Friday, November 30, 2007

GM Responds to E85 Ethanol Cost-Benefit Analysis

USAToday reported today regarding an analysis of ethanol by the Pardee Rand Graduate School. The following is General Motors' statement regarding the E85 ethanol cost-benefit analysis:

Attributable to Alan Adler, manager, Biofuels Communications

The cost-benefit analysis of E85 ethanol prepared by the Pardee Rand Graduate School and cited in the Friday, Nov. 30 edition of USA Today fails to take into account several positive factors of the renewable fuel made from 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

E85 is not yet widely available in the United States – less than 1 percent of fueling stations offer it today – and prices vary widely. Some gasoline stations peg the price of E85 to gasoline, so when gasoline goes up or down in price, E85 rides with it. Elsewhere, especially in regions where ethanol is more widely available, the price of E85 is as much as a dollar a gallon less.

“We believe ethanol as a renewable fuel is the best near term alternative to oil as a transportation fuel and replacing gasoline with ethanol positively contributes to lowering greenhouse gas emissions,” said GM Chief Economist Mustafa Mohatarem. “You cannot take a snapshot in time and define a mature market,”

When the Rand study was previewed at GM in October, the authors were told their work did not account for the significantly lower cost of second-generation ethanol that will be made from cellulosic and biomass feed stocks. Most estimates show the cost of making Gen2 ethanol at $1 or less a gallon before distribution costs.

(GM did not specifically sponsor the Rand study but does contribute $25,000 a year to Rand annually.)

General Motors is the auto industry leader in offering E85-capable vehicles with more than 2.5 million of the 6 million on the road in the U.S. For 2008, GM offers 11 FlexFuel models able to run on any combination of ethanol and gasoline up to 85 percent ethanol. GM produces about 400,000 E85-capable models a year and will double that to 800,000 a year by 2010. By 2012, GM expects to build more than 2 million FlexFuel vehicles a year.

“By 2012, it will be easier to say which GM vehicles are not E85-capable than to list which ones are FlexFuel,” said Beth Lowery, GM vice president of Environment, Energy and Safety Policy. “And we are just as committed to helping build the infrastructure for E85.”

Source: General Motors

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

What's So Good About Corn

An interesting response to a Washington Post article regarding corn ethanol:
What's So Good About Corn

As crude oil prices edge toward $100 a barrel, it's clear to most consumers that we need to focus on reducing our dependence on foreign oil and, ultimately, investing in an American-fueled energy market that promotes sustainability and economic growth ["So What's So Bad About Corn?" front page, Nov. 23].

The economics and environmental sustainability of corn ethanol are rapidly improving, benefiting from some of the same technological advances that are making cellulosic ethanol possible. Arresting the development of ethanol would only stunt the overall pursuit of energy independence, perpetuating our reliance on foreign entities. Ethanol is a cleaner-burning fuel that has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 30 percent, according to studies supported by the Environmental Protection Agency.

As far as food goes, numerous factors affect retail prices. According to the Agriculture Department, labor costs account for 38 cents of every dollar a consumer spends on food. Packaging, transportation, energy, advertising and profits account for 24 cents of the consumer food dollar. Just 19 cents of every dollar can be attributed to the cost of food inputs such as grains and oilseeds. Our continued reliance on foreign oil is far more costly and disastrous than our expansion of ethanol production.

JIM GREENWOOD
President and Chief Executive
Biotechnology Industry Organization
Washington
READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Facebook Fans Form for Farmers and Fuel

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you know that Facebook.com is a popular online meeting place for millions of computer users around the world.

So it's not surprising that a number of groups have been formed on the site to allow Facebook users to meet online, discuss and share information, including video and pictures on the important subjects of food, fuel and farming.

Here are a few of the most popular groups available:

E-85 - The Future of America
This group is for anyone who supports E85 which would make America less reliant on foreign oil and would help America's farmers instead of terrorists.

Farmers Matter
This Facebook groups is dedicated to celebrating the contributions our nation's farmers have made in meeting our food, feed and fuels needs.

Support Your Farmers - They Feed You
People that realize that agriculture is vital to everyday life

I'm A Farm Kid and Damn Proud of It
For those of us who can't remember what age we started "working" because we grew up working every day on the farm.

