At the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop last week, the CEO of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) accepted an award for promoting the advancement of ethanol on behalf of the corn industry as a whole.
“It’s more of an award for the people that I work with, the farmers, our leaders, our great staff, the state groups,” Rick Tolman told Chuck Zimmerman after he accepted the ethanol industry’s High Octane Award. “I think it reflects how committed we are to this industry, how much we have gotten engaged and involved.”
One way that NCGA has gotten involved in a big way in the promotion of ethanol recently is the commitment to the American Ethanol NASCAR program, which Rick says has exceeded his expectations. “I think it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done,” he said. “It has real potential to be a game changer for ethanol.”
Rick also talked about the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), which he calls “phenomenal in the way it’s gotten together” noting that over 40 organizations are part of the group which is less than a year old. “We’re starting to the agribusiness component now,” he said. “John Deere, DuPont, Fertilizer Institute and Farm Credit Banks are the first four.”
As high school English teachers hand out research paper assignments to eye rolls and sighs, they must know that their students feel nearly certain that the knowledge gained in carefully sourcing their final assignment will never serve them later in life. This attitude remains pervasive into adulthood it seems as many legislators, food elitists and a broad array of anti-ag activists have forgotten one of the keys to a successful assignment: Always base your thesis on information from academically credible sources.
Right now, arguments against corn-based ethanol, corn sugar and production agriculture have gained a significant amount of public attention. What we must do is question the information the nay-sayers build their arguments upon because, as high school also taught, popularity does not equal substance.
But it seems legislators forgot these valuable lessons as the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy and Environment decided to invite chicken lobbyists, environmentalists and Big Oil to testify during a hearing examining the science behind E15. While each of these groups most certainly has an opinion, albeit a self-serving one, on ethanol, none can claim to have conducted the unbiased, scientific research that would lend their arguments credibility.
If the subcommittee had truly intended to take a hard look at the scientific knowledge on E15, there were many groups who could have offered more pertinent, reliable data. Institutions that publish actual research that holds weight in scientific circles, including the Rochester Institute of Technology and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, have conducted extensive research on the matter. Yet, somehow, our elected officials chose to listen to groups with obvious agendas and little expertise in the matter.
Food elitists have taken the same route as the armchair activists who perpetuate the idea that corn sugar, also known as high fructose corn syrup, somehow adds to the obesity epidemic, predisposes persons toward diabetes or is just generally bad. A majority of the HFCS-bashing public cannot accurately explain why they believe it to be worse beyond knowing that they heard something about some study.
Performing a routine Facebook search for the term yields telling results immediately. The very first result offered is a page advocating a complete ban of HFCS. Put together by a high school graduate with no discernible other credentials, the page explains that corn sugar differs from other sweeteners as the body metabolizes fructose and glucose differently. He even cites scientific evidence.
It is time that we ask as much of ourselves as was required in high school – that we act as critical thinkers. The assignments today include developing sensible policies that serve the public good and are based in science and not propaganda-driven hysteria. Much more is at stake than an A this time so follow your English teacher’s instructions and make sure that the information you share comes from a source deserving of your trust.
In an American corn ethanol-fueled race at Iowa Speedway, Marco Andretti won the 2011 Iowa Corn Indy 250, posing in Victory Lane with Iowa Corn Grower leaders who attended the event.
This year was the 5th year for the race, sponsored by Pioneer, with support from the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) and the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA). ICPB chairman Dick Gallagher says this year the race was all about going green. “We’re very proud to be able to show that (ethanol) is a renewable fuel, a green fuel and that’s what we need to be promoting more because our dependence on foreign oil is too much,” he said in an interview with Chuck Zimmerman. Dick Gallagher Interview
Chuck also talked with incoming ICGA president Kevin Ross who says the Iowa Corn Indy 250 had been “a huge event” for corn growers. “It’s a great showcase that we can use not just in our state, but nationwide and even worldwide,” he said. “It’s a great venue to get our message out about the great things that Iowa corn growers are doing.” Kevin Ross Interview
Indy has been using 100% ethanol for over five years now and during the post-race press conference, Chuck asked Mario his thoughts on racing in front of 2,500 corn growers and using fuel they grew. “I think it’s great we can be green and still have performance,” Mario said. “We’re thankful to have their support. I love this place. Iowa’s great.” Marco Andretti Ethanol Comments
Even Indy and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick had nice things to say about ethanol. “I think that we’re in definitely in an age where everybody is doing what they can to take care of this wonderful world we live in,” Danica said during a pre-race press conference. “Ethanol is definitely something that has been a real presence in IndyCar years ago to NASCAR now. It’s really great.” Danica Patrick Ethanol Comments
This morning Rick Tolman, NCGA CEO, (right) received a very special award at the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop. The High Octane Award acknowledges, by peoples’ choice, nomination and voting, a person who has helped the ethanol industry mature and progress over the years.
