Energy, Sustainable Development and Motor Fuels: Legal Barriers to the Use of Ethanol

Abstract

With only limited oil reserves, the search for alternatives to petrol is vital to Australia's economic and environmental future. This article maintains that we are failing to exploit one of the very few environmentally friendly options for motor vehicle fuels: ethanol. The article examines the existing legislative barriers to the commercialisation of ethanol, to show that in energy issues, particularly those involving renewable energy technologies and enery efficiency, our governments appear consistently to overlook the role of the law in promoting or inhibiting the introduction of changes.