ActionAid: Drive Aid

Opposition for biofuels stretches across the globe.

In the video above, Action Aid UK calls attention to the folly of burning our food for fuel.

In 2011, the United States—the world’s largest food exporter—converted 40 percent of its corn crop into fuel in order to satisfy the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In fact, the total amount of ethanol produced in the United States in 2011 was 13.95 billion gallons, enough to feed 570 million people that year. This practice of converting food into fuel drastically restricts global corn supply, and continues to have real consequences for the 1.2 billion people around the world living on $1.25 or less per day.

Sign our pledge to demand change. 

The Dangers of E15: What You Need to Know

In the video above, Jim Currie of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, a Smarter Fuel Future partner, discusses the dangers of E15.

E15 is a blend of fuel containing 15 percent volume ethanol and 85 percent volume gasoline. While E10 has been proven to be a safe and reliable gasoline for more than 20 years, the same cannot be said about E15. Despite this reality, EPA approved E15 for sale into the general gasoline pool for vehicles made in and after 2001.

Numerous studies show that gasoline blends containing more than 10 percent ethanol can cause engine damage in boats, cars and smaller engines including chainsaws, lawnmowers, and snowmobiles. As a result, vehicle manufacturers have warned that the use of E15 will void warranties, leaving consumers vulnerable to expensive repair bills.

WKRG: Is Ethanol Safe? Experts Say Not For All Engines

WKRG News 5

Ashley Knight, April 8- Corn--experts found a way to help decrease our dependency on foreign oil…and it's something we can grow in our own backyard. However, there have been concerns and the Internet is littered with articles talking about its negative effects on engines. University of South Alabama's Dean of the College of Engineering, Dr. John Steadman says ethanol does affect certain engine parts.

"Things like fuel lines, rings and those things that may be affected by having a strong chemical solvent," says Steadman.

Ethanol is a type of alcohol solvent, meaning it can eat through engine parts like rubbers, plastic, and certain kinds of fiberglass. Rubber used in seals and hoses may shrink. But Steadman says complications are rare and usually arise in a higher concentration.

"If you use regular 10% ethanol I think that the research indicates that you do not have any real difference. But if you had a large amount of alcohol, then you might very well find deterioration in things like the fuel lines."

If there is damage in car engines, it is usually in the older model cars, made in 1985 and before, who don't have engines made to tolerate the fuel.

Read more >>

The Street: Ethanol Program Spiking Gas Prices

Dan Dicker tells Jim Cramer how the ethanol program is destroying itself with by subsidizing foreign companies and spiking gas prices.

Is the Renewable Fuel Standard Working for America?

In 2007, Congress passed an expanded Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS, which mandates that large quantities of biofuel– made from corn and other biomass—be blended into the fuel supply each year. Lawmakers promised that this policy of turning food and plants into fuel would be a silver bullet for America’s energy challenges—making us more energy secure and more environmentally friendly.

Sound too good to be true?

It is. Seven years later, the RFS has not only failed to achieve its stated objectives – it’s also hurting every American at the grocery store and the gas station.

Numerous research organizations, academic institutions and public interest groups have all spoken out to voice concern about the negative economic, environmental, food and engine performance effects of current U.S. biofuel policy.

There is a smarter solution. We’re calling on lawmakers to revisit the failed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and enact policies that take our collective concerns into account.

Americans deserve a policy framework where:

• Goals and outcomes are informed by markets, not mandates
• Our natural resources are used strategically and efficiently
• America’s crops and cropland are dedicated to providing food and feed, not fuel
• Consumers’ right to safety and value come first
• The success of policies and programs are evaluated on real-world performance, and are not vulnerable to fraud and manipulation

Watch the video above and ask yourself, "Is the RFS really working for America?" If you agree the answer is "no," sign our pledge to demand change.

CNBC: AAA Warns E15 Gas May Damage Cars

CNBC's Phil Lebeau reports on a new warning issued by the AAA on Friday concerning the sale of new E15 gasoline, a fuel blend containing 15% ethanol. According to a survey conducted by the motorist association, 95% of consumers have not heard of E15, which was approved for sale by the EPA in June. Currently, only about 12 million vehicles are approved to use E15 gasoline, leaving approximately 228 million vehicles on America’s roads that are incompatible with the new fuel.  Seven auto manufacturers claim E15 does not comply with their fuel requirements while five others have stated that damage caused by improper E15 use is not covered under warranty. The AAA urged regulators and the gasoline industry to suspend the sale of E15 until gas pump labeling and other consumer awareness efforts have been implemented. 

Take Action Now! Tell the EPA to Waive Ethanol Mandates in Light of Historic Drought

Editor’s note 10/12: The EPA public comment period has now ended. Sign up here to receive updates about future opportunities to take action

If you believe affordable food should come before government mandates, now is your chance to take action. From now until October 11, the EPA is seeking comments on petitions filed by 156 House Representatives, 25 Senators and Governors from eight states—including Arkansas, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, Delaware and New Mexico—to waive the ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Visit Regulations.gov to submit your comment today.

89 percent of the nation’s corn crop has been affected by the drought—a problem worsened by the RFS, which allocates 40 percent of the diminished corn supply to ethanol production.

Poultry and livestock farmers—whose industries are critical to America’s economic well-being—are struggling to secure corn for animal feed, as bleak supplies have pushed the price of corn to a record high of more than $8 per bushel. Beyond the barnyard, Americans are also struggling—experiencing skyrocketing costs for basic foods as a result of higher corn prices. 

It’s time that the EPA acknowledges the flaws in this policy. Support the petition to waive the ethanol mandate—visit regulations.gov and submit your comment today.

The Colbert Report: U.S. Agriculture & Drought Disaster

Stephen Colbert interviewed Bruce Babcock, professor of agricultural economics at Iowa State University. Mr. Babcock explained that the U.S. corn crop is being negatively impacted by the current drought in the Midwest. Mr. Babcock warned that food prices will increase because American livestock are fed a "corn heavy diet" and explained that 35 to 40 percent of the crop goes to ethanol, setting up a fight between ethanol plants and livestock producers.

Phantom Fuels

The American Energy Alliance released a video exposing the failure of renewable energy mandates that raise the cost of producing and consuming transportation fuels in the United States. The “Phantom Fuels” video tells the story of cellulosic biofuel, a plant-based fuel source that is not commercially available despite federal law requiring refiners to blend 8.65 million gallons of it this year. Failure to blend the non-existent biofuel cost refiners $6.8 million dollars last year in fines assessed by the Environmental Protection Agency. American-based companies were forced to file a lawsuit in federal court seeking relief from the EPA’s rogue penalties.

Washington Examiner: EPA Punishes the Innocent for Green Fuels Fraud

Gas station signs announcing "Biodiesel" or "Contains ethanol" have become commonplace in America. We're vaguely aware that billions of gallons of such renewable fuel are now being blended into our finished gasoline and diesel fuels. This is the Renewable Fuel Standard at work, the EPA's byzantine invitation to fraud.

The RFS program is Environmental Protection Agency's system to assure that the amount of renewable fuel being used in motor fuel meets the requirements of the law. Believe it or not, the EPA monitors every gallon of renewable fuel in our motor fuel with a unique serial number called a Renewable Identification Number, or RIN. The EPA does not assign the RIN, nor does it maintain a registry for these numbers. And that's where the horror story begins.

Producers assign RINs -- credits that can be bought and sold like shares of stock. What's more, the EPA puts the burden on refiners and importers to ensure the credits they purchase are valid.

Read more >>