Madam, - Gus Legge (July 4th) is absolutely right in his comments about the need to address the impending energy crisis. There is undoubtedly a long-term shortage of oil; depending on whose data one accepts, the remaining reserves will last between nine and 27 years.
the US, Canada, Russia and Middle Eastern countries hold these oil reserves. Europe has none.
US oil reserves are mainly for American consumption and are essential for the US to remain a superpower. Russia will probably release a lot of its reserves to develop its economy but will probably keep an indefinite amount to buttress its position as a major player in world politics. Supply of oil from the Middle East depends on political stability in that region. Adding to the strain on oil reserves is the emergence of China and India as major consumers of oil whose demand will increase exponentially. So what to do? The impending crisis offers opportunities to develop alternative sources of energy - solar, wind, wave, nuclear, etc - but none more so than the use of ethanol.
Ethanol as a source of energy has been around for many years. It is used to fuel cars and aircraft. It is clean, efficient and easily manufactured (as many who have made a drop of moonshine or poteen will attest). In some American states ethanol is mixed with petrol (85 parts ethanol to 15 parts petrol) as an alternative car fuel. Many cars run on this mixture without modification. The potential for power stations to use ethanol is intriguing.
There are many sources of ethanol including potatoes, corn, sugar cane, sugar beet, etc. Beet factories are currently being shut down because of the excessive production of sugar. They could be modified to make ethanol.
Moreover, large tracks of land in Africa could be used to grow sugar cane or corn, both excellent raw materials for the fermentation and distillation of ethanol. The amount of energy derived from ethanol far exceeds the amount used to produce it. Its production offers a way to reduce our dependence on oil - as well as an an opportunity for many of the poorer African countries to become major sources of a continuous energy supply. - Yours, etc,
ALEX WHELAN, Monaloe Drive, Blackrock, Co Dublin.