I am talking about a simple way that an individual can *lessen* the amount of cash that goes to oil producing contries and *increase* our energy independace
OK, we are not really deforesting the US for farmland anymore, so that does not apply, we may as well subsidize FUEL production, I think that is a legitimate use of government money, so I don't have a problem with that.We use oil in current fertilizers because that is the cheapest current way to do it, this may continue, or not, but is not in my "circle of control" so I can't act on it.
I think that if more people use it, the "economies of scale" will apply and it will get more efficient in the conversion of energy. But people have to start using it for there to be any interest in investing. So I use my cash to buy the more expensive fuel now, in hopes that this will get the ball rolling.
We already have a great deal of farmland that is being underused, I really can't think of anywhere that we are "clearing land for farmland" in the US kansas is pretty clear at this point. we do have water problems, but I think that is not an insurmountable issue, when compared to continued energy dependance and the costs associated with that (IE the current defense budget)
conservation will just slow the inevitable, it is not an answer, only a delaying tactic. we need a different flavor of fuel or a totally different type of society. I think a new type of fuel is less trouble.
Bernard