In an unusual campaign, ethanol producers, corn growers and its lobbying and public relations firms have criticized and sought to alter the story, which was released to some outlets earlier and is being published online and in newspapers Tuesday. [today]AP
Monday's press call criticizing the AP also included Leroy Perkins, an Iowa farmer interviewed for the AP project. Perkins said he was surprised by the article's focus. He said he thought the AP was writing about the increase in farm ownership from people outside the area and about water quality impacts.
An AP spokesman, Paul Colford, said Perkins was clearly aware of the questions that AP had about the expansion of cornfields into conservation land and went out of his way to be helpful, even helping AP arrange a flight over Iowa farmland. Colford said that, like many other farmers contacted by AP, Perkins said he would prefer to keep land in the conservation program but was reconsidering, given the favorable price being offered for corn.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
"Industry takes aim at AP ethanol investigation"
"A new Associated Press investigation, which found that ethanol hasn't lived up to some of the government's clean-energy promises, is drawing a fierce response from the ethanol industry."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
That is so strange how economic self-interest always screws up these great ideas from the smart people. It's a conspiracy I tell you.
Why should Al Gore make all the money?
The saddest part is that America's nearly inexhaustible corn crop could instead be used to inebriate the entire planet.
Ethanol has brought new tractors and combines to marginal farms around here.
If a farmer has a quarter in his pocket, he spends two.
In my part of the US the people who got rich form ethanol manufacturing are the politicians who were partners in the ethanol facilities they approved. Damn criminals.
Ethanol is junk, at least the way it is manufactured from corn in the US. Switch grass produces more ethanol than corn, is easier to grow, and doesn't require watering. But there is no switch grass lobby, and there is a powerful corn lobby. And switch grass doesn't take food out of the market.
I hate ethanol because it is a constant pain in the ass. It damages my lawn mower and snow blowers. It gunks up carburetors. My snow blowers have to be serviced at least twice each year because of the shitty ethanol gasoline we are forced to buy here; ditto my lawn mower.
Briggs & Stratton now sells non-ethanol, non-special blend gasoline for use in power equipment. It costs $30 per gallon. That is ridiculous. I buy racing gas from a shop near where I live, but at $7.70 per gallon it's still expensive. The alternative is to pay $150 twice per year for each of three different pieces of power equipment.
Damn politicians.
Once we subsidize the baby, it's difficult to take the bottle away.
Special interest tentacles sprout and multiply.
Of course ethanol hasn't worked out. Why? Well, when you look at the money scam that it created by people who owned vast amounts of corn and corn subsidies, then you can see why? Oh hey, has anyone been arrested, prosecuted, and jailed for the MTBE debacle? This question answers itself.
April Apple said...
Once we subsidize the baby, it's difficult to take the bottle away.
Special interest tentacles sprout and multiply.
Leave the Japanese out of this.
Post a Comment