Let’s Give Credit Where It’s Due
by Kenneth Riffle (Salina Journal) Opinion: … Ethanol utilized as an oxygenate in blended gasoline helps control carbon monoxide emissions. As an economic driver, ethanol has strengthened rural communities by adding value to agricultural production. If adhered to, the ethanol incentive model keeps profits in local communities along with jobs.
George W. Bush (not Barack Obama) signed the first Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS) into law in 2005. As such, Bush/Cheney energy policy is credited for mandating production of 4 billion gallons of ethanol in 2006 increasing to 71/2 billion gallons by 2012. Current ethanol policy is nothing more than a continuance of previous administration policy.
In 2007, Bush also signed The Energy Independence and Security Act, increasing annual renewable fuel use to 36 billion gallons by 2022. Under RFS-guided policy, only 15 billion gallons of ethanol will be produced from corn and the rest from other sources. There is no shortage of corn or conspiracy by government or farmers to use ethanol production to drive up food prices or deny food to anyone.
Finally, references to overt water consumption are focused hypocrisy. READ MORE and MORE (High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal)
