Al Gore: I Was Wrong; Ethanol Subsidies "Not Good Policy"

[FrankRep]

Gore Admits He Was Wrong About Ethanol Subsidies: ‘Not Good Policy’ (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/gore-admits-he-was-wrong-about-ethanol-subsidies-not-good-policy/)

The Blaze
November 22, 2010


Former Vice President Al Gore is admitting that he was wrong about “first generation” ethanol subsidies, calling them “not good policy” and admitting his support of them were clouded by his presidential ambissions.

From Reuters (http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE6AL0YT20101122?sp=true):



“It is not a good policy to have these massive subsidies for (U.S.) first generation ethanol,” said Gore, speaking at a green energy business conference in Athens sponsored by Marfin Popular Bank.

“First generation ethanol I think was a mistake. The energy conversion ratios are at best very small.

“It’s hard once such a programme is put in place to deal with the lobbies that keep it going.”

He explained his own support for the original programme on his presidential ambitions.

“One of the reasons I made that mistake is that I paid particular attention to the farmers in my home state of Tennessee, and I had a certain fondness for the farmers in the state of Iowa because I was about to run for president.”


Gore also said that rising food prices could be fueled by the ethanol craze. “The competition with food prices is real,” he said.

But Gore didn’t give up on a fuel subsidies altogether. Instead, he supports technology that extracts fuel from other things such as wood and grass. He called that process “second and third generation” ethanol, and supports it because he says it won’t compete with food.


SOURCE:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/gore-admits-he-was-wrong-about-ethanol-subsidies-not-good-policy/

[FrankRep]

http://www.kochsoft.com/tna/logo.png (http://www.thenewamerican.com/)
The New American Magazine on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-American-Magazine/146909368666979)


Should Ethanol Subsidies Be Gone (With the Wind)? (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/tech-mainmenu-30/environment/5008-should-ethanol-subsidies-be-permitted-to-expire)

With ethanol subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, however, the Competitive Enterprise Institute is encouraging politicians to allow the subsidies to expire, even as lobbyists and environmentalists continue to push for renewed expensive and unproductive ethanol subsidies and mandates. by Raven Clabough

The Ethanol Fiasco (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/opinion/950-bob-confer/2685-the-ethanol-fiasco)

The economic failures of ethanol show the weakness behind emphasis Barack Obama is placing on renewable energy and green jobs. by Bob Confer

Rising Food Costs (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/economy/economics-mainmenu-44/236-rising-food-costs)

Ethanol production and inflation are elements of the current food shortage.

[Bruno]

“One of the reasons I made that mistake is that I paid particular attention to the farmers in my home state of Tennessee, and I had a certain fondness for the farmers in the state of Iowa because I was about to run for president.”

http://i53.tinypic.com/2n09f9f.jpg

[Vessol]

I wonder what made him change his "views" lately, did he lose any stock in a particular biofuel company?

Gore backpeddaling is unusual unless he has money to gain by supporting a new company of his.

[thomas-in-ky]

But Gore didn’t give up on a fuel subsidies altogether. Instead, he supports technology that extracts fuel from other things such as wood and grass. He called that process “second and third generation” ethanol, and supports it because he says it won’t compete with food.


uhhh. grass (for energy) absolutely does compete with food. the choices each spring for small fields here in KY are often: "corn, soy beans, or hay." they're already burning some hay in the coal fired power pants, which I find absolutely ridiculous. Grass would otherwise be converted to protein via mobile ruminating biodigesters (cattle).

[specsaregood]

I wonder what made him change his "views" lately, did he lose any stock in a particular biofuel company?

Gore backpeddaling is unusual unless he has money to gain by supporting a new company of his.

Dunno about that but no doubt he lost his ass on the climate exchange scam.

[jmdrake]

Here's a thought. Instead of subsidizing ethanol, how about abolishing fuel taxes for anyone who makes his own fuel whether it is ethanol or biodiesal or drilling a methane well in your back yard? And if high food prices are a problem, why not do away with corn subsidies and grain allotments? Let farmers grow as much grain as they can. If they grow too much, it gets soaked up in the ethanol market. Naw...that would make too much sense.

Oh, and ethanol doesn't have to compete with food production. Distillers grain (the leftovers from making ethanol) make good cattle feed.

[jmdrake]

uhhh. grass (for energy) absolutely does compete with food. the choices each spring for small fields here in KY are often: "corn, soy beans, or hay." they're already burning some hay in the coal fired power pants, which I find absolutely ridiculous. Grass would otherwise be converted to protein via mobile ruminating biodigesters (cattle).

Maybe so. But many states are still wondering what to do with yardwaste that's filling up landfills. Burning it in a power plant wouldn't be a bad idea.

[KCIndy]

Translation: "I sold all my investments in ethanol and reinvested the money in solar power startups. Start pushing for new laws mandating the use of solar power! Now!!"

[HOLLYWOOD]

Another profiteer that's been exposed... Al Gore has absolutely NO CREDIBILITY.

Now Al, you and the liberty stealing sniveling wife Tipper, stop sticking you noses up everyone's asses and disappear.

PS: Maybe finally Gore realized the subsidies are costing him more at the pump and paying those $10,000 in utility bills.

[Koz]

That's not the only thing he has been wrong about.

[FrankRep]

Corn for ethanol is going to lead to higher beef prices (http://www.tulsabeacon.com/?p=4797)

Tulsa Beacon
24. November 2010

[jtstellar]

so what does he pay, any business of his went bankrupt?
oh right, i forgot he was in the government. nobody in the government ever has a stake in anything. they just do it, and walk away.

fu gore

[Jordan]

For a very brief amount of time I thought ethanol was going to be the fuel that changed it all.

Then I learned that you can't shoot it through a pipeline, and that it's subsidized to the tune of $.45-$1 per gallon depending on the state. Then I learned it took more energy to make it than what it's worth to burn. :eek:

Awful idea.