Bio-fuels : Are veges permitted to drive?

Now, this may seem rediculous for most of you. There is a bitter taste of the rediculous for me when I say this. I don't think vegetarians and vegans will be morally permitted to drive soon in New Zealand, on the pain of contradiction.

Bio-fuels look very likely to be introduced in the next Labour term of office. Stuff.co.nz reports that Pete Hodgson outlines the policy like this:

The policy would require fuel companies to produce "probably 5 per cent" of bio-diesel and bio-petrol within three years. Made from tallow, dairy and forest waste, straw and waste paper, bio-fuels would be blended with existing fuels or sold on their own. An alternative non-bio-fuel option would also have to be available for older cars, Mr Hodgson said.

Now tallow is of course beef fat. There's plenty of it here. Therefore, from a public policy perspective, it makes a great option. But, I don't eat sour cream because they add gelatine to it, why should I be allowed to drive? And for that matter, why should I be allowed to take public transport?

Now, I suppose I can take a message from Simon Clarke. Sometimes it's okay to be inconsistent. His case is that, say that the US went to the Iraq war on humanitarian grounds. Opponents cannot argue that the US sust go everywhere else with a despotic ruler. Getting rid of one is surely better than getting rid of none.

Likewise for ordinary, or egg and dairy consuming, vegetarians like me. They already have a consistency issue. They need to be able how they can justify farming of animals. For me, it's a case of they're domesticated and I eat things that come from animals which live in paddocks, rather than factory farms. Luckiliy there's lots of space here in New Zealand. I know it's not perfect, but it's a start.

I guess, in order to justify the use of modern transport, we will have to simply say that some is better than none. And, there is the fact that government policy is somewhat outside of our hands. Well, normally that's the case, but not this month. There's a general election in 2 1/2 weeks time! We could vote for National. That would be an exciting proposition, voting for conservatives.

Still though, some has to be better than none? Doesn't it?