LUCY NORTON TALKS ENERGY INDEPENDENCE FOR IOWAby Molly Regan
An article by LUCY NORTON, director of marketing for the IOWA Corn Growers Association of Johnston, appeared in the Saturday, July 16, edition of the Des Moines Register.
Entitled “ETHANOL KEY TO PROMOTING ENERGY INDEPENDENCE,” it is a very positive look at freeing IOWANS and the United States from relying on foreign oil.
“Burning ethanol lowers carbon-monoxide emissions as much as 30 percent and reduces greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming by 35 percent to 46 percent. THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY credits ethanol with reducing hazardous emissions.”
According to Ms. Norton, “When habitual ethanol critics claim it takes more energy to produce ethanol than one ends up with, they are just plain wrong. It’s gasoline refining that results in an energy deficit, returning just 85 Btus of energy for every 100 Btus used in production.
“Ethanol’s positive energy balance has been confirmed by multiple studies. Adding up the energy used to produce the crop, transport it to a processor and refine it, the 100 Btus invested in ethanol production give us 167 BTUS OF ENERGY.”
“The U.S. ethanol industry is already close to producing the 5 billion gallons of ethanol originally targeted by Congress. Increasing the renewable fuel standard to 8 billion gallons is one truly progressive provision in the energy bill, a target that will maintain the momentum of ethanol growth and move us toward energy independence.”
Another great article on the same editorial page is by ED WOOSLEY. Ed, who is from Martensdale, works with farmers on renewable-energy projects.
He tells us, “ In 2004, about 17 percent of IOWA’s corn crop went into ethanol production. This produced almost 1 billion gallons of ethanol and just as importantly, rural income….With ethanol’s proven technical ABILITY TO COMPLETELY REPLACE BOTH GASOLINE AND DIESEL FUEL, THE COMPLETE ELIMINATION OF PETROLEUM FUEL IMPORTS TO IOWA IS WITHIN REACH.
“But an even more promising future is possible if we make ethanol from the CELLULOSE COMPONENTS OF PLANTS – CORNSTALKS, STRAW AND OTHER FIBROUS PLANT MATERIAL. Technology currently exists to make more than 80 gallons of ethanol from each ton of plant material. The obvious initial plant material would be cornstalks. If we took 1 ton of stalks from every acre of IOWA’s 12.7 million acres of corn, ground and convert it to ethanol, we could produce another BILLION GALLONS and still leave enough stalks on the ground to maintain the soil.”
The energy bill passed by the Senate would authorize subsidies to companies that produce ethanol from cornstalks, wheat straw and other plant waste. The House bill doesn’t have the provision….”
Found on the front page of the same day’s Register, is a glaring look at pollution in IOWA’s lakes. Entitled “TESTS FIND HARMFUL TOXINS IN IOWA LAKES by PERRY BEEMAN, it exposes the high toxicity in some of IOWA’s waters. Not a pretty story.
So, for this week, let us not forget to CPR…CONSERVE/PARTICIPATE/RECYCLE
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