“The Ethanol Effect” is a new PBS documentary produced by Detroit Public Television that debuted earlier this month and is available on-line for anyone to see. We want to know what you think about it.
The documentary is hosted by energy and environment reporter David Biello and includes comments from a variety of ethanol industry representatives and supporters, including Renewable Fuels Association CEO Bob Dinneen, POET founder Jeff Broin, ICM founder Dave Vander Griend, American Ethanol NASCAR driver Austin Dillon, Protec CEO Todd Garner, and others. It also allows ethanol detractors to have their say. Roughly going through the one hour special, it seemed to me that it was pretty well balanced, and maybe even a little more favorable toward ethanol, but there were definitely some fact errors or omissions – such as saying that cellulosic ethanol is made from corn stover without noting that it can be made from a variety of biomass. It should also be noted that one of the underwriters for the documentary is Jerry Jung, a very vocal ethanol opponent in Michigan.
Already got some comments on the program in our previous post about it – go to theethanoleffect.org to watch the documentary and give us your review by commenting on this post.
Note – there is also a Growth Energy website called EthanolEffect.com that provides “just the facts about a biofuel that is in 97 percent of America’s motor fuel.”