LOOKING FOR A SEAL OF APPROVAL

Foreign Oil FuelsTerrorism. I have ideveloped a colorful way to fund unoversity alternative energy research. Willing to give it away to right party. Use it as a new way to market your company image. The visual icon Sir FOIL on request.

Stan Cotton, 70, of Boca Raton, remembers War Bonds.
   Ordinary Americans helped defeat the original Axis of Evil by buying $185.7 billion worth of War Bonds. Eight out of 13 participated. Even kids bought Defense Stamps for a dime. When you filled a book, you got a bond."
   Cotton remembers Victory Gardens, collecting tinfoil, rubber and scrap iron for he war effort. He has seen ordinary Americans unite to fight enemies and then go on to fight birth defects and lung disease by buying Easter Seals and Christmas Seals.
   After Sept. 11, Cotton, an ad man with a long career in offbeat creativity, was left with an empty feeling.
   What could I do in the war against terrorism? They won't let me fly an F-16."
   For six months, Cotton has waited for someone to state what he considers the obvious: Our prosperity is hostage to oil-selling nations that dont like us.
   I kept waiting to hear about a Manhattan crash project to replace foreign oil. I envisioned billions in extra spending for renewable energy research. Then I found out theyre only spending a half-billion and not even asking for an increase!"
   When he read that a half billion dollars goes into alternative energy research, he came up with a modest number indeed. Renewable and alternative energy research receives about $5 per taxpayer.
   I figured we could do better than that passing the hat."
   A good way to pass the hat is to sell war bonds - or in this case Renewable Energy Bonds, he reflected, recalling the tens of billions raised in World War II. On reflection, he rejected the bonds notion. Bonds represent borrowing, and the last thing this country needs is more public debt.
   Then I started toying with the idea of a citizens initiative to raise money for oil replacement research. Not in the form of loans, but as gifts."
   Cotton knew he was on to something, even if it hadnt quite jelled. About four months ago at 4 a.m., he sprang out of his bed like a man with a leg cramp.
   Oil Independence League! O.I.L.!"
   But oil in itself wasnt the problem. The problem is achieving independence from foreign oil. Put Foreign" in front of Oil Independence League and you have F.O.I.L.
   Back during the 1973 embargo by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Cotton had considered taking on OPEC with an ad campaign featuring a feisty little cartoon dipstick character.
   I designed Sir Dipstick before I had a client. The embargo ended, and I still had this little character, which to me symbolized Americas refusal to be blackmailed, a rallying figure. Rally to do what, I wasnt sure at the time."
   Now Cotton has what he thinks is a way for us to achieve oil independence, and hes ready to donate his intellectual property - F.O.I.L., along with Sir FOIL - to the postal service or any public nonprofit with a stake in clean, renewable energy.
   My original plan was to set up a Web site with links to every university-based alternative energy program in the nation. Through the site you could use any major credit card to donate directly to colleges and receive from the college F.O.I.L. Seals."
   And what was in it for Stan Cotton?
   My first thought was to sell the seals to the universities. That's too much like work. Id rather just give F.O.I.L. to the Postal Service and let them sell F.O.I.L. first-class mail stamps for 50 cents, with the difference between 37 cents and 50 cents going to alternative energy research."
   And this would produce how much money to fund our Manhattan Project to replace oil?
   Do the math," Cotton said. Were investing $500 million a year for alternative energy now. The question is - and I dont have the answer - are other Americans as ticked off as I am that we are neglecting university research to replace oil?"
   I tried one math scenario. The new stamp will cost 37 cents. If I buy 20 F.O.I.L. Stamps, I am sending $2.60 for oil replacement research. Thats 13 cents every time I use a 50-cent F.O.I.L. Stamp for a first-class letter.
   Me, I would pay a premium in a flash if it would free us from oil imports. I would go through at least 10 books a year - rounded off to $25 funneled into alternative energy initiatives. If 100 million of my fellow Americans followed suit, that would be an additional $2.5 billion to renewable energies.
   According to Cotton, he has F.O.I.L. all set up. But when hes tried to interest the Postal Service, the Department of Energy, and several universities that would benefit from the donations, he ran into one little problem.
   I can't get anybody to return my calls. Either the bureaucrats are too busy talking to each other, or theyre waiting for a brand-new idea thats been thoroughly proven."

See www.joinfoil.org or e-mail stan@pickcotton .com