Alt Car Expo: Ed Begley and Terry Tamminen on Ending our Addiction to Oil Now
At the Alt Car Expo on Saturday, Ed Begley, wearing a "Living with Ed" t-shirt and proudly promoting his upcoming show, introduced his friend Terry Tamminen. Tamminen was the keynote speaker on Saturday, and his talk, "End our Addiction to Oil Now," was based off of information in his book, Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction. Tamminen's talk was obviously refined through what must have been plenty of previous presentations, but it was no less powerful for it.
Nothing would be more patriotic than ending our addiction to oil, Tamminen said, echoing a message heard throughout the weekend. He also said there are 113 billion dollars a year that go to oil and gas companies in direct tax breaks and subsidies. These industries and the car companies work together to deceive us about the true cost of gas and what kind of gas we need. Not only is high octane fuel not better for our engines, it also needs to be run through a refining process multiple times, so the simple production of these fuels cause more pollution than is necessary. Tamminen said automakers formed the Automobile Alliance (similar to Big Tobacco's Tobacco Institute) in 1995, and this alliance did the exact opposite of what company spokespeople said the institute would do (make cars healthier). In truth, the companies checked their competition at the door in order to make the "science" agree.
Click through the jump for more info, more pictures and an MP3 of Tamminen's presentation.
Tamminen said there are two solutions to this situation: first, we should take the oil and gas companies to court the way tobacco companies were taken to court. Second, every one of us must signal to the oil companies that we want alternatives. 
Unlike James Woolsey, Tamminen is a big proponent of hydrogen, especially the California Hydrogen Network.
You can hear Tamminen's presentation here (~30 min, 6.7MB).
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
robert maybeth 10:12AM (4/08/2007)
Dear Mr. Tamminen:
Congratulations on your app't. I watched your video on MSN, twice, and that is why, or more likely your your assistant or intern are reading this. I am deeply involved with California energy, i work for the City of LA at LAX. I help LAWA in its attempts to make LA "green". Global warming is a deep concern. It will have effects for generations. However, I also have to drive to work, pay $3.50 a gallon. I get to work a 9 - to 10 hour day, fixing fleet vehicles and give half of my paycheck back for my trouble, the fuel, ins, taxes, etc. Surely you know it will not get better for me anytime soon. The energy costs ripple out and they are not headed down, ever. But i do have intimate experience with the alternative energy you have surely researched, and even i know exactly what the problem is. CNG cars could be viable in a year. Methane is easier to make than moonshine and cleaner than gas. Hydrogen? Yes, it is the answer, and i have driven these cars, have you? Ask Chevron when it will be ready, the answer is, when your grandkids are grandparents. Ethanol? Ever been to Brazil? Ask them how it works. Solar? Gold mine. Fill the worthless desert with solar panels. And so on. to my point, i am DISGUSTED with how the gov't is dragging its feet on alternative. The gorundwork was laid 30 years ago during the Carter administration. Yet what has been done? NOTHING. So now its time to pay the piper; our soldiers are busy dying in great big bloody batches, in a mad part of the world that will never yeild. Of course, AFRICA has not been explored for oil yet. (You first.) all for big oil. I can do nothing at all to fix this, perhaps you can. Regards, Marc Swagler
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