text: why is it that in some parts of s. america they are oil free?  why can't americans live like this?   they aren't 100% oil-free, it's just that alternative fuel (e85 ethanol most of the time) is offered at virtually every pump, or at least in brasil. this was done via heavy government influence, something americans don't usually like. but the answer that i love the most is that of representative dave camp (republican-mi) who said that it is, and i quote, "the current political air of washington right now is very against alternative fuel". when asked to specify if it was the executive office (ie the president and his men) he agreed that it was.