of the
CARB report chose to liberally use information from the “Green Car Journal”
website to support their position. I’m not surprised that they would have chosen
this website as a supportive resource since Ron Cogan, its creator, has done
an excellent job in advancing alternative fuels and energy, but because this past
November, at the Green Car Journal’s annual “Green Car Of The Year Awards,”
the award went to Honda’s Civic GX* powered exclusively by CNG. This was
the second time in the past few years that the Civic GX won this award. Minus
any changes or improvements to the design of the car, its engine and drive train
is the same as it was.
So here we have an important technical award that has - in most recent years
- gone to hybrid, diesel, and electric cars, coming full circle back to a vehicle
with a propulsion system that isn’t even part of the new CARB program.
What is really behind the new CARB rules?
Ultimately, I think you have to follow the axiom “Follow the Money.” And since
“money” usually equates to “power,” the axiom could be stated as “Follow the
Climb to Power.” So who benefits, clearly the oil industry and OPEC. As my