The award was presented by Tom Bryan, BBI International. Rick made a few comments about working in support of the industry. He says there are three main reasons for why he does it. First, it’s the economy, to take some of the money that’s going overseas and invest it in rural America. Then it’s the environment, trying to bring the reality of a clean, renewable energy source to the U.S. and reduce our GHG emissions. And third it’s national security, to bring home the men and women overseas trying to protect the flow of oil. You can listen to his remarks here: Rick Tolman Award Remarks
Ethanol sometimes gets a bad rap in the boating world, but some high performing race boats are proving that charge is all wet.
Boat racers from coast to coast gathered this past weekend in the ethanol-producing town of Garnett, Kansas to speed around Cedar Valley Reservoir running ten percent ethanol fuel (E10) at the National Boat Racing Association (NBRA) “Garnett Ethanol Hydroplane Nationals.” The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) partnered with NBRA earlier this year to help dispel concerns about the use of ethanol fuel in boat engines. The partnership includes the use of the RFA “Fueled with Pride” logo on signage around the racing events, as well as on all the racing boats and haulers.
“This was an opportunity to tell our story that E10 blends will run in any commercial type of vehicle, whether boats, auto or whatever,” said Steve Gardner, general manager of Garnett’s ethanol plant East Kansas Agri-Energy located in Garnett. “If this will run in racing boats, it will run in any type of boats.”
Garnett is also home to the Kansas Corn Growers Association and they joined with representatives from RFA and East Kansas Agri-Energy at the race where they provided fan bags with information and answered questions about the use of ethanol in marine engines.
All of the boats that race in NBRA competitions around the country this year have to prove they are using 10 percent ethanol fuel in order to be eligible for additional prize money in the race. “We test all the fuel before the race and then the top three entries in any class are tested when they come in to make sure they are running ethanol,” said NBRA president Dan Crummett.
The NBRA races include a number of different classes of hydroplanes and runabouts with stock and modified outboards that run as fast as 96 miles per hour. Crummett says most of the issues that boaters experience when using ethanol-blended fuel can be addressed with better maintenance. “Any fuel will degrade over not a long period of time once the oil is mixed in it,” he says, which is why it’s so important for boaters to avoid leaving fuel set n the tank for an extended time.
Here’s a little video montage of representatives from the town of Garnett and the Renewable Fuels Association welcoming the racers and some race footage.
Addressing fallacies about food prices, water use and greenhouse gas emissions, Forrest Jehlik shows clearly how the many misconceptions that plague ethanol have no scientific basis. Backed by Argonne’s laudable reputation for scientific excellence, his statements provide the direct, clear facts.
Noting that the 900,000 barrels of ethanol the U.S. produces per day is equal to our Nigerian oil imports and “within striking distance of the amount we import from Venezuela or Saudi Arabia,” Jehlik gives strong reasons to reexamine our view of ethanol itself and of the policies and regulations aimed at this amazing industry.
This Saturday, the Iowa Speedway will host the fifth Iowa Corn Indy 250, presented by Pioneer, and ethanol supporters have a chance to show how “green” they really are. Under green lights, a green flag will drop before cheering fans clad in the same hue. Combining the excitement of racing with these clear visuals, the Iowa Corn Indy puts both the incredible fuel performance of ethanol and its ecological benefits squarely in the spotlight.
Ethanol has raced into the national racing spotlight already this year as NASCAR switched to a 15 percent ethanol blend for fuel in every car at every race in 2011. Running on pure ethanol, the Indy cars will reinforce the fuel’s ability to perform in some of the most expensive cars in the world. With true experts watching for signs of car damage like the hawks of the gear-head world, claims that ethanol damages cars seem questionable at the very best.
The “Green Out” showcases a side of ethanol not as readily apparent as the cars rip through the turns – its environmental benefits. While racing is certainly exciting, here it is also a vehicle to reach the public with information about this efficient, clean-burning fuel source.
Helping get the word out about ethanol has never been so much fun. Have some friends over on Saturday, tune into Versus and watch ethanol break away from the pack as consumers see that they can help save the environment without sacrificing performance with domestic, sustainable ethanol.
Food is the focus of the G-20 Summit of Agricultural Ministers this week in Paris and some groups are warning that the end of the world may be near unless biofuels policies are changed. “The world is one bad harvest from a recurrence of the 2008 food crisis,” says one activist group. “Biofuels are not the answer to the climate and energy crises and our increasing addiction to them is robbing people of basic food security. The world cannot let some starve so that others can drive.”
The anti-biofuels agenda for the G-20 was set earlier this month with a report from the World Trade Organization, World Bank and several other international organizations that largely blames biofuels production for volatile world food prices. “If oil prices are high and a crop’s value in the energy market exceeds that in the food market, crops will be diverted to the production of biofuels which will increase the price of food,” the report states, making one of its ten recommendations to the G20 ministers being that “G20 governments remove provisions of current national policies that subsidize (or mandate) biofuels production or consumption.”
The Renewable Fuels Association calls the international report incomplete and unbalanced. “Most glaringly, this report fails to recommend concrete steps that could be taken by G20 countries to combat the impact of higher energy costs on food price volatility,” said RFA Vice President for Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper. “Remarkably, the report fails to properly address the impact of prices for oil and other energy sources on food price volatility.”
