Farmweek interviewsJohn Mizroch, the Department of Energy’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.  Key quote:

“The current ethanol industry has grown remarkably fast, and has done well in offering ethanol as (a gasoline) oxygenate, as an alternative to fuel itself,” Mizroch told FarmWeek. “I don’t personally believe it has added significantly to the price of food commodities. I think our industry could sustain up to the limits of the RFS.”

The AP has an interesting story about biofuels, and the GOP’s opposition.  Should we not be worried?

David King, a lecturer in public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, said party platforms in many cases reflect the presidential nominee’s interests, but the documents are not followed or paid attention to by party regulars.

‘You would be hard pressed to find any Republican in Iowa, for example, who would in any way embrace this as something in their party’s platform,” King said. “It wouldn’t change their behavior.”

Common sense Republicans understand that biofuels play an important role to ending our dependence on oil. Too bad John McCain doesn’t seem to get it.

From a source:

The last sentence in the economy section of the working draft of the Republican platform states, “The U.S. government should end mandates for ethanol and let the free market work.”

You can read about it here.

The Truman National Security Project, a left-leaning think-tank focusing on national security issues, got an op-ed published in the Philadelphia Inquirer this weekend promoting a sound national energy policy which embraces biofuels.  It was penned by Frankie Sturm.

Check it out.

EnergyWashington Week (subscription site) is reporting that:

A State Department advisory panel soon will discuss the formation of a food-crisis “brain trust,” which would assemble an unprecedented array of America’s top universities and individual experts as a policy force on agricultural issues, including agricultural-energy and biofuels policies. Informed sources say a draft white paper describing the proposal, under strict orders not to be discussed, may pave the way for a new public-private strategy on “food-versus-fuel” policymaking and direct the course of U.S. biofuels policy in the next administration.

The white paper is scheduled for a Sept. 9 review by the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD), an advisory group to the State Department. Sources say the recommendation could set the stage for much wider discussions in the next administration, including private sector collaboration in addressing biofuel concerns.

Ethanol Producer Magazine takes a lookat John McCain’s energy plan.  Apparently, McCain supports biofuels as long as the government does not provide any incentives to promote ethanol.  According to the magazine:

As for renewable energy, McCain’s plan briefly mentions wind, solar and hydropower technologies, but doesn’t detail how he plans to advance those technologies other than to state that he will work to remove federal subsidies. According to his Web site, McCain “believes in an even-handed system of tax credits that will remain in place until the market transforms sufficiently to the point where renewable energy no longer merits the taxpayers’ dollars.”

Sounds like McCain isn’t a fan of biofuels.

The latest news is that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is now OK with allowing a vote on offshore drilling.  FoodPriceTruth.org understands both sides of the drilling argument. But the fact is allowing drilling to begin tomorrow won’t lower food prices or bring down the cost of a gallon of gas anytime soon.  .Our primary focus should be on developing better biofuels which can help reduce the cost of a gallon of gasoline.

the Christian Science Monitor for this hysterical editorial: 

This political catering to the powerful corn lobby, combined with Europe’s parallel rush to biofuels, is raising food prices worldwide, triggering riots in many countries and spreading hunger. A World Bank study found biofuels are responsible for up to 75 percent of the rise in food prices since 2002. And all this for a fuel that contains one-third less energy than gasoline, reduces mileage per gallon and, for many vehicle owners, damages engines.  

Where is any mention of rising energy prices, the main culprit in the food price crisis?

The Financial Times is reporting that former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle is:

is in talks to become an adviser to the Renewable Fuels Association, the most powerful ethanol lobby in the US capital.

Daschle is a top advisor to Sen. Barack Obama.

Various media outlets are reporting the EPA will deny Texas’ RFS waiver.  According to this report from CNBC:

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will deny Texas’ request to cut the federal ethanol mandate on Thursday, a government official with knowledge of matter said on Wednesday.”