Note:  Before answering the questions, read the "Background" and watch the video under "Resources" below.

1.  The purpose of an editorial/commentary is to explain, persuade, warn, criticize, entertain, praise or answer. What do you think is the purpose of Mark Mathis’ editorial?  Explain your answer.

2.  What is the main idea of this editorial?

3. a) Define commodity.
b) How is energy different than all other commodities? (para. 2)

4. Which of the following points made by Mr. Mathis in his commentary did you already know?  Explain your answer.

1. The electricity for electric cars must come from somewhere. Currently, it’s mostly created from coal, natural gas, and nuclear power.
2. Many parts of cars, busses and trains are made of products derived from oil and natural gas, such as the tires, paints, fabrics, lightweight plastics, lubricants, etc.
3. Wind and solar are intermittent, so they require baseload sources (mostly natural gas) to keep the electricity flowing when they aren’t performing.
4. There is currently no economic way to store electricity so it can be used when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining.
5. Manufacturing, transporting and maintaining wind and solar installations requires considerable amounts of fossil fuel.
6. The key ingredients in renewable energy technologies (wind turbines and solar panels) are rare earth minerals. It takes a large amount of fossil fuel to extract them from the earth. Drastically increasing the number of wind turbines and solar panels in the U.S. will drive up the price of everything else that uses rare earths, such as all of our electronic devices. And then there is the really big problem; China owns 90 percent of all rare earth mines.

5. In his commentary, Mr. Mathis asserts: "Consider that nearly all modern products contain some form of plastic or rubber, which are made from oil and natural gas… Trying to get people to use less of them by making everything more expensive and then giving people money back through an inefficient government-controlled program is a flawed premise from start to finish." Do you agree or disagree with this asssertion? Explain your answer.