Here is an interesting thought; Corn to make Plastic An interesting new way to make plastic from corn has been discovered and will be put into process by big chemical companies, which could further erode the Oil prices. And it is of interest that the companies involved in this process are huge, as big as the oil companies they will compete against. Also of interest is the fact that automakers will have to do some fancy footwork to keep car sales moving in the 2003-2004 time period with zero/zero financing now. People will be upside down in auto loans for a while and no reason to take a huge financial hit by trading in those cars, SUVs and light trucks.

So with the cost of engineering a new body style in the millions and time to test in years, they will need to pull a rabbit out of their hat in the future. Or maybe just give up and totally re-engineer the cars to use alternative fuels. They will be easier to clean also since the polarization caused by ionic bonds will be less than those exhausts gases, which create oxides.

People of course will want the new cars, which run on water instead of gasoline. Oil will no longer be needed for the plastics and other things from the bi-products and therefore less will be needed. With OPEC and other nations deciding it is okay to do the Rockefeller shuffle price fixing game and cut production, we may find it a good timing to go ahead and fix the problem and to make the oil we use here and not import anything. We will not therefore be reliant on Middle Eastern Oil, and if we stop buying then their economies will back slide and they cannot afford to give money to terrorists. Many think that Afghanistan has no exportable product but they do, poppies (used to make Opium). They use this to fund our demise in attacks. Other countries can give them money from the oil we buy from them and use it against us.

But what if we do not need it anymore, or at least in quantities we can buy from ourselves. Plastics from corn are also good because they are slightly different and can be recycled easier. In Waste Age magazine in July 2001 we see a ten fold increase in HDPE-High density Polyethylene Resin. Things like Water and milk bottles, margarine, and yogurt containers. Also bottle caps, sacks and trash bags. This also means a lessening of extra debris in dumps.

http://www.modplas.com and

http://wwwenvasns.org/nswma

http://www.isri.org

This typical recycling process is only about $256.15 per ton, and recycling collection and separation is about $1K per ton still way under the cost to produce from the original corn. So when the corn yield is good, but prices are too low for farmers, make plastic, when it is low stockpile oil that year. We buy from within, we are beholden to no one. We can trade other stuff. We cannot expect our US companies to not be allowed to justify price stabilization and then buy from foreign governments and companies who break the rules we enforce on our own corporations. The FTC ought to sue OPEC. How can we allow this? Either we all participate on an even playing field or we forget about trade organizations and go our separate ways. It is a sham to enforce mergers, monopolies, cartels and allow OPEC to run free and hurt American Consumers.

There are many pieces to the puzzle for sure, but one thing is certain, the American people get screwed every time someone screws with the Friedman Economic Model, which defines our capitalistic Infrastructure. If we limit our petroleum buying to only those who do not conspire against us, we may have a short term increase in prices, but that increased price will put America to work and profits at home, here. The short-term price increase will work itself to the proper medium eventually through increased competition and everything will be great. Meanwhile we can start our process into a ten to twenty-year plan to change our technologies to have cars run on less and do more and pollute less. We still need our energy, gas and oil companies for everything else.

Just some thoughts on technology, agriculture, fairness, economics, auto industry, oil resources and pollution.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs