Following The Trend In Brazil

In the spring of 2007, I went on a study abroad trip through the University of Virginia called Semester at Sea. I had the opportunity to study on a ship and travel to fourteen countries around the world.   I was able to see the Taj Mahal in India, Great Wall of China and float the Amazon River in Brazil. These were a few of my life changing experiences that I discovered along the way.   As an Energy Management major, I used my knowledge of the industry to research the resources used around the world.   What I was most impressed with was the combination of fuels used in the country of Brazil for transportation purposes.   I was very inspired when I saw gas stations providing natural gas, ethanol and petroleum oil.   I know this is a recent subject coming up in the news lately but I truly believe this is an option for solving some of the energy needs across our country.
While in Brazil, I learned that most gas stations provide ethanol, natural gas and oil for transportation fuel options. The ethanol is produced from sugarcane that is cultivated in Brazil. This gives the consumers a variety of options when filling up at the station. The cost of making the ethanol is a little bit more than importing oil, but the Brazilian government has put a tax on the oil to raise the price up to the value of ethanol and natural gas. This tax is then reinvested into the research and development of ethanol.   While this seems like the perfect transition fuel, unfortunately many critics presume that this method of ethanol is not substantial enough to solve the fuel needs of the United States. The Center of American Progress reports that, “This is primarily because ethanol is difficult and expensive to transport. Because of its tendency to pick up water in gasoline pipelines, ethanol is primarily transported by ship and rail.” This is a concern for many considering a new advanced energy plan for the United States.  
This is why I’ve become very interested in Boone Pickens energy plan....