http://www.taemag.com/issues/articleID.18976/article_detail.asp

This argument seems accurate and clearly proves the practicality of an alcohol based transportation economy.

He only misses two points, the improvements in battery technology that make electric vehicles (powered by wind and solar electric)even more cost effective, eliminate more greenhouse gases,and foster greater energy independence  than alcohol fueled internal combustion.

The second point he has missed, and this is huge, is that nuclear cogeneration to produce alcohol (from coal or biomass)would move the adoption of this technology  forward at a much faster rate due to the cost advantage from greater efficiency.

But as I said in my earlier comment, for some reason industry has blinders on when it comes to these sorts of inovations.  Even this expert, who has a vastly better understanding than most on these issues, has not mentioned it. 

His argument that americans only replace 17 million cars per year and that any new technology would not be adopted quickly enough to have any practical effect also applies to the FFVs (flexible fuel vehicles that run on any mixture of methanol, ethanol, and gasoline)that he is proposing to replace standard vehicles.

Lets face it, these series of oil wars, climate disaster, and economic ruin that are inevitable with dependence on imported oil are serious enough to justify manufacturing efforts on the scale of WW 2 war production.

And in that case it is possible to replace the vast majority of at least US vehicles within a decade.

If the nuclear industry combines with the biofuel agri-business sector the political and economic push behind it could crush any move towards wind, solar, and electric vehicles.

We could see the US and many other nations around the world knee deep in energy farming and nuclear power, and the resulting eco destruction from mono crop chemical agriculture and nuclear waste and pollution.  As well as vast new markets for coal converted to methanol.

Zubrin's argument is very powerful and very dangerous.  Moving forward as a unified environmental movement toward a green  electric powered transportation economy is more important than ever. 

The infighting and bickering over  issues like Cape Wind, nuclear power, and biofuel is handing victory to the industrial corporations of agri-bizz and nuclear that will benefit from Zubrin's plan.