Thursday, July 31, 2008

Senators Meet with EPA Administrator

Senator John ThuneSenator John Thune (SD) joined a bipartisan group of Senators recently in requesting a meeting after press reports indicated that Administrator Johnson had met with Texas Governor Rick Perry behind closed doors to discuss the waiver request from the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).
"Studies have demonstrated that renewable fuels are saving consumers money at the pump," said Thune. "Waiving the Renewable Fuels Standard would increase gas prices and slow the transition to second generation biofuels. I strongly urged Administrator Johnson to weigh all of these factors in considering the Texas request."
The senators who oppose waiving the renewable fuels standard met with EPA administrator Stephen Johnson after expressing their disappointment that Johnson had held a meeting with Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who had requested the waiver.

The senators had seen news reports indicating that Perry and Johnson had reached some agreement at the earlier meeting and were upset.

A final decision by the EPA administrator regarding the waiver is expected in August.

Source: Senator Thune

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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Massachusetts Gov. Patrick Signs Bill Promoting Advanced Biofuels

Massachusetts Governor Deval PatrickMassachusetts Governor Deval Patrick this week signed the Clean Energy Biofuels Act that significantly encourages the growth of an advanced biofuels industry in the Commonwealth.

The new legislation gives preferential tax treatment to non-corn-based alternatives to ethanol, requires biofuel content in all the diesel and home heating fuel sold in the state, and proposes a new fuel standard for the region that will encourage a range of emissions-reducing technologies for cars and trucks.
“The world is waiting for the next generation of clean, renewable alternatives to petroleum fuels, and Massachusetts is poised to deliver,” said Governor Patrick. “This new law will help us develop advanced biofuels and get them to market, without driving up food prices. We want these new fuels in our tanks and these new jobs in our economy here in Massachusetts.”
Biofuels are substitutes for liquid petroleum fuels (such as gasoline, diesel, and heating oil) that are derived from renewable organic matter such as corn, soy, switchgrass, agricultural waste, wood, and waste vegetable oil. “Advanced” biofuels are generally derived from non-food-based feedstocks and defined in federal law as those that yield a lifecycle reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 50 percent compared with fossil fuels.

Source: Mass. Governor Patrick

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Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Harkin and Lugar Introduce Tax Change for Ethanol Pipelines

Senator Tom Harkin ethanol pipelineU.S. Senators Tom Harkin (IA) and Richard Lugar (IN) introduced legislation last week, S. 3291 (pdf), to help bring ethanol to communities across America by giving pipeline owners the same tax benefits they receive for moving petroleum products.

While the most efficient mode for transporting liquid biofuels is by pipeline, a provision in the tax code is effectively blocking Publicly Traded Partnerships (PTP) – that build and operate most liquid pipelines – from moving forward. By law, PTPs are supposed to earn 90 percent of their income from the exploration, transportation, storage, or marketing of depletable natural resources, including oil, gas, and coal, but not renewable fuels.

Senator Richard Lugar ethanol pipelineThe Harkin-Lugar bill would change the tax code to state that PTPs can earn “qualified” income from the transport, storage, or marketing of any renewable liquid fuel approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.
“We must seize control of our energy future and shift rapidly and robustly to clean, home-grown sources of energy, including ethanol and other renewable fuels.

Our bill makes a simple change to the tax code that meets the demands and realities of the 21st century energy marketplace, removing barriers so that biofuels producers in the Midwest and elsewhere will have an efficient, inexpensive way to transport these renewable fuels to the market.

And it will continue to provide relief to consumers getting hit hard with rising fuel costs.” said Harkin.


We must explore every option for reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Overcoming problems in moving ethanol through pipelines, as Brazil has done, is important in developing the full promise of America’s renewable fuels.

This legislation will help determine U.S. infrastructure planning and development,” Lugar said.
Harkin and Lugar previously have partnered together on several efforts to boost ethanol transport by pipeline. In March 2007, the two introduced The Ethanol Infrastructure Expansion Act of 2007, directing the Department of Energy to conduct a feasibility study on transporting ethanol by pipeline. The measure was included in the energy bill that became law on December 19, 2007. An expanded version of that measure was also included in the farm bill, the Food Conservation and Energy Act, which became law on May 22, 2008.

Source: Senator Tom Harkin

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Monday, July 28, 2008

What's Driving Food Prices?

