As fuel prices rise, a few things become obvious:
- We begin to conserve more;
- Many industrious folks look for energy alternatives;
- And many politically-minded folk hector us about using less of some type of fuels, more of another.
How useful is this third category? Well, they are the ones driving laws and subsidies and such. And you’d think those of this type, those in power who praise conservation would also encourage it.
But regulators are often a lot more worried about, you know, regulating things.
An example came to light recently out in California. It seems that instead of or in addition to gasoline, a mechanic out there has been using a fuel made from used restaurant vegetable oil for his vehicles. When the government found out, did they slap him with a medal for his clever conservation? Nah. Slapped him with fines. And taxes. License requirements. Reporting requirements.
So here you have a guy who has reduced his reliance on foreign oil, who has reduced waste by recycling, of all things, grease. And the response of environmentally concerned bureaucrats is to slap him silly. Fling a regulatory net at him. Make his life harder.
So please, people. If you’ve figured out a new way to save money and energy, do it in the dark, okay? And swear others to secrecy when you spread the word.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.