I STILL CAN;T WAIT FOR TOMORROW

Just one line in a recent Globe and Mail story stabbed at me: “The future could come as early as 2025.” I can hardly wait!

It’s a story about a co-operative effort between Boeing and Air China to experiment with biofuel made from – are you ready? – Jatropha! It seems that China is already growing this oil-producing bush in southern areas. Remember, the plant grows in hot, semi arid areas and produces more than four times the quantity of oil than soybean.

But the real virtue of the miracle product is that it does not compete for space on land that will grow food. In fact, the article says: “Boeing envisions a future where the entire global aviation industry would be supplied with plant-based biofuels that don’t compete with food for land and water, so that adoption of biofuels by the aviation industry doesn’t drive up food prices.

Bingo! Why do you suppose we have lagged in development of this marvelous oil-producing plant? For those who enjoy conspiracy theory, we have a lot more to go on than our imaginations. Protectionism is rampant in many man-grown resources. Does anyone not believe that petroleum companies will lobby hard to keep their firm hold on their fuel-consuming markets? Does it say something that America levies a huge tax on Brazilian ethanol made from sugar because it competes with ethanol made (at much higher cost with much lower yields) than corn. Historically trade has been restrained to protect existing producers. For many years the sugar beet industry was protected from competition from lower cost sugar cane. Louisiana produces rice. Texas produces cotton. Both of them could be bought for less in other countries. The irony is that when out-sourcing is profitable for the companies involved, there are very few barriers.

Add to this lethal mix of protectionism the legendary destruction of mass transit to make room for super highways and more cars.

I still do believe that within the market-driver system there are benefits. Competition can drive prices down and improve research and development. However, when any company or any sector has a stranglehold on the market for their products, they will move heaven and earth to keep the competition at bay.

In the case of biofuel made from Jatropha, the critics are already claiming that biofuels won’t work in jet engines because at high altitude the fuel will freeze. Another stalling tactic.

Meanwhile it seems that 2025 – 15 years away – is too lung for some of us to wait.