Re: [Vo]: Aquaculture for energy

[Stephen A. Lawrence]

Jed Rothwell wrote:
Jones Beene wrote:

Pretty fair credentials, I'd say... and he is right-on about the need 
to move immediately into energy-aquaculture.

Well, if it works, okay -- maybe. But as I said, we should be 
extremely cautious about large scale schemes that replace existing 
biota, especially with monocultures. So far that has caused unending 
havoc in both land and ocean ecosystems, such as the replacement of 
most fish with jellyfish world-wide.


 We can easily replace a substantial portion of petroleum use within 
twenty years,

We could easily replace 90% of it one year, starting NOW, using only 
existing technology.  Just do something like what FDR did in January 
1942:

1. Tell the auto industry that we are in a state of war (which we sure 
are),
No we're not.  Only Congress can declare war and they have not done so.  
They've given the president a lot of leeway in Iraq but none the less we 
don't have a full-blown "state of war".

Bush can talk all he wants about the "war" on terror but AFAIK the 
United States is not "in a state of war".

and order it to shut down immediately and retool. I mean close it down 
that instant. FDR ordered told them not to sell a single car for the 
duration of the war, and he confiscated their entire inventory for 
military purposes.
FDR had extraordinary powers because Congress had declared war.  In the 
present situation they have not done so, and the president cannot rule 
by edict (AFAIK).

The president can push through a lot of things by snowing Congress 
and/or cheating but simply issuing straightforward edicts without input 
from Congress isn't something he's generally allowed to do ... except 
during a declared war.

And it's a good thing, too, because you're not President just now; nor 
are Lincoln and Roosevelt (either one).  Bush is president, and if he 
had the ability to issue any arbitrary edict and have it become law, no 
questions asked and no congressional approval needed, I don't think he'd 
necessarily institute a program you would see entirely eye to eye with.