Food and Fuel America

Food and Fuel America.com's mission is to be the central resource for information regarding balancing Food and Fuel in America.

Registration for Facebook is free and open to all. To visit one of the above sites, log in and then click the link to go to that group.

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Petroleum-based Plastic Bag Ban Begins

Shoppers in San Francisco will probably now hear, "Paper or... Paper?" starting this week. According to an article in San Francisco, a ban on petroleum-based plastic bags began Tuesday.
"Officials say the estimated 180 million plastic bags handed out in the city each year cause litter, hurt wildlife and often end up in a massive patch of swirling plastic junk in the middle of the Pacific."
The good news is that biobased, biodegradable bags, usually made from corn-starch, can be used. A quick Google search found several manufacturers, including this one. So that got us thinking... how do consumers and businesses find biobased products?

The two best sources we found are:
There have been a number of initiatives to jump-start the biobased economy. But there's certainly room for improvement in getting the US Government to purchase biobased products.

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Do I Have a Flex Fuel Vehicle?

Flex Fuel Vehicle Food vs Fuel FFVFlexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) are capable of operating on gasoline, E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline), or a mixture of both. There are more than 5 million flexible fuel vehicles on U.S. roads today, but many FFV owners don't know their vehicle is one.

To find out if your vehicle is an FFV, check out the Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center. They also have more information on FFVs here.

In addition, these two sites offer more information regarding Flex Fuel Vehicles and how to identify them.
Finally, the three big US automakers all have good websites regarding their FFV models:
READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Monday, November 26, 2007

Joe Biden Proposes Renewable Fuel Objectives

Joe Biden Food vs Fuel Ethanol EnergyFrom time to time, Food and Fuel America.com highlights the leading 2008 US Presidential candidates' positions on renewable energy. Sometimes it's easy to find, other times it is not.

Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), a Democratic candidate for President, has been an outspoken supporter of biofuels. On his presidential website, he lists several points on his support for renewable fuels:
  • Requiring New Vehicles Be Flex-Fuel Vehicles: Joe Biden would require all cars marketed in the US be capable of running on E85/flex fuel or regular gasoline by 2017 - a cost estimated to be just $100 per car. Joe Biden would direct automakers to gradually increase flex-fuel vehicle (FFV) production, increasing ten percentage-point increments annually, until nearly all vehicles sold in the U.S. are flex fuel vehicles within 10 years. At this rate half of all vehicles sold in the US would be flex fuel vehicles in five years. Currently, flex-fuel vehicles -- those able to use both regular gasoline and blends of up to 85 percent ethanol (E85) – make up only about two percent of vehicles on the road today (5 million).
  • Requiring Large Gas Station Chains To Sell Alternative Fuels: Only around 1,300 of the 140,000 gas stations nationwide offer E85 or alternative fuels to customers. Major oil companies (those that own 4,500 stations or more) should offer alternative refueling capability at 50 percent of the stations they own by 2017. Joe Biden would require large chains to install E85 pumps at their stations, increasing by five percent annually over the next 10 years.
  • Increasing The Amount of Farm-Grown Fuel In Our Fuel Supply: Joe Biden would increase the amount of ethanol and biodiesel included in the nation's fuel supply by extending and increasing the current Renewable Fuel Standard and setting standards for biodiesel. Currently the Renewable Fuel Standard sets a benchmark of 7.5 billion gallons by 2012 – a fraction of the overall U.S. gasoline consumption which is 140 billion gallons per year. Joe Biden would increase the benchmarks to: 10 billion gallons by 2010; 30 billion gallons by 2020; 60 billion gallons by 2030.
As always, FoodandFuelAmerica.com does not support or endorse any candidate for any election. We will; however, continue to highlight important energy policy positions of the major candidates.

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Sunday, November 25, 2007

San Francisco Turns Waste Into Biofuels

Move over Rice-a-Roni, there's a new treat in town.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom launched an innovative solution to collect fats, oil and grease (FOG) free of charge from City restaurants and turn them into biofuel for City-owned vehicles.

The program---SFGreasecycle--is a new effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, combat climate change and curb the growing number of clogged sewers plaguing City residents and businesses.

"San Francisco’s entrepreneurial and environmental spirit is once again front and center with our innovative biodiesel creation program," said Mayor Newsom. "Our program will serve as a model for cities throughout the world who aim to transform their grease waste into useable, sustainable energy."

