Friends of the Earth Launches ‘No Sense’ Campaign
Our ethanol FOE, Friends of the Earth, is back in action with a new TV campaign, “No Sense,” designed to encourage policymakers in DC to dump ethanol subsidies. The campaign was launched just in time for the first Republican presidential debate set to take place in New Hampshire next Monday at St. Anselm College. The campaign is a joint effort between Friends of the Earth and Taxpayers for Common Sense, another organization that has been vocal for months regarding the end of subsidies.
“Corn ethanol is not living up to its promise,” said Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth. “Ethanol production requires tons of petrochemicals and diverts land that could be better used for growing traditional food. This country’s ethanol tax credits have increased food prices around the world and made climate pollution even worse.”
Friends of the Earth note that presidential hopefuls Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum have already come out of the gates with plans to phase out subsidies. In fact, Pawlenty was bold enough to announce this during his first official campaign stop in Des Moines, Iowa. On the flip side, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich favor keeping them in place while Ron Paul and Herman Cain want them ended immediately. The ethanol industry has also agreed that the subsides, such as VEETC should be phased out, but to eliminate them immediately would cause undo harm to the ethanol industry.
Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense added, “Ethanol subsidies are a ridiculous waste of taxpayer dollars and do little more than line the pockets of big oil companies. Republican candidates have to decide whether they put America’s taxpayers before their personal political gain.”
If early actions are any indication, then ethanol subsidies should be a hot topic in upcoming election (you can agree or disagree in this week’s poll).
So for all of you DF readers who don’t favor ethanol, here is your chance to voice your opinion – Friends of the Earth has a site for you to send letters to your local newspapers expressing your opinions.
5 Comments
Kum Dollison
RFA should pull their advertising (and support) over this. This is the stupidest thing you’ve done, yet.
Francis Patrick
Many of their comments are so distorted and outright lies that RFA and Growth Energy should start looking into suing these anti ethanol groups for slander.
Ronaldo
Go FoE! The mainstream media just doesn’t seem to understand that the VEETC is a redundant, wasteful transfer of wealth. With a Renewable Fuel Standard, corn growers have plenty of assurance that they will continue to supply more and more corn to ethanol producers. But what they don’t want is for gasohol prices to rise and reveal to drivers the true cost of ethanol, showing that it is not the bargain that they claim.
Frank
Why on Earth would you give any attention to this tripe? And why would you direct people to FOE’s site so they can send an anti-ethanol letter? I know you think algae is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but this is an odd move for someone whose site is supported by ethanol advertising (RFA).
Bob Winnson
I think a few commenters are having a hard time understanding the underlying reason for these articles and links. In my mind, the author is only providing information to organizations and supporters of ethanol, showing how massive the opposition’s media tools are. Like a good investigative journalist should do.
It is obvious that the opposition to ethanol is wrong. However, it does no good for the supporters to not read about and become informed about the persuasive/deceptive movement going on. I went to the FoE link, and it makes me wonder what the ethanol industry and organizations are doing to counter this. Are they far behind? Why wouldn’t they do similar things?
It is obvious that the fossil fuel industry has taken over many environmental groups, and they deceptively get the public to back their lobbying tactics, even to pay for it. FoE is no different. To fight fire with fire, the ethanol industry needs to have similar control over seemingly “environmental” organizations, to combat the fossil fuel industry. Only in the case of ethanol, they would be rightfully having influence in these organizations.
Do a little research. Find a few organizations that aren’t already run by the oil industry. Put your own “plants” in place, similarly as what the oil industry has done. Level the playing field. Better hurry, you’re many years behind.
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