Examine ethanol with eyes open
By Gene Lucht
Iowa Farmer Today
Gary Lamb has farmed for 55 years near Chelsea. He has served as
president of the Iowa Farmers Union, chairman of the Iowa State
Committee of the Farm Service Agency and agricultural liaison for Sen.
Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.
IFT: Ethanol has been the hot topic of the year in farm circles. But,you sound like you have some concerns about the trend.
Lamb: Im a supporter of ethanol and biodiesel and other renewable
fuels. But, Ive farmed for 55 years, and in that time Ive come to the
conclusion farmers as a group tend to have two strong characteristics:
Were optimists and we think short term. And, right now Im just afraid
that might be where were at.
I know the situation isnt identical, but to me there seem to be a few
too many similarities to the late-1970s. At that time, exports were
going to be our economic salvation.
And, when there was a problem the bottom fell out of our farm economy.
Land values fell 60 percent. Today, it seems to me there is at least
the possibility ethanol has replaced exports in that equation.
Look, Im not trying to throw cold water on ethanol. I think it is a
wonderful product. But, I want people to be going into this with their
eyes open. And, I want them to think long term.
IFT: Even if the bottom doesnt fall out of this market and if I
understand you rightly you are not necessarily predicting it will,
are there other clouds in the silver lining that is ethanol?
Lamb: Of course. Theres always a downside to every good trend, and
ethanol is no different. Right now, were focusing on the good. The
rising demand for corn to feed the 63 current or planned ethanol plants
in the state has brought the price of corn to nearly $4 a bushel. Grain
farmers are getting more of their income from the market, rather than
the mailbox. There is more investment in rural Iowa. Thats all good.
But, the need for more corn means more marginal land will probably be
coming into row-crop production.
That could lead to environmental problems down the road. The move to
put hay or soybean ground into corn could mean higher fertilizer
applications, and that could also have environmental impacts.
And, lets not forget about water needs. Iowa is the largest
ethanol-producing state, but Nebraska is second. Yet, a large
percentage of Nebraskas corn is irrigated with the water coming out of
the Ogallala Aquifer.
The water level in that aquifer is already dropping. At what point does that become a major problem?
IFT: What about the effects of higher land prices?
Lamb: I believe land values rose 16.5 percent in Iowa last year and
they are going up faster this year. Fifty percent of our land is farmed
by tenants or renters, and cash rents in many areas have risen to
between $250 and $300 an acre.
That effectively pushes young farmers out of the picture in many cases.
IFT: Any other concerns related to the price surge?
Lamb: I hope this doesnt push too many people out of the livestock
industry. Iowa State University did a study saying a 100-million-gallon
ethanol plant would use 37 million bushels of corn and would directly
create about 80 jobs.
If we would use that same 37 million bushels of corn to expand the livestock industry, it would create more than 1,300 jobs.
On the plus side, I believe one of the reasons large investor owned
CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations) took over a large part of
the hog industry is grain was so cheap they could buy it for less than
an Iowa farmer could grow it. This grain price jump might slow that
trend toward investor-owned livestock operations and give some
advantage back to farmers who feed the grain they grow.
IFT: Are there government or policy changes that would affect all this or address these concerns?
Lamb: If we are really serious about reducing our fossil-fuel
dependency, we must spend equal time, energy, thought and research
dollars on other types of renewable energy in addition to corn-based
ethanol. These could include cellulosic ethanol, biomass, wind, solar,
geothermal, methane, and even gasification or clean coal technology.
We could also keep funding levels up for the CRP and work to expand the
Conservation Security Program (CSP). We could promote energy-savings
programs. We could target more of our farm program spending toward
beginning farmers.
IFT: Despite all these concerns, you seem fairly upbeat.
Lamb: I firmly believe biofuels like corn ethanol and soy diesel can
and should be a vital part of our renewable fuels future. Im simply
encouraging us all to think long-term and do this right while we have
the chance. Lets not get so caught up in the short-term situation that
we create problems for future generations on the land.
You know, allowing ourselves to be convinced we cannot only feed our
nation and a big part of the world, but also fuel it is a very noble
idea. But, it may be about as realistic as believing we can conduct a
pre-emptive war in a nation like Iraq, where three cultures have been
at each others throats for 1,400 years, and establish an American type
of Democracy. Lets think this through.
Copyright © 2007 Iowa Farmer Today
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Monday, May 21
Examine ethanol with eyes open
by
Sam Garchik
on Mon 21 May 2007 03:18 PM CDT
Thursday, May 17
Take the Bus to the US Social Forum Jun 27th
by
Caroline Vernon
on Thu 17 May 2007 10:25 AM CDT
Take the Bus to the US Social Forum June 27th
Mark Your Calendars for the Progressive Event of the Year! By Caroline Vernon PACG is working on securing a bus (or two) to take a large Iowa contingent to Atlanta, Georgia from June 27th thru July 1st to attend the US Social Forum (USSF). Please mark your calendars and spread the word far and wide. Details about the cost of the bus trip and available lodging will be forthcoming... stay tuned... Excerpt from the site: The US Social Forum is more than a conference, more than a networking bonanza, more than a reaction to war and repression. The USSF will provide space to build relationships, learn from each other's experiences, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, and bring renewed insight and inspiration. It will help develop leadership and develop consciousness, vision, and strategy needed to realize another world. The USSF sends a message to other people's movements around the world that there is an active movement in the US opposing US Policies at home and abroad. We must declare what we want our world to look like and begin planning the path to get there. A global movement is rising. The USSF is our opportunity to demonstrate to the world Another World is Possible! Check out the following link to see some of the many workshops that will be available... http://www.ussf2007.org/en Wednesday, May 16
Establishing Our Progressive Iowa Network (PIN) - Mark the Date!
