Farmers: Ethanol Volumes Likely Will Not Be The Same, But EPA Is Scared To Talk Before The Election

Photo: Agriculture.com

Over the past few years, many blog posts (see below) have been written about the brunt that U.S. farmers have had to bear from the Trump administration.  The sadness or madness started when President Trump tried to negotiate a better trade deal with China.  Which, over the course of 3 years has appeared to be a Trade War.  Farmers have been the casualties along with the American consumer.

Now, the ethanol sector (of farming) is under attack.  The Trump administration has refused to release the projected volumes for ethanol farmers in the coming year.  Why?  Because the administration is facing re-election.  Which means, give bad news, lose votes.  Reporting by Politico Energy highlights the issue:

WAKE ME UP WHEN NOVEMBER ENDS: The Trump administration is expected to punt on tough ethanol decisions until after the November election to avoid triggering a backlash from either farmers or the petroleum sector, according to several people in the ethanol and oil industries who have been in contact with EPA and the White House. EPA faces a late-November deadline to decide the volume of biofuels the oil refining industry must blend into the nation's gasoline and diesel supply, but the agency has yet to even issue its proposal, which is itself months overdue, Pro's Eric Wolff reports this morning.

"It's a no-win proposition because you're going to alienate (one or) the other group," said Tom Kloza, analyst at the oil price service OPIS. "To the extent that they can, they'll probably stall or wait. And they can get away with it because it's such an uncertain environment in terms of what volumes are going to look like next year."//Oil refiners are pressing EPA to grant them biofuel exemptions dating back to 2012, a move they say could allow EPA to skirt a January court decision that sharply curtailed the agency's power to issue those waivers. At a stop in Kansas last week, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler told an audience that the decision on the 2021 blending levels and the waivers was "complicated" and he could not promise a decision.

Sources in communication with senior Trump administration officials say neither Wheeler nor the White House want to inflame tensions over the ethanol program. Granting the small refinery exemptions to gasoline makers would infuriate farmers who have so far been loyal supporters of President Donald Trump, but denying them would be a blow to refiners struggling to survive amid the collapse in fuel demand because of the coronavirus pandemic. Until the administration decides that issue, the release of the annual Renewable Volume Obligation remains in limbo.

With the exemptions up in the air and no sign of the 2021 volumes, ethanol producers are getting frustrated. "If someone asked me, 'Has President Trump kept his promise?;' I can't say yes," said Monte Shaw, head of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, an ethanol producers trade group.

The most reassuring news from above is that last quote.  The realization of the head of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association that the Trump administration has NOT kept its promise.  One of the largest concerns riding into the election is that farmers will give President Trump a pass.  That need not be the case.

Unless each farmer wants to go under in their business. President Trump has no idea how to look out for your best interest.  What has he done for you lately?  Ask yourself that.

Each American should be asking themselves the same question farmers are.  Has President Trump kept his promise?  How good is your life today?  The view that I am seeing along with the shouts from neighbors is that of the frustration of the administration.  There is a complete lack of trust and let down emerging from the White House.  The time has come to change!

Related Blog Post:

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Why Can't The USDA Regulate The Pork Industry?

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Farmers Statement to Congress Regarding the Current USMCA Trade Deal

To The House and Senate from Farmer's for Free Trade

Farmers are headed toward the 1980s' Farming Crisis

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Farmer's Perspective on Trump's Trade War: Interview

President Trump's Hair Requires More Water In White House Showers

 

Photo: BBC

As the world is educated by environmentalists about conservation of precious resources, the leader of the free world -- President Trump is calling for increased flow rates out of the showerhead in the White House.  Reporting by BBC, tells of the administration's attempt to reverse a 1992 water restriction placed on showerheads to 2.5 gallons per minute.

Evidently, President Trump is not satisfied with the flow rate as reported by BBC:

"So showerheads - you take a shower, the water doesn't come out. You want to wash your hands, the water doesn't come out. So what do you do? You just stand there longer or you take a shower longer? Because my hair - I don't know about you, but it has to be perfect. Perfect," he said.

