The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 508
environmental policy (her name was withdrawn from consideration in early February).
The 2014 books written by Alex Epstein and Kathleen White appear to be unrelated although they share similar titles, theme, and the same year of publication. Kathleen's book was published in June 2014, Alex's book in November
2014. I am unaware of any accusation of plagiarism; it could simply be a matter
of coincidence. It's reasonable to conclude that two or more independent people
can simultaneously come up with a bad idea, just as two or more independent
people can simultaneously come up with a good idea. Neither Alex nor Kathleen
cite the other in their respective books, but both do cite Robert L. Bradley and
Robert Bryce. Those who have read my previous editorials and papers on the
subject of alternative energy and fuels may recall that I have written about
Messrs. Bradley and Bryce (my exchanges with Rob Bradley resulted in his
asking me to write a thesis for his use in ongoing presentations and website,
and my exchange with Robert Bryce resulted in my 60+ page rebuke of his book
"Gusher Of Lies," which has elicited only stony silence from him).
As the titles of the two books and this rejoinder indicate, the premise of the
Epstein/White books is that there is a moral reason for the use, and continued
use of so-called fossil fuels. I write "so-called," because as my friend Tom Quinn
(chairman and CEO of E-Fuel Corporation) always reminds me, the correct term
is "abiotic fuels." The term fossil fuels evoke images from the old animated
Chevron and Sinclair Gasolines' television commercials suggesting that dinosaur carcasses turned into pools of crude oil.
Click image to play video