by
Caroline Vernon
on Wed 16 May 2007 11:25 AM CDT
Establishing our Progressive Iowa Network (PIN) – Mark the Date! By Caroline Vernon On Saturday, June 9th, progressive leaders, activists and legislators from across the state will converge on Iowa City for our first 2007 Democracy for Iowa Organizing Summit. We are still working out the details on the venue (forthcoming) but we will be meeting from 9am to 3pm (the last hour will be reserved for DFA-IA members to discuss administrative business so it will not be necessary for everyone to stay for that segment). The purpose of this gathering is to establish the Progressive Iowa Network (PIN). This network will serve to better unite progressive organizations, legislators, and leaders across the state so we can support each other’s efforts around progressive issues in Iowa. Currently, we have an unprecedented opportunity to get progressive legislation passed in our state. However, in order to achieve legislative victories on the issues that we care about, we must establish an effective framework that allows us to better organize our efforts, clarify our message, mobilize our base, educate the public and influence our state officials. We have identified the following 5 issues as requiring urgent action: 1. VOICE (Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections) Please note: we want ALL progressive organizations to attend this meeting and become part of this network even if we may not be focusing on your specific issues at this time. The Summit Agenda will cover the following: I. Why is PIN important? The first part of this summit will discuss why PIN is important. Groups/Individuals will be asked to introduce themselves and identify their main areas and issues of focus: • Policy/Research II. Update & Evaluation of the recent Iowa Legislative Session • What went well? III. Break-Out Sessions by Issue • Strategize with other progressives around the state that are working on the same issue. Lunch IV. Report back to larger group identifying specific needs • What do you need from PIN? We will not have time to hear specific plans but rather will want to hear your list of needs on how other organizations/leaders can help you make progress around your issue. V. Where does PIN go from here? We will discuss logistics, network structure and set a date and time for our next meeting(s). VI. DFA-Iowa Administrative Planning Session (for DFA-IA members) This last segment will be for DFA-IA members to discuss by-laws, how we can better support Blog for Iowa, and other administrative details. Outreach around this summit has been underway for awhile -- many progressive organizations/individuals in Iowa have already been notified. However, if you have not yet heard from us directly, please email Caroline Vernon ASAP: carolina1961@gmail.com. We need every progressive organization, leader and legislator in Iowa to participate in order to achieve maximum effectiveness as a network. Tuesday, May 15
ACTION ALERT - CALL THE GOVERNOR TODAY AND ASK FOR A HALT TO BUILDING NEW COAL PLANTS - 515-281-5211
by
Sam Garchik
on Tue 15 May 2007 08:01 AM CDT
ACTION ALERT - CALL THE GOVERNOR TODAY AND ASK FOR A HALT TO BUILDING NEW COAL PLANTS - 515-281-5211
By Plains Justice On Tuesday, May 15th, New Jersey's LS Power plans to apply for their permits to build a 750MW coal-fired power plant just east of Waterloo, Iowa. This plant will pour out carbon dioxide equivalent to nearly a million new cars on Iowa's roads for its 40-50 year lifetime. We are in a desperate fight to reign in global warming and this plant will dig us a hole that all our best efforts can't remedy. The plant will also pollute eastern Iowa's waters with heavy metals, including hundreds of pounds of mercury annually, which settles into rivers and lakes and bioaccumulates in fish across a wide region. There are already points on the Iowa and Cedar Rivers where an adult can eat only a few 6 oz. servings per month of game fish and stay under EPA's safety level for mercury. The plant will destroy prime farmland, tap the local aquifer, and invade a wetland. Finally, the heavy metal-laden coal ash waste will go into an unlined, abandoned quarry south of Waterloo, in an area with such a high groundwater table that nearby residents can't dig basements. The Governor has a chance to put a delay on the permitting process but today is the best day for it. Call the Governor at 515-281-5211 and ask him to tackle global warming solutions and put a temporary stay on the permitting process for new coal plants until the legislature has had a chance to act on the Climate Change Advisory Council's recommendations for greenhouse gas reductions in Iowa. If permitted, the two coal plants proposed by LS Power in Waterloo and Alliant Energy in Marshalltown, along with the 790 MW behemoth MidAmerican just built in Council Bluffs, will result in a 60% increase in Iowa's global warming pollution since 1990. If we're going to stop global warming and move our energy economy forward, these plants cannot be built. CALL THE GOVERNOR TODAY - 515-281-5211. Thank the Governor for his powerful statement about global warming on April 27th: "Global Warming is a real danger that threatens our very way of life, and it is our responsibility to take any and all steps that we can to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and hope to curb global warming." Let Governor Culver know that you want him to continue his leadership on this important issue. We want to see Iowa be the true renewable energy capitol of the world, but that means saying "NO" to new dirty coal. Each of these plants will cost more than $1 billion. Let's put that cash into renewables and efficiency. Thank you very much for your efforts, you are an invaluable part of this campaign! Please forward this message, it is urgent. Carrie La Seur, Ph.D., J.D. Plains Justice 319 3rd St. NW Mount Vernon, Iowa 52314 319-560-4729 http://www.plainsjustice.org |
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