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says he intends to defend biofuels at the summit, stressing their importance to the economy and the environment. “America is working on developing new feedstocks that don’t pit food versus fuel but that create new rural economic opportunities and allow us to continue to expand on our efforts to build a much more renewable energy source,” said Vilsack, who is attending the Paris Air Show prior to the G20 meeting to discuss biofuels for aircraft that can be made from dedicated energy crops.
In addition to eliminating biofuels production, groups like Oxfam are calling on the G20 to support the creation of national and regional food reserves in developing countries, which they claim would help avoid food price surges. Vilsack says the U.S. is concerned about how those reserves would be managed in order to prevent manipulation and he is hoping that the countries choose to focus more on increasing agricultural productivity through “research, development and innovation,” including the use of more biotechnology.
Which makes more sense than having countries abandon efforts to create more renewable fuels and become less dependent on oil, or requiring stockpiles of grain to keep prices low while people continue to go hungry.
For those looking to the government for cues on ethanol, Thursday must have been awfully confusing. While senators were sipping happy hour cocktails and congratulating themselves on a symbolic, politically-motivated vote attacking ethanol, the Department of Energy was rewarding innovative students for finding ways to improve fuel consumption and emissions in American-made cars.
The same day that senators bemoaned the tax credits given to the ethanol industry, the Department of Energy, in conjunction with contestant co-sponsor General Motors announced that the overall winner of the EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge was an extended-range electric vehicle using E85 designed and built by a team of Virginia Tech University. They awarded second place to another E85 EREV from Ohio State. For the DOE, ethanol was a huge winner.
The contest is important as it is a joint government and industry challenge to re-engineer a GM-donated vehicle to minimize the vehicle’s fuel consumption and emissions, while maintaining its utility, safety, and performance. The Virginia Tech team achieved the equivalent of nearly 82 miles per gallon—a 70 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over the stock vehicle. They did it using 85 percent ethanol as the conventional fuel.
So as the nation’s top energy regulators told the our nation’s future engineering leaders that ethanol was a winner with them, senators deemed ethanol unworthy of assistance despite its ability to provide a clean, sustainable domestic energy source. Yes, this was the same crew who voted to keep massive Big Oil subsidies. No, no contest winners made vehicles of the future using the fuel of the past.
It’s time to ask our senators in Washington what they are thinking. These men and women were not elected for the scientific knowledge, but officials at the DOE were chosen for theirs. If you have a senator who voted against ethanol, take a moment to ask why he or she continues to ignore what scientists endorse: ethanol.
A friend of mine told me he thought he heard a strange sound coming from Washington, DC today. He wasn’t quite sure what it was. Sounded
vaguely like a cat being stepped on but he was suspicious it was the sound of Congress playing the fiddle while the capitol or at least reason burned.
For non-history buffs this is a reference to the Roman emperor Nero who is infamously known for playing the fiddle while Rome burned to the ground. Seems like a rather fitting historical reference after Congress has spent a solid week debating legislation that would hamper alternative fuel expansion while giving petroleum a pass.
However, he might have been mistaken. The mournful sound might have been the sound of the recession train coming around the bend again
with OPEC steering the engine. The cartel of oil-producing countries will have $1 trillion in revenues for the first time this year, benefiting from high prices that may cause a “double-dip recession,” according to the London Telegraph.
Oh my gosh….did they really just say “for the first time this year?” I guess that means we have been held up at the gas pumps for this mountain of cash before? Yes, we have, and it is time for the public’s short memory to stop.
Forecasts from the US government show that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, whose key members include Saudi Arabia and Iran, will collect a third more in revenues because prices have averaged $111 per barrel this year.
If you wondering what kind of catalyst it takes to cause another major recession before the last one is even purged from the memories of the still unemployed….this is pretty much it. We are rapidly running out of time to address our oil addiction in this country when our biggest export product is the U.S. greenback.
It is time to stop shooting ourselves in the foot when it comes to energy and our economy. Want to turn the economy around, let’s start by addressing our energy enslavement. Downsize your ride, drive less, support any and all domestic energy alternatives like ethanol that work. And by all means, would somebody stop stepping on the cat!
At the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop last week, the CEO of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) accepted an award for promoting the advancement of ethanol on behalf of the corn industry as a whole.
Ethanol sometimes gets a bad rap in the boating world, but some high performing race boats are proving that charge is all wet.
“This was an opportunity to tell our story that E10 blends will run in any commercial type of vehicle, whether boats, auto or whatever,” said Steve Gardner, general manager of Garnett’s ethanol plant 
Food is the focus of the G-20 Summit of Agricultural Ministers this week in Paris and some groups are warning that the end of the world may be near unless biofuels policies are changed. “The world is one bad harvest from a recurrence of the 2008 food crisis,” says one activist group. “Biofuels are not the answer to the climate and energy crises and our increasing addiction to them is robbing people of basic food security. The world cannot let some starve so that others can drive.”