The city estimates that for every 5 gallons of grease collected and kept out of the sewers, it will displace 5 gallons of petroleum diesel and that is a net 100 pound reduction in carbon emission.

Recycled FOG from San Francisco restaurants is estimated to generate 1.5 million gallons of biofuel each year. 59 restaurants have already signed up for the SFGreasecycle program before its launch with more expressing interest every day.

More information about the program is available online at sfgreasecycle.org

READ MORE
Source: City of San Francisco

Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Corn: The Modern Marvel

With 500 channels on cable sometimes it's hard to find anything worth watching.

But this week, the History Channel has shown a very good segment on corn with its Modern Marvels show. It's worth watching with the entire family.


Modern Marvels : Corn Airs on Saturday November 24 07:00 PM

Why is corn the largest agricultural crop in the world? Corn has fed the masses from ancient times to this day. Corn is not only a vegetable and a cereal grain; it is a commodity as well. Visit Lakeside Foods in Reedsburg, Wisconsin and see how tons of corn are harvested and canned within hours. Then it's off to VeraSun Energy in Charles City, Iowa, to discover how corn is converted into fuel. Take a look to our past and you will understand that without corn we probably wouldn't be here.
While we're at it, we should mention the History Channel's Great American History Quiz: The Corn Palace with Bob Villa. This short online segment profiles the history of the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota.




READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Friday, November 23, 2007

Firelogs are Going Green

Can fire be green? Yes, if it's a Duraflame firelog.

The company has announced that it is dropping petroleum-based wax for plant waxes.

In this article from the Stockton CA RecordNet, the company announced its move toward biobased waxes.
And now, Duraflame officials said they will use only plant-based waxes in their branded firelog products, eliminating consumption of 100 million pounds of petroleum wax per year.
Besides supporting renewable energy sources, the move has significant environmental benefits:
The primary advantage of the plant-based waxes is that they are from a renewable resource and carbon-neutral in terms of adding to carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. That's because soy plants or pine trees, for example, take carbon dioxide from the air to produce oil and resins. In contrast, burning petroleum wax releases carbon trapped underground for millennia.
As consumers demand for greener and renewable fuel sources goes mainstream, we'll see more companies looking to meet that demand.

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Corny Thanksgiving: GrandMa Cornelia's Corn Bread Dressing

Happy Thanksgiving 2007!

America has been blessed with an abundant land and hard-working farmers who provide a bounty of food for the world.

GrandMa Cornelia's Corn Bread Dressing

Ingredients
  • 1 (16 ounce) package dry corn bread mix
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons dried sage
  • salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Prepare the dry corn bread mix according to package directions. Cool and crumble.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
  3. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the celery and onion until soft.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the celery, onions, 3 cups crumbled corn bread, eggs, chicken stock, sage and salt and pepper to taste; mix well.
  5. Place into prepared dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Turkeys Arrive in Corn-Fed Style at White House

"May" and "Flower", two turkeys "pardoned" by President Bush on Tuesday in a ceremony at the White House, arrived in corn-fed style for the big event.

According to a story in the Detroit News, the turkeys arrived at the White House in a corn-fed, Flex Fuel Ford F-150 truck,
Ford touted the fact that the F-150 used was fueled with E85, a biofuel made of 85 percent ethanol.

Ziad Ojakli, Ford's group vice president for government and community relations, said the company was happy to take part in the 60th annual turkey pardoning.

"Corn is the turkeys' fuel and the truck's," Ojakli said. "Ford is pleased to provide the getaway vehicle in the turkey-cade."

Ford supports the use of alternative renewable fuels like ethanol and has promised to make millions of vehicles that run on E85 as a way of reducing U.S. reliance on imported oil. When Congress returns from its two-week Thanksgiving recess in December, it is expected to take up an energy bill that increases the required fuel efficiency of vehicles by as much as 40 percent, or 35 miles per gallon.
Source: WhiteHouse.gov

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Gasoline Prices Up 39%

Wondering why your family budget buys less? It's probably due to the 39% increase in the price of gasoline this past year. And with the price of oil racing to $100 per barrel, it's only getting worse.

