Bio-fuel Expert and Ethanol ‘God-Father’ to Speak at Renewable Energy Conferences and Seminars

The International Institute for Sustainable Agriculture announced today that its founder and current Executive Director, David Blume has been asked to appear on radio, TV, and as a lead speaker for a number of renewable energy symposiums in the coming two months. Blume is globally acknowledged as the “god-father” of ethanol and is a leading advocate and expert on renewable solutions to the global need for inexpensive, non- polluting, and sustainable energy and food sources.

Blume’s coming talks provide unrivaled insight into the practicality of transforming US energy production and use to a totally sustainable model. Blume presents myth-busting facts, scientific data, and proven methodologies that give audiences a revolutionary first-person look at truly sustainable solutions to global warming, GreenHouse Gas emissions, food resource issues as well as provide them with a road-map to a new post-oil economy.

As part of his coming in-person appearances, Blume will be a featured guest on the Thom Hartmann Radio Program. Now in its fifth year of national syndication and heard globally on XM and Sirius satellite radio, Hartmann’s program is carried in 7 of the nation’s top 10 media markets and 14 of the top 25 markets. Hartmann is also a featured commentator in the new Leonardo DiCaprio environmental documentary The 11th Hour.

Hartmann calls Blume’s work “brilliant!” and his soon to be released book “Alcohol Can Be A Gas,” “a must read for every American.” Blume has spent years battling with big oil interests and has dedicated his life to providing a practical and truly renewable solution to the world’s quest for inexpensive, non-polluting and sustainable energy and food sources.

Larry Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer of the American Corn Growers Association recently said, “I have personally worked in the renewable energy sector in one form or another for close to four decades and I recommend David Blume’s “Alcohol Can Be a Gas” as the most comprehensive and understandable book on renewable fuels I have ever read on the subject.”

Blume’s renewable energy talks address the current oligarchy misinformation campaign and misstated concepts including:

Myth: Food vs. Fuel – Does ethanol demand compete with food production?

Fact: Only 5 % of all US farmland is used for growing corn and only 28% of the crop’s starch is used for fuel production leaving all the protein and fat as a higher quality animal feed than the original corn. Ethanol demand required an additional 11.3 million acres of corn this year to avoid affecting the food supply but farmers grew 14.6 million acres.

Contrary to widely reported stories in the press ethanol demand has had NO EFFECT on the price of corn or availability for human or animal food. In fact there will be a massive surplus of corn this year. Increased corn and food prices are due to higher petroleum costs for transportation, fossil fuel based fertilizer and processing energy.

Myth: Alcohol Can’t Run Our Cars — It would be too expensive to retool all the cars on the road to run on an alcohol fuel mix

Fact: Any and all fuel injected cars (the predominant engine produced since 1980) can run on a 50% blend of alcohol and gas with no modification (and most newer cars will run on an 85-100% alcohol with inexpensive modifications)

Myth: It would be too expensive to ramp up industry to produce ethanol/alcohol

Fact: The US has spent $500 billion (USD) on the Iraq war as of this year, 500 billion gallons per year is the total global fuel consumption, and $500 billion (USD) would build a global, renewable, greenhouse effect reversing, ethanol fuel industry that would replace all gasoline and diesel fuel planet-wide permanently.

Blume was recently a featured speaker at the Mid-West Renewable Energy Fair in Wisconsin, and SolFest in Hopland, CA. His coming appearances include a featured guest appearance on Thom Hartmann’s Air America Program in October, Santa Cruz Community TV’s EcoReview September 25, speaking at Portland State University October 6, at the Peak Oil sponsored forum in Salem, OR, October 7, at the Retzer Nature Center near Milwaukee, WI, on Oct. 20, at the University of Illinois Chicago campus on Oct. 27 and at the Green Careers Conference at U.C. Berkeley on Nov 17.

About David Blume:

For more information about the International Institute for Sustainable Agriculture or author, lecturer David Blume, his coming “Alcohol Can Be A Gas” book release and current speaking engagement schedule please visit: http://www.permaculture.com/

Source of this excerpt post: www.earthtalk.org

White House Hopefuls Love Iowa Ethanol

By AMY LORENTZEN - Associated Press Writer

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Don't expect to hear much talk about farming from the presidential candidates who regularly tour Iowa, one of the nation's premier agriculture states.

