TROUBL

Ethanol from corn, we are learning, is a huge, time-released Rube Goldberg device that is more energy-intensive than it’s worth. The main reason we’re looking to corn for our energy is because the Iowa Caucuses go a long way to determine the presidency, so no one is going to speak out against Iowans. If the first primary in the nation were the Vermont primaries, we’re likely be looking to make ethanol from maple syrup. And if it were the New York primaries, there’d be a call to harness the rage that fuels New Yorkers every day.

We’ve had about 40 years to do something about the problem, and well, we haven’t. Brazil made the investment to be energy independent decades ago. And while Brazil has different problems than America, I still have to ask, if we can get a man to the moon, why can’t we get a man to drive an electric car?

Part of the problem is the way we think about fuel. While we see a gas station on nearly every corner, we also see a Burger King, Wendy’s, KFC or McDonald’s. Believe it or not, we could run our cars on the same grease we’re running our bodies on. We’d have to modify our engines, but we’d also have to change the way we think about fuel, and no one is having that conversation. McDonald’s is in the business of selling hamburgers, not fuel. Why isn’t anyone in the business of buying fuel from McDonald’s?

And consider the idea of an electric car, which completely changes what it means to power our vehicles. Instead of a financial transaction (buying gas), the responsibility is ours cars. This could mean having a plug in your garage, or solar panels, or something else entirely. Although electricity is less expensive, it can be a major headache, simply because most people would rather not think about it. For them, it’s more convenient to keep things the way they are.

While we’re on the subject, here’s my business model for electric cars: Scrap the $100,000 sports cars, and instead create small minivans or station wagons with solar panels on the roof. They need to be light, but tough enough to survive a crash. Market the vehicles to concerned soccer moms that are busy and don’t want to have to stop at gas stations, spend 15 minutes a day idling outside of a school parking lots, and of course care about their children’s future. Convince them that the long-term benefits far outweigh their current gas-guzzlers, and you’re golden.