According to new results from the Department of Energy, gasoline prices for this week average $3.099 a gallon. This is up 86 cents, nearly 39% from last year.












Hold on to your wallets, these increases are going to hurt us as the increased transportation costs get passed along to all sectors of the world economy.

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

James Garner Thanks America's Corn Growers

James Garner thanks our nation's corn growers for meeting our nation's food, feed and fuel needs in this new Public Service Announcement.
-

-
If you can't see the video, click HERE to go to it directly.

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Farmers Urged to Respond to the Media

CattleNetwork.com has an informative interview with Geoff Cooper from the National Corn Growers Association regarding the outlook of ethanol and corn production and how the media portrays the "food vs. fuel" debate.
Corn is one of the staples of our food supply. But it’s also becoming a staple of media coverage predicting a “food versus fuel crisis,” as ethanol production ramps up.

But the facts on the ground – farm ground – paint a different picture. In its latest World Supply and Demand report last week, USDA calculated the 2007 corn crop at more than 13.2 billion bushels, making it the largest in U.S. history and 25 percent larger than the 2006 crop.
Most interestingly, Mr. Cooper sums up the issue and offers three suggestions for farmers on how to respond the media critics:
AgNetwork.com: It’s troubling that when you review the media coverage of the “big issues,” such as energy independence and food security, farmers these days are more often painted as part of the problem, not part of the solution. NCGA is certainly playing its part in helping change that, but what about individual farmers? How do they get involved?

Cooper: I think there are three steps that farmers and growers need to take. The first is simply to educate themselves on these issues. We’re certainly a good source of information, and their state and local growers associations and farm bureaus are also a great source of the facts and figures they need to get up to speed. Most farmers I talk with understand that the way the media portrays these issues isn’t right, but they need to be aware of the facts and be prepared to talk about what’s really happening with corn production

Second, they need to be willing to become advocates for agriculture. There are plenty of opportunities with local community groups, church groups and service clubs to speak out about farm issues. Once you’re armed with the facts, it’s not hard to go out and share them with your neighbors, your friends and others in the community.

Finally, we’ve had some excellent success reaching out directly to the media. Writing a letter to the editor is great, but there is no reason not to contact editors and broadcasters directly. Most of the time when you watch a cable news show, you’re seeing some academic researcher talking about whether we can grow enough corn, or whatever issue is on the table. Personally, I’d much rather hear from actual farmers themselves.
Source: CattleNetwork.com

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Monday, November 19, 2007

Rudy Giuliani Commits to Ethanol and Bio-Fuels

Rudy Giuliani Ethanol Energy Food vs. FuelA strong energy plan is key to America's economic and security future. And the office of the President of the United States has the greatest pulpit to lead America into the new century with bold ideas for a country, quite literally, dying for energy.

From time to time, we've highlighted the energy policies of the major presidential candidates.

This time up is Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City who is running as a Republican.

From his official website regarding agriculture:
I’m someone who from the very beginning has been a supporter of ethanol and one of the major commitments I made to the American people when I laid out my 12 commitments in Iowa, was the idea that we have to, with a tremendous amount of attention and a tremendous amount of emphasis, we have to move toward energy independence. And ethanol is a big part of that.”
His site also notes specifics commitments for energy including:
Diversifying Our Energy Portfolio:

Ethanol and Bio-fuels: America will use bio-fuels to help displace foreign oil use by our vehicles. Corn and cellulosic ethanol, as well as bio-diesel will play a role. The bio-fuels industry can help revitalize rural America.

Renewable Energy: Renewable sources of electricity, including solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal power, will play an important role in our move to energy independence.
As always, FoodandFuelAmerica.com does not support or endorse any candidate.

Source: Join Rudy2008

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Midwest Governors Agree to Boost Renewable Energy

Six Midwest governors joined together this week to boost their use of biofuels such as ethanol and to use more electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind and biomass.

The bipartisan agreements were signed at the Midwestern Governors Association Energy Security and Climate Change Summit in Milwaukee.

The six governors, Iowa Governor Chet Culver, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, as well as the premier of the Canadian province of Manitoba, signed the agreement agreeing a number of key points to reduce emissions and promote alternative energy.