Farm Foundation What's Driving Food Prices Purdue UniversityAccording to a new report prepared by Purdue University economists for the Farm Foundation, three broad sets of forces are driving food price increases: global changes in production and consumption of key commodities, the depreciation of the U.S. dollar, and growth in the production of biofuels.
“Today’s food price levels are the result of complex interactions among multiple factors. However, one simple fact stands out: economic growth and rising human aspirations are putting greater pressure on the global resource base,” says Farm Foundation President Neilson Conklin."
The short answer really seems to be the high price of oil.
"The ethanol blender credit, tariff and Renewable Fuel Standard are factors causing increased corn price, but quantitatively most of the increase has been driven by higher oil prices."
Two important notes from the report (pdf) are of significant interest:
"Most of the corn price increase is due to the higher oil price—not the subsidy... But removing the subsidy would not return us to corn prices seen over the past decade unless crude oil prices fell as well."
Source: Farm Foundation

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Sunday, July 27, 2008

Abundant Food and Energy Through Innovation

Alliance for Abundant Food & Energy Monsanto Deere ADMAfter remaining largely quiet, a group of major agricultural companies have jumped into the food and fuel debate. Their message? American innovation is the key to producing both food and fuel!

Last week the companies joined together to form the Alliance for Abundant Food and Energy, an alliance designed to promote their understanding that through innovation, agriculture can sustainably meet the growing global demand for food and renewable forms of energy.

Founding members of the Alliance include the Archer Daniels Midland Company, DuPont, John Deere, Monsanto and the Renewable Fuels Association.
"The Alliance for Abundant Food and Energy will underscore the role that agriculture can play in supporting our food and energy needs," said Mark Kornblau, executive director, Alliance for Abundant Food and Energy. "With growing global demand for grain, it's critically important that policy leaders start thinking about how we can grow our way to a solution. Innovation is part of the American DNA - through greater support for agricultural innovation, we can produce enough crops to supply both our food and energy needs worldwide."
Recently, critics have tried to frame the debate as an "either/or" decision, making people feel they must choose between food and energy security. The Alliance believes this is a false choice that ignores both the capabilities of agriculture and our nation's history of using innovation to solve our problems. The Alliance realizes both are possible - and can be accomplished using less land and fewer resources than generally understood.

The companies forming the Alliance are experts in agriculture, from planted seed to market sale, putting them in a unique position to address this current concern. Thanks in part to their research and other efforts, agricultural productivity, particularly in the United States, has increased consistently for the past 100 years. Families around the world have benefited from these innovations as well. Over the last decade, the world's population grew 13 percent, while farmers were able to meet increased needs using only six percent more land.

Source: Alliance for Abundant Food and Energy (pdf)

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Saturday, July 26, 2008

Open Fuel Standard Act Will Open Way for Flex Fuel Vehicles

US House Open Fuel Standard ActThe Open Fuel Standard Fuel Act (pdf), a tri-partisan legislation, was introduced in both houses of Congress this week to reduce dependence upon foreign oil by developing vehicles that use fuels other than gasoline.

The act, Senate bill 3303 and House bill 6559, would require that starting in 2012, 50% of new automobiles; and starting in 2015, 80% of new automobiles, be flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) that can operate with gasoline blends up to E85 (85%) ethanol or M85 (85% methanol), or be warranted to operate on biodiesel.

US Senate Open Fuel Standard ACtThe bills were sponsored by Senators Sam Brownback (KS), Ken Salazar (CO) and Joseph Lieberman (CT) and by Representatives Eliot Engel (NY-17), Jack Kingston (GA-1), Steve Israel (NY-2), and Bob Inglis (SC-4)

The alternative fuels can be made from a variety of sources, including switchgrass and other energy crops, coal, agricultural bi-products, corn, soybeans, natural gas and other materials. Making a flex-fuel vehicle costs the manufacturer about one hundred dollars per vehicle.
"This legislation gives Americans a choice at the pump by making fuel flexibility a standard feature of the majority of cars and trucks produced in the United States," said Senator Salazar. "In doing so, we will protect consumers from soaring gas prices, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and spur the further development of renewable fuel technologies that are central to our energy future. As our presence here today demonstrates, setting America on a path of energy independence is an effort that transcends party lines. We must all work together to make this vision of energy independence a reality."
Each year, well over half a trillion U.S. dollars are spent on oil imported from OPEC and non-OPEC nations.

