Garth Rattray
USING ETHYL alcohol (ethanol) as fuel is nothing new. Model T Ford motor cars (first manufactured in 1908) were designed to run on ethanol but, unfortunately, the use of fossil fuel prevailed.
Powerful American dragsters use ethanol and several countries have already begun using ethanol/alcohol mixes (usually) of between 10 to 15 per cent.
Although ethanol comes from renewable energy sources, it is presently very expensive to produce.
Because sugar cane is the best source of ethanol, I was pleased to see the May 1 launch of the six-month pilot project using a 10 per cent ethanol mix in several different types of motor vehicles in preparation for next year's abolition of the atmosphere-polluting octane booster, methyl tertiary butyl ether.
POLITICAL MOVE
However, I must confess that I was somewhat miffed when the Minister of Industry, Commerce, Science and Technology (with Energy), Phillip Paulwell, put on a serious face as he suggested (or should I say, threatened) that the Government may enact legislation to force us (drivers) into conserving energy.
You see, although the honourable minister rightly observed that we are an energy-greedy nation (I'm paraphrasing), most of the blame for our foreign exchange depleting state of affairs lies squarely at the feet of this administration.
When the Government 'magna-nimously' freed up the importation of used vehicles in the early to mid-1990s, even I, an absolute dunce at anything to do with economics, could see big troubles ahead.
The move seemed to be a bureaucratic (read 'political') attempt at killing three birds with one stone.
It appeased the voting populace, it partially but only temporarily alleviated our transportation problems, and (perhaps most importantly) it provided a ready source of tax revenue from imported vehicles, replacement parts, repair jobs, fuel, transfer taxes, road licences and fitness certificates.
But the Government was penny wise and pound foolish. It obviously didn't consider the long-term consequences of having to use our precious foreign exchange on hundreds of thousands of second-hand vehicles, spare parts, raw material and equipment for road/highway repairs and construction.
The Government should have invested heavily in the public transport sector (including school buses). It should have designed massive secure areas for parking and shuttle systems (via trains, buses or ferries) from one (say in Portmore and Spanish Town) to another (say in downtown Kingston and New Kingston).
It should have designed a central transport hub with radiating spokes to peripheral stations (satellites), all serviced by large people-movers. I hope that someone is taking notes; perhaps it's not too late for this administration to consider such things.
We currently have a public transport system fraught with security problems. We need (but can't afford) many more buses. Our school children are exposed to loud, x-rated 'music', molestation and rape. We fritter away expensive fuel, throttling in long lines while crazy minibus and taxi drivers put our lives at risk.
FUTURE USE
The future lies in safe and efficient public transport, ethanol, hybrid vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and efficient Engine Control Unit management programmes, like EcuTek (from JIM Enterprises) for Turbo-charged Subaru and Mitsubishi Evolution motor cars.
It protects the engine, improves performance and saves fuel. Given the exorbitant cost of petrol worldwide, I expect that similar software are on the horizon.
Dr Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice.