The plan will put E85 ethanol gasoline in a third of gas stations by 2025 and lower electrical demand in the region by 2 percent by 2015 and 2 percent annually thereafter. It also requires all coal-burning power plants to capture and store dangerous carbon dioxide underground by 2020 and put . Another element of the accord is the proposed cap and trade system involving emissions credits that will be instituted by the region in the next twelve months

Three other states, Ohio, South Dakota, and Indiana, signed on as observers, meaning they will participate but not commit to the goals.

Source: Midwestern Governors Association

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Gasoline Prices Rise, and So Does Everything Else

Gas prices inflation food vs fuel corn ethanolSometimes headlines just write themselves. The Philadelphia Inquirer ran this story this week, that looked at the major impact of rising gasoline costs have upon consumer prices. Most ominous, the article also explored how the latest inflation report has upon the financial markets.
Economists said consumers should brace for a worse performance in November, given an even-bigger increase in gasoline prices so far this month.

"There are no alarm bells going off today, but neither does [the report] provide any wiggle room to cut rates," said Julia Coronado, a senior economist at Barclays Capital, of New York. She said Fed policymakers "have to take the inflation threat seriously."
It really should be no surprise that near $100/b crude oil prices are putting a major dent into the American and worldwide economy. The American economic engine is driven largely by consumers' ability to purchase goods and services. And there is a price to be paid for these high oil costs.
Economists are concerned that rising energy prices will leave consumers with less money to spend on other items and will depress their spending, which accounts for two-thirds of economic activity. That would add to the list of problems already facing a slowing economy.

"Consumers are getting squeezed between falling house prices, rising mortgage payments, and now rising oil prices," said David Wyss, chief economist at Standard & Poor's in New York.
Maybe we should take comfort in knowing that our American dollars are going to work for others.
  • Big Day Looms for Venezuela
    In two weeks, Venezuela could be starting an extraordinary experiment in centralized socialism fueled by oil. By law, the workday would be cut to six hours. Street vendors, housewives and maids would have state-mandated pensions. And President Hugo Chávez would have significantly enhanced powers and be eligible for re-election for the rest of his life.
READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Friday, November 16, 2007

The Three E's of Higher Food Prices

In real estate, it's all about Location, Location, Location. For higher food prices, it's all about the three E's: Energy, Energy, Energy.

According to a recent release by the Nebraska Corn Board, the cost of energy outpaces the impact of corn on food prices
Some people have tried to blame the slightly higher prices they are paying for food on the grocery store shelf on the higher prices farmers get for their corn. There are other factors involved, however, including the high cost of energy, which affects every company that has groceries on a store’s shelf.

High energy costs add to the expense of processing and packaging everything, even a box of corn flakes, and then getting that food to the store,” said Randy Klein, director of market development for the Nebraska Corn Board. “Yet higher corn prices, driven by demand for consumer products such as milk, pork and ethanol, seem to take the brunt of the blame, in many cases without any reasonable explanation.”

Research has shown that a $1 per gallon increase in the cost of gasoline has three times the impact on food prices compared to a $1 per bushel increase in the cost of corn, Klein said. “Although some food companies have tried to blame corn for their price increases, many now acknowledge that higher energy costs play an important and significant role,” he said, “and many of these same companies continue to have nice profits.”

Using a box of corn flakes as an example, Klein said if corn is priced at $3.50 per bushel, there is only 3.9 cents worth of corn in a 14-oz. box of corn flakes that sells for $2.79. Conceivably, he said, the higher corn prices this year could have raised the price of that box of cereal 2 cents.

Source: Nebraska Corn Board

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Back to the Future with Ethanol

Gas prices are sky high. People are skimping by just to pay energy bills. Congress and the president look to alternative energy sources for security independence. And newspapers begin to wage a campaign against corn-based fuel because it might increase food prices. 2007?

No, 1979.

In this informative essay from the American Farm Bureau Federation, Lynne Finnerty looks to the past to see how "gasohol" fought off its critics:
Then, some of the nation’s newspapers go on a campaign against federal subsidies for gasohol. An April 26, 1980, Washington Post editorial argues that further federal help for gasohol producers “will inevitably raise food prices” and calls the subsidies “wanton public policy.” Of course, the editorial doesn’t mention subsidization of the petroleum industry through billions of defense dollars spent to protect oil wells and pipelines in volatile parts of the world.

