Electric cars, greener fuels can reduce Australia's dependence on foreign oil
mongabay.com
July 23, 2008
Australia can reduce its dependence on foreign oil through renewable energy and a shift towards electric cars powered by solar and wind power, argues a report published today by Australia's National Roads and Motorists' Association (NRMA).
The report, "A Road Map for Alternative Fuels in Australia: Ending our Dependence on Oil" or the "Jamison Report" for short, says that careful expansion of a biofuels industry in the tropical north, based on sugar cane, could ease the transition away from fossil fuels.
"We can start taking steps now to ensure that Australia's transport fleet of the not-too-distant future is running on renewable energy sources, which will almost wipe the motorists' carbon foot-print off the face of the earth," said NRMA Motoring & Services President Alan Evans, who added that ridding Australia of its oil dependence will "secure a greener, cheaper and less volatile transport energy future."
The report urges the Australian government to set a target of reducing oil dependence by 20 percent by 2020; 30 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050. It asks the government to cut subsidies for fossil fuel industries and replace them with tax incentives for clean energy sources.
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