Source: Senator Brownback

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Monday, July 21, 2008

Energy Prices Continue to Fuel Inflation

severe oil cost threat to economyThe high price of energy continues to fuel the nation's inflation mark. In June 2008, consumer prices rose 1.1% according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics (pdf)

And who's the culprit? Energy.

“Energy prices rocketed upward by 6.6 percent, reflecting big gains for gasoline, home heating oil and natural gas…"

Transport costs, fueled by higher fuel costs, rose a staggering 3.8%.

Source: US Bureau of Labor and Statistics (pdf)

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Sunday, July 20, 2008

America Accepts Chavez's Charity

Venezuela Hugo ChavezApparently dignity has a price. And we've just lost ours at $140 a barrel oil.

New Hampshire has agreed to accept the charity of Venezuelan-strongman Hugo Chavez and receive free heating oil this winter. It had previously rejected the aid offer in prior years.

The oil-aid from the Venezuelan-owned oil company CITGO will be managed by Citizens Energy, a nonprofit organization started by former Massachusetts Rep. Joseph Kennedy.

But New Hampshire is not alone in accepting charity-relief from a hostile country. The state is actually the last in the American North East to accept this aid offer from the Latin American dictator.

The CITGO-Venezuelan Heating Oil Program aids American citizens in the District of Columbia, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin. CITGO also provides discount oil directly to 220 Native American communities in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon and Washington.

As billions of dollars of our wealth are transferred to foreign countries as oil prices continue to climb, this latest news is but a harbinger of future indignities for our country.

It's a very sad sign that American is falling.

Source: CITGO-Venezuelan Heating Oil Program

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Saturday, July 19, 2008

AEM Urges Members to Support RFS

Association of Equipment Manufacturers AEMThe Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is urging its members to contact their elected leaders to support the Renewable Fuel Standard and oppose the attack against biofuels by the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

AEM is the international trade and business development resource for companies that manufacture equipment, products and services used worldwide in the construction, agricultural, mining, forestry, and utility fields.

In its request to its members, the AEM explains the issue:

Recently biofuels have come under intense attack from organizations and corporations lead by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).

GMA is incorrectly blaming the raise in food prices on the production of biofuels.

GMA is working hard to convince Members of Congress to reduce our nation’s commitment to the production of clean, reliable, affordable and domestically produced biofuels.

Specifically, GMA is calling for a reduction in the production goals set forth in the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). AEM strongly opposes this action.


Reducing the RFS would do considerable harm to the still developing renewable energy industry and dramatically slow the creation of the next generation of cellulosic ethanol, as well as increase our dependence on foreign sources of energy and further increase the cost of gasoline.

We urge you to contact your Members of Congress and tell them too NOT reduce our commitment to renewable energy.
The AEM also has an online email alert to allow members to contact their elected leaders:

Support Renewable Energy

Recently biofuels have come under intense attack from organizations and corporations lead by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). GMA is incorrectly blaming the raise in food prices on the production of biofuels. GMA is working hard to convince Members of Congress to reduce our nation’s commitment to the production of clean, reliable, affordable and domestically produced biofuels. Specifically, GMA is calling for a reduction in the production goals set forth in the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).

AEM strongly opposes this action. Reducing the RFS would do considerable harm to the still developing renewable energy industry and dramatically slow the creation of the next generation of cellulosic ethanol, as well as increase our dependence on foreign sources of energy and further increase the cost of gasoline.

We urge you to contact your Members of Congress and tell them too NOT reduce our commitment to renewable energy.

Source: Association of Equipment Manufacturers

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Friday, July 18, 2008

Fuel Costs Take a Bite Out of Family Food Budgets

oil food costs hunger povertyEvery now and then we do see a rather informative story on how higher fuel costs are impacting food costs.

In this story from San Diego, the reporter made several key points:
"At virtually every link in the nation's food chain, the cost of oil is pushing expenses ever higher.

When the food is stored and processed, it takes a huge amount of energy, which is linked to the price of fossil fuels as well.

The result is bigger and bigger food bills that are causing financial hardship for millions of Americans. "
Source: Sign on San Diego

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Thursday, July 17, 2008

It's Not a Choice Between Food and Fuel—We'll Need More of Both

So now we're being told we have to choose between food and fuel. At least that's what people who should know better would have you believe as they ponder the problems of rising costs for both.

This didn't seem possible when policymakers were putting the finishing touches on a new energy bill just six months ago. Meant to curb our nation's thirst for gasoline through greater efficiency in vehicles and expanded use of ethanol as an alternative fuel, the legislation was shaped by a Democratic-led Congress and enthusiastically embraced by a Republican president. And based on what's happened to fuel prices since then, it would seem such an approach was long overdue.

Yet the forces of status quo are now suggesting we should stop dead in our tracks and restrict the use of ethanol. They do so by pointing to rising food costs and blaming biofuels for the problem. It's one or the other, they say, and farmers are meant to provide food. As someone who works in the agriculture industry, I would strongly suggest we don't have the luxury of such a choice.

The fact is global food demands will double in the next 40 years and world energy demand will grow at least 40 percent in the next 25 years. That's what happens when you add 3 billion people to the planet while also happily experiencing rapid economic growth and higher standards of living in countries once left behind in desolate poverty.

We could spend a lot of time here refuting the notion that our policies to expand ethanol use are a problem by pointing out that fossil fuel costs are having a far greater impact on food prices than increased corn production, and that production shortfalls in wheat and rice are the real reason behind lower surplus stocks and higher food prices. There's plenty of bad policy driving the food shortage, not the least of which are short-sighted attempts to hoard grain by curbing or eliminating exports. But ethanol-friendly incentives aren't the culprit.

The real threat is to remain caught up in the blame game while actually buying into the misguided notion that farmers are forced to choose between delivering food or fuel. Much more of both will be needed. The critical choices have to do with how we can provide more food and energy while using fewer resources. And in the spirit of the current campaign season, part of the answer can be framed by modifying a sage piece of political counsel: It's the yield, stupid.

Here's where there's good news. In the last 50 years, through technology breakthroughs and seed improvements, we have doubled yields of corn in the United States from 75 bushels an acre to 150. And we think we can double yield again to 300 bushels an acre in another couple of decades.

We're now feeding twice as many people using 20 percent less acreage, while reducing the amount of pesticides used. The elimination of fuel associated with less spraying and plowing is also keeping about 20 billion pounds of carbon tied up in the ground, which is equivalent to taking 4 million automobiles off the road for a year.

Rather than limiting farmers to the false choice of providing either food or fuel, we should instead place our priorities on areas that enable agriculture to do both more productively and with less strain on our environment.

Whether it's improved seed, the use of fertilizers, practices like conservation tillage or the use of biotech crops, when all the rhetoric has faded and people honestly look at the landscape, it's all about increasing yields and doing it in a way that uses less of the world's precious resources.

By Theresa Schmalshof, July 2008

Theresa Schmalshof and her husband, Gary, raise corn and soybeans on their farm near Adair, Ill. She serves on the board of the National Corn Growers Association.

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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Poultry's Pilgrim Pays for Perry's Plane

Texas governor Rick Perry Bo Pilgrim corn ethanol RFSThe Houston Chronicle reports today that Texas Governor Rick Perry and three staff's airfare to Washington DC was paid for by poultry producer Lonnie "Bo" Pilgrim. The group attended a news conference where Perry stumped for a waiver from federal renewable fuel standards. The cost of the airfare was disclosed to be more than $9,000.00.

This latest revelation comes after news reports surfaced earlier this month that the Texas governor's request for a waiver came after a $100,000.00 donation by Pilgrim to the Republican Governors Association where Perry serves as chairman. Pilgrim is a co-founder of Pilgrim's Pride, the nation's largest poultry producer.

Critics of biofuels have been lobbying Congress to turn back efforts to promote energy independence, increased fuel supplies, and national security with the cleaner-burning, renewable American-grown ethanol fuel.

Source: Houston Chronicle

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Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Governors and General Motors Team Up for E85

General Motors E85 ethanol National Governors AssociationThe nation's largest automaker, General Motors, and the National Governors Association announced this week that they will work together to expand the number of E85 ethanol fueling stations across the country.

E85 ethanol fuel is 85% ethanol and 15% regular gasoline. E85 fuel can be used in Flexible Fuel Vehicles produced by the major automakers. The benefit is that FFVs can use either E85, gasoline or a mixture of both.

GM will assist states in finding appropriate places to put the ethanol pumps and provide additional technical expertise. The company has already helped bring 300 E85 pumps online in 15 states during the last three years. The country's 1,600th E85 station recently opened in Florida last month

GM said it will commit to making 50 percent of production flex-fuel capable by 2012, if the infrastructure is moving ahead. The company also has made recent significant investments in two ethanol companies, Coskata and Mascoma. These companies are working on new ethanol production processes to make ethanol from a variety of sources.