Sometime later “gasohol” became known as “ethanol.” However, ethanol today faces the same old criticism that helped deep-six gasohol and postpone our 1970s efforts toward greater energy independenc
Ethanol remains the most viable alternative to transportation fuel. The oil companies are betting that killing off corn-based ethanol will kill any more investments in cellulosic ethanol. And then we're back without any viable choices.

READ MORE

Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

President Challenges Congress on Energy

While in Indiana yesterday, the president again challenged Congress to enact legislation to increase alternative energy sources:

Another priority that Congress has failed to meet is energy. Leaders of both parties understand that America's dependence on oil creates problems for our economy, and our environment, and our national security. When they were elected last November, majority leaders in Congress promised to pass an energy bill to reduce our dependence on oil. I consulted with members of both parties -- and in my State of the Union address, I proposed a plan to reduce America's gasoline consumption by 20 percent over 10 years. I call this plan 20-in-10, and asked Congress to pass it by beginning of the summer driving season.

Now the summer driving season is over; the price of oil has jumped to nearly $100 a barrel, and Congress has not acted. America clearly needs legislation that expands the use of ethanol and biodiesel, promotes energy conservation, invests in advanced technologies like clean coal and nuclear power. Listen, breaking our reliance on oil and gas is not going to happen overnight.

Congress should also authorize environmentally responsible oil exploration offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. American consumers and businesses are looking to Washington for action on this issue. And Congress needs to pass a bill that encourages the development of more energy, that makes us less dependent on foreign sources of oil, and they need to do it now.

As the price of oil continues to climb, maybe Congress will decide it's time to get something done.

Source: Whitehouse.gov

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

DOE Looking at Higher Ethanol Blends

DOE Department of Energy Food vs Fuel Ethanol EnergyThe Department of Energy is looking at higher blends of ethanol, according to a report by Reuters
"We will be testing for E12, E15 and eventually E20 and working together with the Environment Protection Agency and others," said Alexander Karsner, assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Higher blends will allow more ethanol to be used and will displace oil for transportation fuels.

READ MORE

Monday, November 12, 2007

Why Don't They Care About $3.00 Gas Anymore?

Oh what two years and a change of politics brings.

Two years ago, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in Congress were furious about the rising cost of gasoline, the impact upon consumers and sky-high oil company profits.

This week, pump prices again topped $3.00 and barely a whisper is heard from anyone.

What happened?

gas gasoline prices inflation high oil cost corn corn ethanol food vs fuelAP is reporting its findings to this legislative amnesia and indifference. They chalk it up to several factors:
  • The American public is more accustomed to high prices, despite the financial pinch.
  • Oil industry profits are retreating from year-ago levels as the soaring cost of crude crimps refining revenue.
  • The outrage many Democrats expressed back then over high energy prices has been tempered by the fact that their party now controls Congress, making finger pointing more difficult.
  • Plus, lawmakers have their hands full with a worsening housing crisis, a four and a half year old war in Iraq, and spending bills that have yet to be completed.
What's closer to the truth is that the Democrats now control Congress. It's so much easier to blame someone else when you're not holding the gavel. Now that they are in charge of both the House and Senate, the leadership seems to have forgotten about the impact of higher oil costs. It must have just slipped their mind. Hmm.

But there's an oily trail from the oil fields tracked right on through both chambers and to both parties. OpenSecrets.org, created by the Center for Responsive Politics, is a good site for checking for "the rest of the story".

oil company corruption influence political contribitions congress senate food vs fuelAccording to the OpenSecrets.org website, ExxonMobil has contributed more than $9.2 million dollars to campaigns since 1990.

And Chevron even beat that with over $9.4 million dollars in contributions.

This slick path sure helps when it's time to beat down any competition to oil.


Source: MSNBC.com

READ MORE

Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Ethanol Word Search Puzzle

Food and Fuel America.com has many visits from teachers and students looking for information regarding renewable energy. We're pleased to offer this downloadable Word Search Puzzle: Ethanol Word Search Puzzle (PDF)

The Ethanol Word Search Puzzle is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You can obtain the free PDF Reader HERE.

READ MORE
Subscribe to updates by Email

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Food and Fuel America.com
http://www.foodandfuelamerica.com

Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News!