An enormous amount has been written about the final rule for the renewable fuel standard (RFS2) and the statements from the White House in support of biofuels development. One thing that has not been written about—and perhaps can only be fully appreciated by those who have been involved in the ethanol industry for many years—is, in a word, progress!
My tenure goes back 26 years, others go back even further. Over the years, the battles that have been fought on state and federal levels could fill volumes. It seems at times that we take two steps forward and three steps backwards, but when one looks at the span of the past 25 years, it's clear that the major direction has always been forward.
Those opposed to ethanol have driven more stakes in its heart than a bad Dracula movie. But you just can't kill an idea whose time has come. The slash and burn tactics used by ethanol detractors have failed time and time again. They have failed because ethanol is the right strategy at the right time in history.
We certainly applaud the commitment to biofuels demonstrated by the Obama administration. The words of vindication contained in the RFS2 will go far to help establish ethanol as a future fuel. The reality, however, is, that when faced with the alternative of "more oil" or domestically produced fuel, even with its blemishes, what other choice do we really have? As strategies are being feverously drafted to reduce our GHG emissions, improve our energy security, and get people back to work here in America, I ask again, do we choose more oil or domestically produced clean energy?
History is replete with failures, but seldom does something fail when it addresses a fundamental problem. Ethanol addresses a fundamental problem facing America and the world, the need for clean, home-grown energy. Of all the seemingly unsolvable problems that the world faces, energy does not have to be one of them. We have solutions to our energy needs. Not just one solution, but multiple solutions. It's time we unanimously adopt those solutions, and move on to other problems that are far more pressing.
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