A fuel's errand

Republican House members ask EPA to scale back ethanol mandate 7

Muckraker: Grist on Politics

More than 50 Republican representatives sent a letter [PDF] to the Environmental Protection Agency last week urging the agency to lower the mandate for ethanol production in response to both the recent flooding in the Midwest and drought in the South.

They argue that one-third of the country's corn crop will be used for ethanol to meet the Renewable Fuel Standard, and while the weather this year will cause a decrease in supply of corn, the RFS will increase demand significantly.

"Domestic food prices are rising twice as fast as inflation and the rising price of basic commodities has been passed along to consumers," they wrote. "The renewable fuel standard is a significant factor in the increased cost of commodities, which is causing severe economic harm for low-income Americans and livestock producers."

The RFS is part of the mandate in the energy bill passed by Congress last December, which calls for 36 billion gallons of biofuels to be added to in the fuel supply by 2022. Fifteen billion of that is supposed to come from corn ethanol by 2015.

Kate Sheppard is Grist’s political reporter.

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  1. Biodiversivist's avatar

    Biodiversivist Posted 7:55 am
    02 Jul 2008

    This is weirdWhere are the Democrats? Biofuels have been bipartisan. The Repubs wanted them to buy votes from the farm belt and for energy security just like the Dems did. Give me a pro-choice, environmentally minded, atheist, anti-war Republican who votes with Democrats most of the time and I might become one of those independents I keep hearing about.

    In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
  2. Tasermons Partner Posted 10:59 am
    02 Jul 2008

    Recent report......in the Houston Chronicle found that the Texas governor (perry) and others began lobbyin' for the newer, less restrictive mandates after gettin' a $100,000 contribution to a GOP fund from concerned representatives of the cattle industry (hit hard by high food prices for cattle).
    Previous rumors suggested he did it on behalf of the oil interests.
    Oil...cattle...environment...just so long as it gets done, I guess?
  3. John former Marine Posted 10:05 pm
    02 Jul 2008

    We don't need their corn....We don't need their ethanol, their beef, or their soft drinks.  Let Iowa farmers grow real food again.

    Il faut cultiver notre jardin.
  4. Sam Wells Posted 1:08 am
    03 Jul 2008

    Chicken feed ...The $100,000 donation was from "Bo" Pilgrim of Pilgrim's Pride, the largest chicken processor in the US, with substantial holdings in cattle as well. Many ethics lawyers cringe when Bo starts writing checks of $10,000 a pop and handing them out in the lobby of Texas Legislature.  In this case, it was a larger check that followed 6 days after a secret meeting with Governor "Good Hair" Perry (TX) who subsequently sent a nice letter to the EPA docket for a fuel waiver so Texas would not have to comply with the federal ethanol mandates ... whatever it takes I guess, but it doesn't pass the smell test.

    Onward through the fog
  5. justlou Posted 1:21 am
    03 Jul 2008

    Democrat Mutual Protection AgencyThe dems will hold tight in opposing the loosening of the ethanol mandates until after the November elections.  The corn belt states' electoral votes  are just too important to throw the ethanol supporters under the bus now.  Ironically, but not without precedent, democrats will spout the lies and propaganda of the ethanol and corn industry as well as Bush administration, downplaying the role of ethanol in increasing food prices and trumping up claims that ethanol is now holding down the price of gasoline.
    When you build your case on delusions, expect more lies and propaganda to hold it up.  
    The Republicans do have the more logical and reality based case to make here, but it does not help that some of their main advocates are from Texas which tends to make this more of a technocratic argument between special and regional interests (oil patch vs. corn patch).  
     
  6. amazingdrx Posted 1:23 am
    03 Jul 2008

    Kinda' ironicGOP dissing agribiz corn ethanol?  This is a great opportunity for democrats to accuse opponents of sleeping with big evil oil.  Hehey.
    Too bad democrats can't join in the move to kill ethanol.  That's politics.  Most voters still think ethanol is green and clean.  Mass media delusion at work.

    http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin
  7. caniscandida Posted 7:37 pm
    05 Jul 2008

    Il faut cultiver notre jardin!!And the garden may have some chickens and geese and turkeys and pigs and goats -- but be nice to them.

    Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

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