Colorado Corn

On behalf of Corn Growers in Colorado and our nation, I’m compelled to address misinformation leading the Fort Collins City Council to consider phasing out use of E85 fuel for city vehicles.

 Recent City Council meeting coverage by Kevin Duggan ("City might phase out use of corn-based ethanol fuel") reflected often-cited misinformation about corn-based ethanol stubbornly perpetuated through media channels and now landing in a city council work session.

 Subsidies a boondoggle?  Hardly.  The 45-cent “blender credit” primarily goes to oil companies to stimulate infrastructure for present and second generation bio-fuels soon to come.  That’s next to nothing compared to the roughly $3.80-per-gallon collection of subsidies provided the petroleum industry.

 Food price impact?  No federal report attributes 20 percent of the food price increase to ethanol. The Congressional Budget Office has the number at 0.5 percent. USDA calculates it more broadly at 1.1 percent.  The rising cost of petroleum and transportation is by far cited as the biggest reason for increased food costs.  Record profits by members of the Grocery Marketers Association are also worth understanding.  By the way, multiple studies have shown that having ethanol in our fuel supply has lowered the cost of fuel 35 to 40 cents per gallon, and that’s not just for flex-fuel vehicles … that’s for everyone.

 Environmental impacts in the Midwest?  Data clearly show we continue to grow more crops with less pesticides every year. Efficiencies are amazing and continue to improve with healthier farm economies and advances in tillage techniques, varieties, application methods and monitoring equipment.

 Water use by corn?  Consider that all living plants require water to live and grow, and they convert harmful CO2 to oxygen – veritable oxygen factories, providing food and energy along the way.  Can’t say that about every plant, or every use of water.  Our nation uses 300,000,000 gallons of water per day just to process a day’s supply of newsprint.  By the way, every barrel of oil requires 1851 gallons of water in the refining process.  What do we get out of that?  Energy dependence on people in foreign countries who work to kill us.  Health problems from emissions.  A host of environmental problems. 

 Ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions, stimulates jobs and contributes to healthy rural economies that crank out the food, feed, fiber and fuel resources to supply this nation and beyond.

 The City of Fort Collins wisely invested in vehicles that lower air pollution, improve the American economy and decrease our dependence on foreign oil. We welcome the opportunity to discuss why they would be wise to not turn their backs on those benefits.

Submitted by: Rick Palkowitsh
Burlington Colorado area farmer
Colorado Corn Growers Association board member