- Energy Victory
infobox Book |
name = Energy Victory
title_orig =
translator =
image_caption =
author =Robert Zubrin
cover_artist =
country =United States
language = English
series =
genre =Non-fiction
publisher =Prometheus Books (U.S.)
release_date = November 10, 2007
media_type = Print (Hardcover )
pages = 336 pp
isbn = ISBN 1591025915
preceded_by =
followed_by =Energy Victory: Winning the War on Terror by Breaking Free of Oil is a 2007 book by
Robert Zubrin . Zubrin's central argument is that the decisive front in theWar on Terror is America's struggle forenergy independence . He outlines the manner in which radical Islam has been financed by oil revenues, the technological feasibility of ethanol-fueled vehicles as well as the economic and agricultural imperatives for ethanol production, and the environmental implications of his plan.ynopsis
The problem
Zubrin contends that
OPEC nations, particularlySaudi Arabia , have used their enormous oil wealth to fund Islamic extremism; in effect, the US is financing both sides of the War on Terror. They have been able to do this through colluding illegally to keep oil prices high. Due to its dependence on their oil, the Unites States (and the rest of the world) is powerless to do anything about this.The flex-fuel mandate
The key to winning the war on terror, therefore, is to create a substitute for oil. Zubrin argues that a mandate that all new cars sold in the United States be flex-fueled (FFV, for Flex-Fuel Vehicle, able to run on
gasoline ,ethanol ormethanol , or any combination thereof) would very quickly make such vehicles the world standard, as occurred in the early 1980s with the introduction ofcatalytic converters . As a result, consumers would demand ethanol- and methanol-blended fuels due to their price competitiveness with gasoline, which would in turn prompt gas stations to instal biofuel pumps. Under such a situation, competition would drive oil prices down. Zubrin argues that biofuels should besubsidized in order to keep their price advantage over gasoline, as it is the only way to cripple OPEC.Some have argued that a switch to electric cars would be more beneficial. While this may be a longer-term solution, a switch to biofuel can be achieved in a few years (as in the case of
Brazil ). Additionally, existing cars (including hybrids) can be retrofitted with flex-fuel capability for "between $100 and $500".A switch to biofuel would have the additional benefit that it is potentially a
carbon-neutral fuel.The development argument
Ethanol is produced primarily via the fermentation of
corn orsugar cane (or indeed any other glucose-rich crop). Methanol can be produced from any plant matter. As both of these products can easily be produced in developing countries, Zubrin contends that the resultant expanding market for farm produce would be greatly beneficial for third-world farmers. There would be no need for western nations to subsidize their own farmers, as third-would produce could be absorbed into the larger market without causing a price-crash that would bankrupt western farmers.Tariff Elimination
Anne Korin, of
The Institute for the Analysis of Global Security , has developed this concept further, adding to Zubrin's mandate the necessity to eliminate ethanol and sugar import tariffs in the United States for it to succeed.External links
*YouTube|NLRuGUPkyh4|Authors@Google: Dr. Robert Zubrin, presenting an outline of the book
* [http://www.energyvictory.net Energy Victory website]
* [http://www.amazon.com/Energy-Victory-Winning-Terror-Breaking/dp/1591025915 Entry at Amazon.com]
* [http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/11/28/485699.aspx MSNBC - Is alcohol the energy answer?]
* [http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-hydrogen-hoax Robert Zubrin - The Hydrogen Hoax]
* [http://www.iags.org/index.html The Institute for the Analysis of Global Security] - Endorses Robert Zubrin's Flex-fuel Mandate and further develops the concept & evidence supporting it.ee also
*
Energy security
*Hydrogen economy
*List of books about energy issues
*Methanol economy
*New Manhattan Project for Energy Independence
*Pickens plan
*Wahhabism
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