Instead, prepare for three words: I love ethanol.

At a time when demand for the corn-based fuel is soaring, support for ethanol among candidates is nearly unanimous and has largely crowded out talk of other agriculture-related issues.

"They pay lip service (to agriculture), and then they're pro-ethanol, and I think that's enough," said Bruce Babcock, director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University. He adds that a pro-ethanol stance translates to farm support "because pro-ethanol means high prices for corn and soybeans here."

Iowa has 28 ethanol refineries and 19 under construction or expanding. There also are a dozen plants that refine soybean-based biodiesel and three under construction, according to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.

Because of the demand for ethanol and a resulting rise in corn prices, farmers have planted the largest corn crop in U.S. history. And the decision by so many farmers to grow corn has led to a drop in soybean planting and a resulting rise in that commodity's prices.

In Iowa, it means that agriculture is all about ethanol.

And to a great extent, it's the only agricultural topic that candidates address, often during stops at one of the state's ethanol plants.

"It's sort of an obligatory stop to say, 'Hey, I get it. I know the farm economy is important and ethanol is potentially an important part of that economy,'" said David Redlawsk, a University of Iowa political science professor.

Candidates who have toured ethanol plants include Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. Even John McCain, who in the past was skeptical about the use of ethanol, now jokes during his Iowa visits that he enjoys a drink of ethanol every morning.

The widespread support for ethanol comes despite serious questions about the fuel.

Critics contend that it takes more energy to grow the corn and process it into ethanol than the fuel produces, although advocates argue that thanks to advancements in farming and production, this is no longer true.

Others note that it's unclear how much environmental benefit the fuel offers. Pesticides and fertilizers are used in growing corn, and vast amounts of water are required to produce ethanol.

Although the increase in corn prices is good news for farmers, it's worrisome for food manufacturers and livestock producers who rely on the commodity. Thanks to huge corn harvests, farmers so far have managed to meet the demand with only minor increases in prices passed along to U.S. consumers.

In Mexico, however, a decision by many farmers to grow corn for ethanol use rather than tortilla production has caused prices of the food staple to soar.

Despite disagreements over ethanol's value, there's little argument over the importance of the fuel, and other agricultural issues, when it comes time for Iowa's precinct caucuses.

The caucuses jump-start the presidential nominating process, and estimates show as many as 40 percent of Iowa caucus-goers come from small towns and rural areas, "where farm issues are an everyday matter," Redlawsk said. He added that about a quarter of Iowa's population is involved somehow with the state's farm economy, and that means hundreds of thousands of Iowans have a stake in keeping corn prices high.

"In the end, the caucuses are about motivating a pretty small number of folks to get out on a cold winter night, so any key issue group - like those concerned about ag - can make a difference," he said.

Because of the Iowa's leadoff status, some believe presidential candidates are more inclined to support pro-ethanol and other Corn Belt policies.

"I've long said that the Iowa caucuses are the gift to Midwestern agriculture," said Jon Doggett, vice president of public policy for the National Corn Growers Association.

Many in Iowa are pushing Congress to raise the amount of renewable fuel that must be used in the nation's fuel supply. And there's interest in what presidential candidates would do in 2010, when a 51-cent-per-gallon of ethanol tax break is up for review.

"Energy policy is arguably more important to Iowa farmers than commodity policy," Babcock said.

Candidates acknowledge their support of ethanol, but say it is for environmental, economic and national security reasons rather than political expediency.

Romney has emphasized the benefit of ethanol for reducing dependence on foreign oil, and a Clinton spokeswoman cited the need to reverse course on global warming. Giuliani has said he supports continuation of the ethanol tax break, and Obama has noted that his home state of Illinois is second only to Iowa in corn and ethanol production.

Matt Hartwig, a spokesman for the Washington-based Renewable Fuels Association, said it's ethanol's value as a fuel that has drawn such widespread support.

"It's not because they have got to come and kiss the ethanol ring in Iowa," he said.

Regardless, some argue that candidates learned a lesson from McCain's experience in his 2000 presidential bid. McCain wound up passing up the state's caucuses after he said ethanol wasn't a worthy endeavor and that subsidies on the grain-based fuel should end.

"I think candidates look at experiences like that and say, 'Whoa, I can't afford to do that,'" Redlawsk said.