Uh – oh! I hope this is not the Kiss of Death for biodiesel. Hark the shrubman:

“Biodiesel is one of our nation’s most promising alternative fuel sources and by developing biodiesel you’re making this country less dependent on foreign sources of oil,” [President Bush] said.

“Americans are concerned about high prices at the pump and they’re really concerned as they start making their travel plans, and I understand that,” the president said. “I wish I could just wave a magic wand and lower the price at the pump. I’d do that. But that’s not how it works.”
Bush urges development of alternate fuels, AP via BusinessWeek, May 16, 2005.

Indeed, Mr. Prezman, that’s not how it works. Thanks for pointing that out! We know you understand about travel plans. You travel a lot. And you make travel plans for others, too. We understand that. And, I guess, no one told you that biodiesel is not about lowering the price at the pump. It is all about reducing air pollution and cutting down the waste of that precious crude in internal combustion engines. We understand that you don’t understand that.

George Bush has a track record of praising ideas, programs, people and then turning around and cutting funding for them. Molly Ivins documented this phenomenon in a column last year: Bush’s Kiss of Death. Considering this administration’s ties to the oil (fossil not veggie) industry, I need to see serious action before I believe a word of this. I mean, the secretary of State had an oil tanker named after her – the MS Condeleezza Rice!

This entry was posted on Monday, May 16th, 2005 at 2:20 pm and is filed under Biodiesel, Go figure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.