Why I'm a Libertarian (at least at the federal level)

So once again, we're talking energy here. And as I spoke of last time, the federal government is a stumbling block in the pathway of (1) energy independence and (2) people freeing themselves from the costly burden of fuel.

Last time, I discussed how our federal government and particularly the democratic party don't want us to be able to put more petro on the markets even though drilling today is far safer and environmentally friendly than 20 years ago, thus lower income and middle class people are hurting, as well as business profits.

Now, it's the federal government and the idiots beholden to the environmentalist lobby who don't want us to be able to create more ethanol. Read the following:

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., chairman of the Senate agriculture committee’s energy subcommittee, held a public hearing in Rapid City, S.D. on Aug. 18 to discuss the potential woody biomass located in the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota and why it’s not currently allowed to be used as feedstock for cellulosic ethanol projects.

The hearing was attended by Senate Energy Committee member Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., representatives from the Black Hills National Forest and the Black Hills Forest Resource Association as well as private forest land owner and KL Process Design Group LLC President Randy Kramer. National forest waste is not currently included in the definition of “woody biomass” as written in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Thune told hearing attendees that the final definition failed to include material removed or harvested from federal lands and national forests because the U.S. House of Representatives changed the wording “behind closed doors” in the final days of debate before the bill’s passage. He has since introduced bill S.2558 that would amend that definition. Thune’s Senior Advisor Jon Lauck said the definition was changed due to environmental concerns on behalf of some representatives. The testimony given Aug. 18 proved otherwise, he said. “They (witnesses) said it’s actually worse for the forests to leave the waste there,” Lauck said, adding that the current removal method of burning slash piles adds carbon dioxide to the environment, worsening the environmental situation

Witnesses testified at the hearing that there is approximately 200,000 tons of woody biomass available annually in the Black Hills National Forest. It was noted that between 50 and 105 gallons of ethanol can be produced from every ton of biomass.

Did you read that?? There it is. 200,000 tons of woody bio-mass available ANNUALLY in the Black Hills National Forest, and 50 to 105 gallons of ethanol per ton. No irrigation required. No pesticides, no diverting crops that ordinarily are used as food. But we can't use it because the environmental lunatics always have to worry about the littlest stupidest stuff.