In an unpredictable twist, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources is denouncing ethanol as an alternative to petroleum-based motor fuels.
During an appearance in Paris, Minister Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi said:
“Let’s be realistic, ethanol and biofuels will not contribute to the protection of the global environment by reducing (carbon dioxide) emissions, they will not increase energy security, nor will they reduce dependency on fossil fuels to any appreciable degree.â€
All sarcasm aside, Minister Al-Naimi’s dismissal of ethanol is just the latest in a long line of similar remarks by those in control of the world’s oil resources. Clearly, the fact that the Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that increased ethanol use will help reduce US petroleum consumption 90,000 barrels per day in 2008 is beginning to strike a nerve.
Responding on behalf of the US ethanol industry, Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen challenged Minister Al-Naimi’s assertions about the energy, economic and environmental impacts of ethanol.
“For the Saudi Oil Minister to assert that biofuels are not an effective energy alternative is no different from the wolf complaining that Little Red Riding Hood was interrupting his dinner plans,” Dinneen wrote. “As a leader of a country that opposes strict limits on carbon emissions and favors continued expansion of petroleum production, it is not surprising that you express opposition to the development of biofuels.â€
“What is also galling about your statement is the claim that biofuels negatively impact the ‘food market.’ The evidence demonstrates that the number one negative impact on the food market is the high price of your primary export – oil,” he continues. “One hundred dollar per barrel oil has driven up the cost of everything from fertilizer to diesel oil used to transport food, to plastics used in food packaging.â€
Read Dinneen’s full letter here.
At the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference 2008 on Wednesday as crude oil prices hit record highs of over $104 a barrel, President Bush said the United States needs to “get off oil” and he renewed his support for ethanol as a means to that end.
“In the 2000 campaign I strongly supported ethanol. In 2008 it’s amazing to think about how far our country has come since the year 2000. Ethanol production has quadrupled from 1.6 billion gallons in 2000 to a little over 6.4 billion gallons in 2007.
And the vast majority of that ethanol is coming from corn, and that’s good. That’s good if you’re a corn-grower. And it’s good if you’re worried about national security. I’d rather have our corn farmers growing energy than relying upon some nation overseas that may not like us. That’s how I view it.
In 2005 the United States became the world’s leading ethanol producer. Last year we accounted for nearly half of the worldwide ethanol production. I don’t know if our fellow citizens understand that, but there is a substantial change taking place, primarily in the Midwest of our country.”
Read the full text of the president’s remarks here.
The latest political cartoon from the Renewable Fuels Now Coalition really hits home with oil hitting the C note this week.
These political-style renewable fuels education cartoons are distributed twice a month by the Renewable Fuels Coalition for use in publications or websites. Contact Joanna Schroeder at jschroeder@renewablefuelsnow.org, or 402-932-0567 to subscribe.
Renewable Fuels Now is a coalition representing ethanol, biodiesel, agriculture and other industries that support increased use of homegrown renewable fuels as part of a balanced energy policy for America. The Coalition’s members include RFA, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), 20/20 Vision, Wisconsin BioIndustry Alliance, Ethanol Producers and Consumers (EPAC), Kansas Association of Ethanol, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, IndyCar Series, Buckeye Renewable Fuels Association, Ohio Corn Growers Association, Clean Fuels Development Coalition, and Northwest Renewable Fuels Association.
In a letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the leaders of the world’s largest ethanol trade associations expressed their concerns over the “apocalyptic†public statements as well as the interim report issued by United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler.
The apocalyptic statements made by the Special Rapporteur, calling biofuels production a “crime against humanity†and a “recipe for disaster,†are not only unjustified but also unacceptable to those of us who contribute to this emerging industry and millions of people around the world who benefit from renewable biofuels everyday.
The letter, signed by the heads of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), the European Bioethanol Fuel Association (EBIO), the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA), and the Brazilian Sugar Cane Industry Association (UNICA), detailed some specific concerns the world ethanol industry has about the assumptions and conclusions made by Mr. Ziegler. Specifically, the groups pointed to the economic and environmental benefits ethanol provides that Mr. Ziegler has marginalized or ignored completely. Moreover, the letter also details some of the more immediate factors limiting the availability of food in some regions of the world.
Mr. Secretary General, we urge the United Nations to review the Interim Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food with a focus on sound science, credible studies, and a comprehensive view of the biofuels sector
rather than unsupported assumptions and selected anecdotes. We stand ready to participate in this revision process. Specifically, each signatory to this letter plans to submit additional comments and recommendations to the Special Rapporteur to address specific inaccuracies and concerns regarding its policy recommendations.
Read the whole letter here.
Subscribe to this Blog
How to subscribe