Global warming, for instance. That 1 degree Fahrenheit uptick in temperature in the past 100 years has sent politicians scrambling for environmentally-friendly fuels, even though we have no way of determining if future world temperatures will rise or fall. There is also no way of being sure that fossil fuels are the cause of the slight increase in warmth or whether the temperature rise occurred naturally.

Nevertheless, Canada, as one of the world’s most energy-rich countries – oil, natural gas and water for hydropower – is looking to renewable resources (more than water, of which we are the world’s leader, generating 12 per cent of world hydropower) as the solution to the world’s climate problems. To do that, Ontario has to legislate it: 5 per cent of all generating capacity will be from a renewable source in 2007 and 10 per cent by 2010.

This means that production of energy from ethanol, methane digesters and other forms of biomass power, as well as inefficient wind and solar power, are in hot demand. While biomass energy tends to have its own problems of emissions or need of an extraordinary land base, this is not an issue. The province wants so-called green fuel and if someone is willing to pay enough for it, someone else will be ready to provide it.

It’s a new market.

Farmers can benefit and that makes it favourable. At the same time, it would not be good to lose sight of the bigger picture. A recent article published by The Fraser Institute, a Vancouver-based think-tank, argues that green fuels have not been proven to be better. "A host of scientific and technological challenges will need to be overcome before renewable energy could replace fossil fuels to any measurable degree," the article warns.

The institute argues that fossil fuels are not the culprit in global warming for the simple reason there might not be a crisis. Writes Diane Katz, director of science for Michigan-based Mackinac Center for Public Policy: "The political focus on supposedly eco-friendly energy is predicated on the notion that emissions of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide are inducing catastrophic change to the earth’s climate. In fact, global temperatures have fluctuated up and down during the past century in spite of steady increase in carbon dioxide emissions.’

The argument continues: "Contrary to conventional wisdom, there is no ‘consensus’ among scientists about a casual link between carbon dioxide and climate change."

Meantime, dairy farmers have methane gas moving around in their barns and if governments want to provide big bucks to harness it, then methane power is one way to go. And if corn-fed ethanol plants are willing to pay higher prices for corn, then any crop farmer would grow it if it improves the bottom line. Like any good entrepreneur, a farmer is ready and willing to ride a new wave of prosperity. One day, research might discover that renewable resources are better than fossil fuels. Or that fossil fuels are no worse. Regardless, renewable or ‘green’ fuels will be with us a long time. We’ve gone far enough down this road that no government will cut back on hundreds of millions of dollars in support even if it turns out that renewable resources are not as beneficial as we had hoped. At the same time, we might discover other reasons for not wanting to rely on oil or other fossil fuels.

In the meantime, never discount the power of prejudice or error. You never know what sound, or even crazy idea, will come along to make a guy a little richer.