Ethanol Myth

Here it is – finally some truth and a chance to take action about the ethanol distraction that is taking our country by storm. This is from the Organic Consumers Association. Consumer Reports covered this as “The Ethanol Myth” – see the image below. “Government support for agrofuels in the U.S. costs taxpayers roughly $2 per gallon in subsidies at the gas pump.” Can you believe that!?!? Read and sign the petition. I did. If not that, then read the 3 lines in bold below. It will take less than 30 seconds.

SUSTAINABILITY ALERT:
THE DARK SIDE OF ETHANOL AND BIODIESEL SUBSIDIES
Americans now understand that climate-destabilizing greenhouse gases are a major threat to our survival. Unfortunately, large corporations have convinced Congress to ignore real solutions to the crisis (like significant advances in fuel-efficiency), while providing billions of dollars per year in subsidies to big-agribusiness for agrofuels.

More than a hundred U.S. based and international organizations, including the Organic Consumers Association, are calling for a moratorium on the more than $8 billion of annual government subsidies paid to large corporations producing agrofuels from industrial-scale genetically engineered crops. Family farmers currently receive only a small portion of annual funds allocated to agrofuels. While billions of dollars in subsidies for corn, soy and palm oil-based agrofuels, certainly result in higher profits for corporate giants such as Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill, and Monsanto, their overall contribution to reducing reliance on foreign oil and greenhouse gases is negligible (see facts below).

Government support for agrofuels in the U.S. costs taxpayers roughly $2 per gallon in subsidies at the gas pump. These misguided funding priorities have taken tens of billions of dollars of funding away from essential greenhouse gas reduction policies, such as energy conservation, solar and wind power, fuel-efficiency technologies, and mass transit. While the OCA supports the production of biofuels from recycled waste (such as used vegetable oil, manure or sewage) and biomass sustainably grown and harvested for the benefit of local communities, the current focus is a recipe for disaster. Learn more and sign the Agrofuel Moratorium Petition today: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9980.cfm