The one takeaway from the above excerpt.  While the residents of the United States look for leadership from the White House on the COVID-19 pandemic or the race war, attention is directed elsewhere.  For those who have been wondering where that attention has been directed toward, wonder no more.  

All attention has been directed toward achieving a perfect hairstyle for President Trump.  Everything makes sense now.  Thank you Reuters. 

2020 Presidential Candidate Vice President Joe Biden Chooses Senator Kamala Harris To Be Running Mate for Election

 

Photo: KCRA

News Flash: 2020 Presidential Candidate Vice President Joe Biden chooses Senator Kamala Harris for his running mate in the upcoming elections in November.  Yes, the words have been typed/written on the wall.  Senator Kamala Harris stands to be Vice President Kamala Harris if Joe Biden is elected President of the United States in November.  This is exciting news in a historic time.

MSNBC's Morning Joe news anchors interviewed a few different people.  The clips of the videos are shown below:

Video #1

Video #2

Video#3

The time is truly historic.  The country is in the midst of a race conflict over the unnecessary killing of black lives.  A pandemic has gripped the world and shows no signs of calming down until a vaccine is dispersed.  Even then, distribution plans are emerging, which shows significant issues that should be dealt with now rather than waiting until later.

The upcoming election of 2020 will be one that is never forgotten.  Never before have we had a current President who has had no previous civil service.  The first woman stands to be elected as Vice President...Wow!  That would be wonderful.  A Biden/Harris ticket would be a timely solution to the chaos that has overtaken our country and world.  Stay tuned!

Bill Gates: Update on COVID-19 progress as a Nation?

Photo: The Verge

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has done wonderful work over the years.  Foundation work is tough, in that, dispersing funding to projects needs to be well-researched to bring the most return for money spent.  Certainly, without a doubt, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has done their due diligence (in terms of research) and has been rewarded with healthy returns on money invested in projects over the years.



Our planet is inhabited by the coronavirus (COVID-19) and is currently under threat due to the spreading with time.  What can be done to combat this dangerous virus?  Bill Gates gave a TED talk a few years warning of such an event.  I wrote a blog post about the obvious discussion in current times about the talk going unnoticed until now.



After the outbreak of the coronavirus, Bill Gates was again interviewed and offered up suggestions that did not resonate well with President Trump.  Meaning, President Trump was in disbelief and chose to hold onto the belief that the coronavirus would spontaneously disappear with the coming of Easter (i.e., spring).  Heat and light along with Clorox (injected) would eradicate the coronavirus from the United States (and the world at large).



Since then, the coronavirus has spread steadily throughout the United States to reach a total of 4 million cases at present.  Below is an interview with CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper of Bill Gates for an update on the current status of the coronavirus:

Senator Harris and Senator Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Introduce The Climate Equity Act

 

Photo: CNN

The wealth disparity among the population across the United States is growing larger now more than ever over the last few decades.  With the unemployment assistance running out and the coronavirus ravaging the job growth across the nation, wealth disparity is more critical now, especially with the reality of students not returning in person to schools across the U.S. this academic year.  

Parents of low income to medium incomes will have a great challenge on their hands.  Where do their children stand?  Who will watch/monitor them to do their studies?  Who has adequate bandwidth in their houses to accommodate all children supported in a given house?  The reality is that the questions will undoubtedly grow the wealth disparity gap larger this year.  What to do?

Is there any sign of help?  

Is society doomed?

One positive note is legislation which ties wealth disparity to climate justice (i.e., climate change, about income inequality).  Senator Kamala Harris joined Senator Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced legislation called The Climate Equity Act.  The bill is designed to give importance to low-income communities concerning environmental legislative decisions.

The hallmark of the legislation is centered around the creation of the Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Accountability. The newly created office would reside within the Office of Management and Budget.  Any environmental legislative decision must take into account the impact on low-income communities.  For example, if a city lets a corporation open a factory near a community, is there going to be an adverse impact (health or economic) on the community?

Finally, low-income communities are being inserted into the equation of consideration for a project.  Over the past few decades, industries have flourished within cities at the health (and economic) expense of low-income communities.  The factories are built-in the proximity of communities that have to bear the brunt of deadly emissions or poisons migrating throughout their soil.  

