Flying Together

Publisher:  GATT-Fly, Toronto, Canada
Year Published:  1979
Pages:  4pp   Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX2015

Abstract: 
"Petrocan: Only the Fist Step" and "Gasohol: Solar Energy in Liquid Form" are the two leading articles in this issue of Flying Together. The first article discusses the disadvantages of 'privatizing" Petrocan. It claims that to place Petrocan in the hands of giant multinational energy corporations would serve to reinforce our position as the only major oil and gas producing country to follow such a plan of action. It is pointed out that public control of Petrocan is necessary if only to represent the first step toward public control of all large scale energy production and sale in Canada. Without this public "control we cannot hope to achieve and maintain energy self-reliance".

The second topic raised in this issue deals with promising utilization of gasohol as motor fuel. The production of gasohol is essentially the same process used in making "moonshine". Some benefits of using gasohol are that it requires no engine modification, and it is less polluting than gasoline. Some American farmers are experimenting with gasohol, and claim that it can be produced for as little as 30 - 50 cents a gallon. In Canada it has been recommended that research be carried out on potatoes and sugar as primary gasohol sources. However, there is some concern on the part of oil companies whose main interest lies in the sale of gasoline. This concern is presenting some problem to the proponents of gasohol. To add to this, "present Canadian tax legislation prohibits farmers from experimenting with on-farm alcohol distilleries." Cost is another barrier, for a bound requirement of between $200,000, and $500,000 must be met.