In announcing the agreement, National Governors Association (NGA) chair and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty stated:
"This collaboration with GM will help increase the availability of E85 around the country, providing more consumer choice and moving us toward a more secure energy future''
This announcement to increase the number of stations is a validation of ethanol. And for ethanol to remain a success, the number of vehicles, stations and gallons produced need to increase.

Source: General Motors, National Governors Association

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Monday, July 14, 2008

Ethanol Industry Helps Rural Kansas Economy

Jere White Kansas Corn Growers Association ethanolThe following was a response by the Kansas Corn Growers Association's Jere White in response to a recent opinion piece in the Wichita Eagle by Seaboard Foods blaming corn ethanol for food price increases and demanding that Congress repeal the Renewable Fuels Standard.

Seaboard Foods' Rod Brenneman complained that the ethanol industry is strangling pork producers ("Ethanol mandate hurts livestock producers," July 6 Opinion). These are strange words from the executive of a company whose first quarter earnings were up 42 percent from the same quarter last year.

Brenneman is a leader in the Food Before Fuel coalition. The coalition is managed by Glover Park Group, the same East Coast public relations firm that is handling the Grocery Manufacturers Association's now infamous ethanol misinformation campaign. The goal of these two groups is simple: Get rid of ethanol so food companies can once again have access to cheap corn. Unfortunately for Seaboard and the other big food manufacturers, it isn't that simple.

Seaboard has been a good friend to corn growers over the years, especially when corn was priced below our cost of production. Writing his commentary from his corporate office in metropolitan Kansas City, Brenneman feigned concern for the small family pork producer.

Our office is located in rural Garnett. All four of our employees come from family farms -- both livestock and grain. We know that small livestock producers are struggling with higher corn prices, because those producers are our friends and neighbors, association members, and two of our four employees.

Several factors have contributed to higher corn prices. One factor is certainly ethanol, and we will gladly take some credit for that one.

The boom in ethanol came about when growers in Kansas and the Midwest, tired of selling their corn for less than $2 a bushel, decided to do something for themselves and their rural communities. Many growers and community members took a big chance, investing money in local ethanol plant projects to create a market for their crops, to create jobs and to increase revenue for their communities. I believe this is called rural development.

What about the other factors? The value of the U.S. dollar has dropped, and economies of many foreign countries, like China and India, have exploded. So the export market for corn and other grains has grown, increasing demand.

About the same time, investors and speculators, wary of the stock market, moved to investing in commodities, increasing volatility. Ever-increasing energy costs, thanks to our dependence on foreign oil, play the biggest role in the cost of food production.

It seems shortsighted for Seaboard, looking for lower production costs, to go after only ethanol -- a homegrown industry that is in many cases owned by family farmers.

Brenneman justified his position by stating that ethanol is the one factor that Congress can control and states that are "feeling the pinch" should speak up. He should remember that many of the ethanol plants in Kansas and other Midwest states are owned by family farmers, and those plants are providing jobs in those small rural communities. Hurting the ethanol industry will hurt our rural Kansas communities.

Brenneman stated that "there are real jobs, real people and real communities at risk here." We couldn't agree more."

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Sunday, July 13, 2008

Oil Exec Defends Ethanol

Joe Petrowski Gulf Oil CNBC EthanolOil prices continue to climb to record heights forcing costs higher for millions of struggling American consumers.

And then we have groups like Big Oil and Big Food using alternative fuels as a scapegoat for all of their woes.

But not every oil company buys into the rhetoric against biofuels.

The CEO of Gulf Oil, Joe Petrowski, appeared on CNBC this week and defended the use of ethanol.

Asked what Congress should do, Petrowski stated that we must “stop attacks on ethanol“ and confirmed that removing ethanol from the energy supply would hurt us all.

He also calls the ethanol and food issue a "red herring". Petrowski also shared that the current daily ethanol production equates with that of “three OPEC nations”.

The discussion of ethanol is about 2 and 1/2 minutes into the interview.

See the full video HERE.

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Saturday, July 12, 2008

Pennsylvania Spurs Renewable Energy Development

Pennsylvania Edward RendellPennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell signed energy legislation this week into law that will save families and small businesses money on their energy bills by supporting investments in energy conservation and efficiency.

