Wednesday, March 7, 2007 Don't be fooled by dirty water bill It's a power grab that will undercut progress. REGISTER EDITORIAL BOARD Under the pretense of doing a better job of cleaning up polluted rivers and lakes, legislation in the Iowa Senate is nothing more than a disgraceful dodge by some farm interests to avoid taking full responsibility for the nutrients in fertilizer that run off their fields. Here are some of the most troubling changes in Senate Study Bill 1235, which is backed by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation: http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070307/OPINION03/703070335/1035/archive ------------------- Plan would wean Iowa off foreign oil by 2025 The legislative idea is intended to trigger growth in Iowa's wind, solar and biofuel industries. By JENNIFER JACOBS REGISTER STAFF WRITER Iowa lawmakers are trying to put together the pieces for an ambitious plan to help Iowa fully wean itself off foreign oil by 2025, possibly becoming the first state to do so. "The biomass capabilities of Iowa's soil are the best in the world, and the wind that blows in our state is the best in the world," Rep. Nathan Reichert, a Democrat from Muscatine, said Tuesday. "When you have those two resources, you just need to add a sprinkling of very bright, highly trained people, and we should have a pretty good opportunity." http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070307/NEWS10/703070368/-1/archive ----------------------- Petroleum pollutes creek near Flying J By JARED STRONG REGISTER STAFF WRITER Eight years after Clive threatened to close the Flying J Travel Plaza because its retention pond was leaking petroleum-contaminated water into Walnut Creek, crews are working to contain a similar leak. The Clive and Windsor Heights fire departments have placed more than a dozen 8-foot booms to absorb petroleum at various places along the creek, which runs through the middle of Clive's Greenbelt Trail. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070307/NEWS/703070376/-1/archive -------------------- Switch to more efficient light bulbs, but beware REGISTER EDITORIAL BOARD The Environmental Protection Agency is encouraging Americans to replace incandescent light bulbs with more energy-efficient ones. The most recognizable of these are the swirly-shaped, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) with an Energy Star label. According to the EPA, if every American home changed out five light bulbs with the more energy-efficient type, the country would save about $6.5 billion per year in energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from more than 8 million cars. Making the switch seems like a good move for the environment. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070307/OPINION03/703070334/1035/archive ------------------- Report: Squeezing profit from ethanol to get harder The findings are prepared for Congress. Much depends on what happens to the price of oil, economists say. By PHILIP BRASHER REGISTER WASHINGTON BUREAU Washington, D.C. - High corn prices could wipe out much of the profit in the ethanol industry for years to come, economists say. Net operating returns for the ethanol industry will drop to 28 cents a gallon this year, down from 61 cents last year, according to a report prepared for Congress by the University of Missouri's Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070307/BUSINESS01/703070354/1029/archive ---------------------- Ex-Iowa workers are sued to shield ethanol secrets They worked in Jewell and learned confidential methods before switching jobs, the lawsuit says. By JEFF MARTIN SIOUX FALLS (S.D.) ARGUS LEADER In a case that underscores how competitive the ethanol industry has become, an ethanol maker is suing two former Iowa employees to protect its trade secrets and keep them from a rival. Broin and Associates claims it has developed technology that make its ethanol plants some of the most profitable in the industry. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070307/BUSINESS01/703070352/1029/archive ---------------------------- Tuesday, March 6, 2007 Biofuels critical to state, Iowans say IOWA POLL By JONATHAN ROOS REGISTER STAFF WRITER Copyright 2007, Des Moines Register and Tribune Company Most Iowans think the development of biofuels is key to the future economic success of the state and, to a somewhat lesser extent, their own communities. The Des Moines Register's latest Iowa Poll shows 46 percent of the state's adults consider biofuels development critically important to Iowa's future. An identical percentage of Iowans say it's fairly important. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070306/NEWS10/703060416/-1/archive ----------------------------- Clinton stands firm on past ethanol stance Gas prices would have risen, she says in Iowa as she lays out her energy plan. By THOMAS BEAUMONT REGISTER STAFF WRITER Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton showcased plans to revamp the nation's energy system and worked to impress Iowa's most sought-after party leaders Monday, capping a quick trip to the leadoff caucus state. The New York senator also defended her past opposition to tax incentives and mandates for corn-based ethanol, which Iowa leads the nation in producing. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070306/NEWS09/703060408/-1/archive ----------------------- Report: Ethanol's easy profits to end By PHILIP BRASHER REGISTER WASHINGTON BUREAU Washington, D.C. — High corn prices could wipe out much of the profit in the ethanol industry for years to come, economists say. Net operating returns for the ethanol industry will drop to 28 cents a gallon this year, down from 61 cents last year, according to a report prepared for Congress by the University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070306/BUSINESS01/70306052/1029/archive ---------------------- Dethroning 'Big Oil' to crown 'Big Corn' By ANDREW MOYLAN Special to the Register It pays to be friendly with the majority party in Congress. The proof is in the new energy bill that recently passed the House during the Democrats' "100-hour" agenda. The CLEAN Energy Act of 2007, a contrived political acronym for "Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation," has been portrayed as ending preferences for so-called "Big Oil" - a familiar victim on the left-wing's whipping post. In truth, what the bill does is raise taxes to subsidize a lesser-known but growing conglomerate: "Big Corn" http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070306/OPINION01/703060368/1035/archive ----------------------- Reduce energy use to cut dependence on foreign oil By G. DAVID HURD IOWA VIEW Energy efficiency, that is, reducing our energy use, is the fastest and cheapest route available to us for decreasing our dependence on Middle East oil, and to diminish pouring carbon into the atmosphere, thereby exacerbating global climate change. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070306/OPINION01/703060371/1035/archive ---------------------- LTE -- CRP and biofuels are not mutually exclusive With regard to your Feb. 22 article, "Wildlife Groups: Idle More Land": We have to repeat the old adage, "Farm the best, protect the rest" - which is still good policy today. While it seems counterintuitive, it makes perfect sense to ask for a higher acreage cap for the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) at a time when our nation is seeking to expand its biofuels production capacity. Farmers have little to gain by putting marginal lands, such as those eligible for CRP, into cultivation. Both farmers and the public are better served by paying farmers to take marginal areas out of production and putting them to good use as protection for soil, water and wildlife. The Bush administration's decision to halt general sign-ups for CRP over the next two years will do little to increase production of ethanol, but will do much to degrade our nation's soil, water and wildlife. The National Wildlife Federation believes that it is not inconsistent to support both CRP and biofuels. In fact, to ensure a sustainable energy future, we will absolutely need both. - Julie Sibbing, senior program manager, agriculture policy, National Wildlife Federation, Washington, D.C. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp