A widely respected public opinion research firm had some good news for the ethanol industry at the National Ethanol Conference Wednesday.
In a poll commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and conducted by American Viewpoint, 64 percent of adults polled said they supported the RFS, while just 25 percent are opposed.
Presenting her findings during a luncheon address at NEC, American Viewpoint president Linda DiVall said, “The ethanol industry has a compelling narrative to advance to consumers — it significantly reduces greenhouse gases, lowers our dependence on foreign oil, creates quality jobs, reduces fuel costs for Americans, and is serving to advance further innovations in renewable fuels.”
DiVall came up with four positive message components for the ethanol industry to utilize – green energy (targeting women and younger adults), oil companies still receive subsidies, ethanol creates jobs and reduces gas prices, and finally – call it a biofuel instead of ethanol. “Biofuel is seen as a more futuristic energy source than saying the word ethanol,” she said. “There are very positive images associated with biofuels.”
Listen to DiVall explain in this interview: Linda DiVall at NEC 2013
2013 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album
2013 NEC Golf Tournament Photo Album
Most reasonably intelligent people know that the results of many, if not most, public opinion polls can be skewed with the wording of the question and choices of the answer. Now if American Viewpoint asked the same respondents if they supported America’s Corn Ethanol program even though it has caused the price of both food & fuel to skyrocket; I’m sure they would have gotten an entirely different result. At one time, more than 70% of Americans supported the invasion of Iraq. Of course the respondents somehow came to believe that Saddam Hussein was involved in the 911 attack. Also, the respondents did not know how long the U.S. occupation of Iraq would last and how much it would cost. Due to extreme global drought conditions, there is a critical global shortage of corn, hay and grains. Animal feed prices have doubled & tripled. Farmers are dumping their herds because they can’t afford to feed the animals and soon there will be nothing to feed the regardless of the price. When there is very little or no food, that will be the time for AV to poll for support for ethanol.
The concept that ethanol has “caused the price of both food and fuel to skyrocket” is just plain wrong. Food inflation has been average, if not lower than average, since 2005. Explain that. And fuel prices? Umm, I think we can pretty well blame that on the oil industry. Farmers are “dumping their herds”? Really? What farmers? I believe the National Cattlemen’s Association meeting this week in Tampa has record or near record attendance. It was a record last year at over 8,000. They are actually BENEFITING from ethanol production by feeding animals the co-product DDGS. “Soon there will be nothing to feed regardless of price.” Wow – that’s a bit of a stretch. I think you really should check your facts.
Oh please !!!! Corn ethanol is like Obamacare. If the federal government has to subsidize health insurance and ethanol and force people to buy them; that just tells you right there that both aren’t any good. You can put all the lipstick on those pigs you want and they’re still going to be pigs.
Hmmm – but the federal government subsidizes the oil industry as well – and Exxon Mobil made almost $45 billion last year. Yet they claim that their tax credits are not subsidies. The ethanol tax credit and the RFS have been necessary to allow new fuels access to an industry that has a monopoly on the market. The ethanol industry now has NO TAX CREDITS, but Big Oil refuses to give up theirs which are EMBEDDED in our tax code with no sunset. Biofuels could not gain access to the market without the government forcing the oil industry to allow it.
You just don’t get it !! Human beings and the animals human beings eat don’t consume oil or petroleum products. If the government eliminates the tax incentives to big oil, those revenue losses will be directly passed on to consumers by way of higher prices at the pump. Most right thinking Americans don’t want to pay significantly higher prices for food and fuel just so the farmers in the corn belt can sell all the corn they can possibly grow at hugely inflated prices. Consider that ethanol is so corrosive that it cannot be sent through the nation’s pipelines. Also, in the event of an accidental fire, special flame retarding materials must be used to control or put the fires out because traditional retardants are useless with ethanol fires. And if that’s not enough, E15 has been proven to be extremely harmful to many, if not most, vehicles currently on the road.