The governor said these kinds of investments are important today because consumers who now find it difficult to pay for gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas and heating oil will only face greater financial hardship when the generation rate caps that have held electricity prices in check since the mid-1990s expire, leading to double-digit rate increases.
“Families are having to make the difficult decision of whether or not to stay in their homes because they can barely afford to fill up their gas tank or go to the grocery store where higher energy prices have pushed up the price of food,” said Governor Rendell. “Likewise, businesses are questioning whether or not to shut their doors because it costs so much to keep the lights on and the machines running. "
The governor also outlined new strategic investments that will spur billions of dollars in new, private economic development projects from alternative energy companies and early stage businesses that will create thousands of jobs in a rapidly growing industry.
“Pennsylvania has established itself as leader in developing and deploying clean renewable energy resources,” said the Governor, citing some of the world’s leading businesses that now call Pennsylvania home, like Conergy, Gamesa and Iberdrola. “However, the $1 billion in private investment that has flowed into Pennsylvania and the 3,000 jobs we’ve created in the renewable energy industry only begin to scratch the surface of our potential."
So while another governor looks to limit fuel supply which will cause even higher food and fuel prices (here and here) Pennsylvania is actively working to build a strong and vibrant renewable energy industry.

Source: PA Governor's Website

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Where is Matt? Dancing, Of Course!

We don't go off topic very often here at Food and Food America, but sometimes it's worth a quick jaunt around the Net. It can help, maybe in some small way, to personalize the nature of the world around us.

Matt Harding, a world traveler at heart, has a new video out of his world-wide dancing escapades. Now this is not ballet at its finest. At best, his dancing style could be called goofy and maybe even dorky. But it is infectious. And the music and scenery are breathtaking.


Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Which leads us to ponder. Just where are all of these people going to get their food and fuel?

And with economic policies that attack farmers, stifle food production, limit fuel options and increase costs? It's a small world indeed.

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Friday, July 11, 2008

DOE Unveils New Alternative Fuel Locator Website

DOE NREL Alternative Fueling Station LocatorThe National Renewable Energy Laboratory has unveiled a new alternative fueling station locator on the Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center Web site.

The new site allows users to search for alternative fuel stations which offer biodiesel, E85, compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, electricity, hydrogen and liquefied natural gas fuels.

This new site complements the list on our site of Alternative Fuel Websites of other sites which track alternative fuel locations.

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Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Big Oil and Big Food's Do-Si-Do

Grocery Manufacturers AssociationIt's long been suspected that the campaign against biofuels had an alliance between big oil companies and the big food manufacturers.

Associations representing each industry have been vocal about US efforts to develop a renewable fuels industry.

But the distance between the seemingly disparate groups grew a bit smaller today when it was revealed that the head of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Cal Dooley, was leaving his post to head the American Chemistry Council.
American Chemistry Council
And why is that top spot open? Because its leader, Jack Gerard, is heading off -- to all places -- the American Petroleum Institute (API).


American Petroleum InstituteOver at the API, longtime CEO Red Cavaney is retiring and stepping down from the organization that represents major oil companies.

Recent efforts by the Grocery Manufacturers Association to roll-back renewable fuel efforts have been in the spotlight. What more could API want than to see its only competition get kicked around?

But legislators and biofuel supporters have also mobilized to counter the fuzzy facts from Big Food and Big Oil.

Maybe the heat got too hot in the kitchen. Who knows.

One can only hope that the Grocery Manufacturers Association, under public and private pressure to tone down its vicious campaign, will choose a less contentious leader for the organization.

Source: The Hill

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Tuesday, July 8, 2008

T. Boone Pickens' Plan for Gas and Wind

T Boone Pickens oil Good Morning AmericaT Boone Pickens, legendary oil man, appeared on ABC's Good Morning America to advocate for a plan to move America away from dependence upon foreign oil for our nation's energy.

He describes our dependence upon foreign oil as an "emergency" and that something has to be done about it.

He's advocating use of natural gas and wind power. He goes on to describe America as the "Saudi Arabia" of wind energy.

Pickens blames our oil-dependence predicament upon lack of leadership over the past decades.

He also predicts that in a year from now gas will be $6 a gallon and crude oil will be $200 a barrel if nothing is done about the crisis.

And those who don't like his plan, he asks them what plan do they have. "A fool with a plan is better than a genius with no plan".

Click HERE to view the video at GMA.

Source: Good Morning America GMA

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