I was just told about this essay contest from the American Jewish Congress which asks young essayists: How my generation of Jewish youth can help free future generations from dependence on foreign oil.
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It is due April 16th, and I will write something for it along the lines of investing in electric car infrastructure and renewable energy generation (like Israel is doing), encourage rate decoupling (see first and second posts), ask the government to ask us to Sacrifice, encourage non-motorized transit and more public transit as well as other topics that I have/will blog on.
The important thing to think about is that IF you are focusing entirely on Oil Independence, then all you need to do is figure out how it is used (68% as auto fuel), and figure out what can be substituted in for it. So theoretically, I COULD recommend coal to liquid fuels to replace gasoline for cars, and I could suggest developing corn-based ethanol, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself having suggested that.
Yes, it is important to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but not because it is foreign, but because it is a fossil fuel. It is equally (if not more if you look at it environmentally, but less if you look at it politically) important to reduce our dependence on domestic coal as it is to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. So my essay will answer how we can free the future from the dependence on oil in an eco-friendly way, and not just in the easiest way. Now I just need to have the free time to write the piece.
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and of course I'll post my essay here as well, so look forward to that!
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