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Originally Posted by dc_dux
Ace...I will repeat myself in case you missed it:
Your OP was focused on energy policy/regulations and a specific piece of legislation.
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The specific legislation referenced is an example of the short-sightedness of the people in Washington. Your responses in my view further supports the notion that policy/regulation/legislation is not carefully evaluated for its real economic impact. In the legislation referenced it seems that law makers where so short sighted that they did not even know the impact on DOD. The legislation contradicts the spoken desire to reduce our reliance on ME oil. The legislation perpetuates the enrichment of ME countries at the expense of the American public.
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If you want to change the focus and expand the premise to include US tax policy, monetary/fiscal policies, trade policies, tangentially related regulations, etc....I might come closer to agreement with your 50% speculation.
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The reason I am having difficulty with knowing how to respond to your objections to my 50% claim is because I don't understand your objection, it is not clear. For example: Ethanol has an impact on the price of oil. US policy and regulations make the production of ethanol more expensive in spite of subsidies. You seem to want to draw some kind of line on this type of policy/regulation or another, I don't get it.
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Richard Branson: ethanol would be cheaper than gas if America stopped taxing sugar imports
Billionaire Sir Richard Branson made headlines recently when he knocked the way Americans produce ethanol. In a recent interview with Charlie Rose, Branson fleshed out his ideas on ways America can improve the way it produces the alcohol fuel. Thirty minutes in, he says sugar produces seven times more ethanol than corn per acre and would not emit CO2. Branson also said sugar would not mean cutting down the rain forest because there is plenty of it and the price is at an all-time low.
The best argument Branson gave is that "sugar-based ethanol would be cheaper than conventional fuels imported from the Middle East." Of course, if we lived in Branson's world, we may not have to worry about making fuel from plants at all. He explained that his plans for going into space with Virgin Galactic could one day help fuel the world: just "two space ships full of helium 3 [from the moon] will power America's electricity for a year," he said. Space mining sounds interesting, but what if that space ship crashes?
But would still lean to thinking that the greatest percentage impact on the price of oil in a global market/economy is beyond US polices/regulations.
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http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/02...if-america-st/
Brazil is able to produce ethanol efficiently, why can't we? US policies/regulations is the answer, isn't it? If we used less oil because of ethanol, oil demand would change, wouldn't it? Reducing the demand on oil would have an impact on price, wouldn't it?