GRASS IN REVIEW

GRASSROOT INSTITUTE OF HAWAII

Nurturing the rights and responsibilities of the individual in a civil society.

 WEEKLY GRASS IN REVIEW   -    March 12, 2008

Nifty Doesn't Cut It
By Paul Jacob

Just because something can be done doesn’t make it economical to do. There is a big difference between physics and economics.

Take ethanol. It might seem nifty to grow the fuel for our cars and trucks like we do our food, in fields. But niftiness alone is not enough. Nifty notions, like un-nifty ones, must prove out in terms of all the costs involved.

A growing amount of research shows that ethanol doesn’t cut costs at all. The most recent ethanol debunker I’ve come across is Robert Bryce, author of a forthcoming book with a provocative title, Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of “Energy Independence.” Interviewed on ReasonOnline by Brian Doherty, Bryce offers some fascinating perspectives on energy economics and policies.

    * Did you know that for every gallon of ethanol, there’s at least 51 cents of subsidy?

    * Had you heard that corn-based ethanol produces more greenhouse gases than does our use of fossil fuels?

    * Have you stopped to think about all the water that raising more corn would require, and the increasing expense of getting gargantuan more amounts to farms in the midwest?

These and other considerations lead Robert Bryce to call current ethanol policy a “scam” and “the longest running robbery of taxpayers in American history.”

Some forms of bio-product may be more economically feasible than ethanol, like the biodiesel made from the unused parts of slaughtered animals. But we should wait to see how they cost out, too, without subsidy.

Paul Jacob is a member of the GRIH Board of Advisors and Senior Advisor at the Sam Adams Alliance and Foundation.

TRY OUR BLOGS
Use these links to access various topics.

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>Productivity and the Education Establishment

The Mystery of Hawaiian History>>>Blog Archives>>>An economist’s view of the Akaka bill

Read what others have written or add your own thoughts by clicking here.

LIBERTY NETWORK

1. GRIH Board Member Dale Evans had an article published in Hawaii Reporter on 3/6/08: "Hawaii's Potholes and Poor Road Conditions Should Not Be Tolerated, Especially with Consumers Paying the Highest Gas Taxes in the Nation."

2. GRIH Board Member Paul Smith had an article published in Hawaii Reporter on 3/5/08: " Where is the City Council and Mayor on Debate Over State Acquiring Turtle Bay Land?."

3. GRIH Board Member Dr. John Corboy had an article published in Hawaii Reporter on 2/27/08: "Honolulu's Proposed Rail System Should Not Be Promoted with Lure of Job Creation"

4. The www.LUV-Hawaii.org website was the subject of the main message of the January 16 Grass in Review. Since then, over 180 people have signed the petition and over 130 have posted comments. A few of the comments were published in Hawaii Reporter on 2/8/08, 2/23/08, and 3/1/08.  Please read them and sign the petition if you have not already done so. The comments are anonymous and cannot be viewed on the LUV-Hawaii website at this time.
   
   If you have not already signed the petition or gone to the website to learn more about it, please do so today.

5. Dick Rowland will be out of the office March 6-12 attending the Citizen's Equal Rights Alliance Conference in Washington, D.C.

6. Greg Rehmke of Economic Thinking returns to Honolulu March 12-18. He will offer two three-hour seminars for HPU students on "Energy and the Environment" and "Development Economics in Africa."  He will be attending the Christian Home School Conference March 14-15, presenting a one-hour workshop on "Common Sense Economics" on the 14th.  On Monday, March 17, Greg will hold a workshop for home school debaters on interventionist dynamics as it relates to campaign finance reform (the debate topic). Later that afternoon he will give a talk on "Environmental Economics" at the University of Hawaii, hosted by the Economics Club.

7. On March 14, Dick Rowland and Wendy Fujimoto will be out of the office for most of the day attending the Christian Home School Conference in Honolulu.  The conference continues through Saturday the 15th, with HPU Professor Ken Schoolland scheduled to present a one-hour workshop on "Teaching Economics with Jonathan Gullible Parables."

UPCOMING EVENTS

All of the Institute’s events, research publication dates and speaking engagements are available on our website.

1.  On March 27th, from 11:45 AM - 2:00 PM, Michael Quinn Sullivan, President and CEO of Empower Texans and its premier project, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, will speak at the Pacific Club on "Government Transparency in Texas: A Growing Success Story and Suggestions for Hawaii."  The event is $25 paid in advance and includes a Deli Luncheon Buffet.  More information can be found here. This event is by invitation only.  All those who wish to attend must reply to their personal e-mailed invitation (to be sent in the next week) or call the office.  Invitees may bring guests if the office is contacted in advance. No walk-ins will be allowed.

2.The 2008 Preserving the American Dream conference: "Preserving Freedom and Mobility"
May 16-18, 2008 in Houston, TX

GRIH will be co-sponsoring the sixth annual Preserving the American Dream Conference in Houston (Omni Hotel near Galleria District) on May 16-18, 2008. Registration is $249 regular or $175 student and low-income. There is an optional lunch and tour of Houston on Friday the 16th (8:30 am – 4:30 pm) for $25. Last year’s attendees really enjoyed the tour of San Jose.

For more information or to register, please visit the American Dream Coalition website.