For another year, the Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC), the Ethanol Across America education campaign, and the FlexFuel Vehicle (FFV) Club paid homage to U.S. Military Vetarans on Memorial Day. The groups teamed with Volunteers of Underage Military Service (VUMS) at the national Memorial Day parade in Washington D.C. to highlight the role of energy and national security.
According to the Ethanol Across America press release, more than 20,000 attended the parade through the nation’s capitol and honored hundreds of veterans.
“Our slogan is There is no National Security without Energy Security,” said Marine Lt. Col. (ret) William C. Holmberg, a VUM and a board member of the American Council On Renewable Energy. “Groups like CFDC, Ethanol Across America, the Flexible Fuel Vehicle Club, the Renewable Fuels Association, and ACORE work every day to increase that awareness. Marching together in the shadow of the Washington Monument, the Capitol, and the memorials helps people get the connection that much of the unrest around the globe has links to oil. Increasing our supply of domestic fuels makes our nation safer and more secure, plain and simple.”
The procession included the CFDC/Ethanol Across America FlexFuel Chevy Avalanche and the Flexible Fuel Vehicle Club’s Chevy Tahoe, the Renewable Fuels Association’s Ford E85-Electric Hybrid Escape, and several electric hybrid vehicles.
“Under any circumstances it would be an honor for us to be part of the salute to all those who have served. Our generation sees the loss of jobs, wealth, and military cost of importing more than 60% of our oil, and we have an opportunity to do something about it,” said Douglas A. Durante, Director of the Ethanol Across America program. “If reducing our dependence on oil keeps us out of one less conflict, and keeps young Americans from having to be memorialized, then we should all be working toward that goal.”
According to FlexFuel Vehicle Club President Burl Haigwood, the parade provided an opportunity to increase public awareness that we can do something about it, right now. “With nearly 8 million flex fuel vehicles on the road today, if we ran those vehicles on clean, domestic fuels like ethanol we could reduce our reliance on unstable regimes and reduce the military costs of protecting our oil interests. Consumers can utilize the flex fuel vehicles they already own and look at the flex fuel vehicle option for future purchases,” said Haigwood.