A Letter from Alliance AutoGas President
March 25, 2020
Our country is going through one of the most challenging periods in its history. There is no doubt that the health crisis is impacting individuals and families across the United States. People are worried about getting sick or losing their job, and unfortunately many already have. My hope and prayer is that this crisis will diminish in the coming months and some sense of normalcy will return.
There is something instructive we should take away from this crisis. Our country should not be dependent on other countries for essential goods and services that are needed for the citizens of our country.
The economic impact is being felt by both individuals and businesses. Layoffs and furloughs have been experienced by a great number of people, through no fault of their own. Companies have lost revenue as a result of lost or reduced demand. The resilience of our citizens and our strongest companies will prevail in the end, but that does not diminish the impact right now.
Economic Efficiency and National Security
One of the lessons we should consider is the balance between economic efficiency and national security. Economists who advocate that goods and services should be produced in the countries with the least amount of cost and shipped globally only consider economic efficiency. The current crisis illustrates the problem with taking this approach to the exclusion of other factors such as national security.
It has been reported that other countries produce 97% of all antibiotics and 80% of active ingredients used to make medications here in the United States – including 45% of all insulin for people being treated for diabetes. Industrial capacity in the United States has been falling for more than 4 decades, which results in the loss of good paying jobs right here at home. Do we think this should continue?
Domestic Energy
The advocates for the so called zero emission battery electric vehicle (BEV) should take note. First, emissions are still produced by the production of electricity. Of greater concern is that China controls over 85% of the global supply of cobalt and nearly 50% of the lithium supply – two key materials in batteries. Like medications that affect the health of our citizens, the United States should not allow its transportation sector to be subject to another country’s production of goods and materials.
Instead, we should all join the movement to use a domestically produced transportation fuel, propane autogas, to ensure our national security AND clean the air. Autogas costs less, reduces emissions dramatically and enhances the national security of our country.
Please unite with me in the movement to make domestically produced autogas prevalent in the United States. With over 28 million autogas vehicles around the world, it is proven and ready right here, right now.
