Those are the words of Will Steger, famed Arctic explorer, now on a four-month-long, 1200-mile expedition across the Canadian Arctic’s Baffin Island. So what is Steger trying to prove as today he and his sleddog team approach Iqaluit, Canada through -50 degree wind chills? Ironically enough, global warming. Listen here to his audio dispatch from Day 5 that might be …
Biofuels Take Center Stage at NFU Convention
The National Farmers Union 105th annual convention in Orlando recently was very focused on alternative energy. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi spent a significant portion of her keynote speech at the convention talking about alternative energy, from ethanol to wind. “By making the investments we need to make in renewable energy, we can turn America’s farms and fields into …
Obama on Ethanol
Presidential candidate Barak Obama visited the nation’s number one ethanol producing state over the weekend. During his visit to Davenport, Iowa, he did an interview with local television station WQAD-TV during which he was asked about his support for ethanol, in light of the current high price of corn. “I think what we’re seeing is the market for alternative fuels …
Feedback on Bush’s Brazil Biofuels Business Trip
Lawmakers and special interests have been chiming in with reaction to the US-Brazil biofuels agreement announced last week. In a press statement, Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana praised the agreement. “Working with Brazil will help turn ethanol into a global commodity and reduce our dependence on oil. It also demonstrates to our friends in the Hemisphere that we are ready …
Presidents Talk Biofuels
During a press conference Friday with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President Bush said, “I hope the citizens of Brazil, like the citizens of the United States, are as optimistic about the future as these two Presidents are. And one reason we’re optimistic is because we see the bright and real potential for our citizens being able to …
25 x ’25 Action Plan
Leaders from a broad alliance of agricultural, energy, environmental, business and labor groups recently rolled out a set of specific recommendations for reaching an ambitious renewable energy goal: 25 percent of the nation’s energy supply from renewable sources by 2025. Members of the 25x’25 Alliance were at the recent Commodity Classic to answer questions and discuss goals with members of …
Feed Fight on the Hill
The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry held a hearing on Thursday to review the impact of increased biofuels production and higher feed costs on the livestock industry. Congressmen heard from one high-ranking USDA official, six livestock industry representatives and the country’s leading expert on the ethanol co-product known as dried distillers grains which is used as a …
Senators Defend Ethanol Tariff
Two Republican senators voiced concerns Wednesday about a potential U.S.-Brazil ethanol accord. Iowa Senator Charles Grassley says he welcomes the President’s efforts to increase ethanol consumption through a partnership with Brazil because “God only made so much oil.” However, he said “We want to welcome it from a standpoint that United States taxpayers are not subsidizing competition,” which he says …
Protecting Ethanol Technology
Ethanol industry leader Broin Companies is going to court to protect its proprietary technology. According to an Argus (SD) Leader article, the Sioux Falls company filed a federal lawsuit last week alleging that two employees of a Broin-affiliated ethanol plant in central Iowa learned confidential information and trade secrets about its ethanol production methods. Then, the lawsuit alleges, the Iowa …
Yes and No to Brazil Deal
The Renewable Fuels Association says yes to promoting a global ethanol market, but no to allowing Brazil to benefit from the U.S. tax credit for ethanol. RFA President Bob Dinneen issued the following statement regarding President Bush’s upcoming meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva concerning a hemispheric partnership to expand ethanol production. “Expanding the marketplace for ethanol …