The result is pollution that disproportionately impacts the low-income communities while the rest of the city benefits from the profits and recognition of hosting the industry in their geographic region.  Hopefully, this legislation levels the playing field among industry and wealth disparity.

News of the new legislation is a shining beacon of hope among low-income communities during a time of disproportionate loss.  Latino and African American residents are three times as likely to contract the coronavirus than white residents are.  Part of this is due to not being able to quarantine during a time of the pandemic.  Although, one could argue that the coronavirus, climate change, and other potential disasters are bringing to light the reality of wealth disparity in the United States.

The time has come to take action.  The present year is an election year.  Amidst the pandemic, let's as a nation take advantage of the opportunity to change for the better as a nation.  Consider the wealth disparity and pull together to narrow that lengthening gap.  We can do it.

Big Oil Company BP Vows to Produce 40% Less Oil by 2030

Photo: Reuters

The coronavirus pandemic has put the nation in a pause mode temporarily.  While pharmaceutical companies are racing to find a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus.  Americans are sitting at home scared to leave the house.  That means that fewer Americans are driving vehicles to commute to and from work on a daily basis.  The result is that over the last few months, fewer vehicles on the road means less greenhouse gas emissions being released into the environment.

Americans have had time to consider changes in their daily lifestyle from the rat race that they were engaged in pre-COVID-19.  Fewer vehicle trips give Americans a chance to think about the important aspects of their daily lifestyle.  Do I really need to drive across town to attend a workout?  Or can I attend on Zoom?  As society changes its behavior, big oil companies need to do the same.

Reporting by Politico Energy introduces the news that is promising given the momentum toward renewable energy playing a greater role in society:

ICYMI: BP LAYS OUT ROAD AHEAD: After announcing earlier this year it would go carbon neutral by 2050, BP detailed Tuesday specific near-term steps it is taking, including cutting oil and gas production by 40 percent by 2030, from 2.6 million barrels per day to about 1.5 million b/d, and increasing its annual low carbon investment tenfold to around $5 billion a year. Andrew Grant, Carbon Tracker Initiative's head of oil and gas, said in a statement that BP had "radically changed the game."

"In the arms race of emissions announcements, most oil and gas peers have conveniently ignored the global need to produce and use less oil and gas — BP's production cut of 40 percent by 2030 makes them unquestionably the industry leader," he said.

BP also said Tuesday it would stop exploration in new countries and cut its dividend in half. By 2030, BP said it aims to have developed around 50 gigawatts of net renewable generating capacity, marking a 20-fold increase from last year.

The news is encouraging given the shift in public opinion on using fossil fuels instead of slowly shifting toward more renewable energy resources.  But the true test of time occurs with time.  That is to say, actions speak louder than words.

Although, previous blog posts on this site have shown news reports that state big oil corporations are already moving toward using renewable energy resources/technology.  Investing in renewable energy is a gigantic project/mission.  All important investors including fossil fuel companies will have to be on board for the transition.  Hearing the news above is good news.  

That means the message coming out of society is pointing toward moving the world toward using more renewable energy technology while moving away from fossil fuels.  Time will tell us what the true outcome is.  Stay tuned!

Related Blog Posts:

Who Is Going To Pay For Ignoring Climate Change While Building Infrastructure In The U.S.?

EPA Mercury Rule is Changed Due to New Cost-Benefit Analysis

Coal Companies Are Dying Despite Efforts By Trump To Keep Open

 Thought: Sustainable Practices Should Not Be Competitive But Open Sourced For All

Ralph Nader: Speaker Nancy Pelosi Writes To Me!

Photo: McClatchyDC

Politics today is a circus run wild.  Partisanship and polarization are at an all-time high.  Which is baffling given the obvious state of affairs.  President Trump has completely lost the ability to handle the coronavirus.  Additionally, the race war which is ravaging the nation is on par with the spread of COVID-19 -- which is dangerous.  Democrats are not innocent either in this situation.

Ralph Nader discusses briefly in his newsletter the letter he received from Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently:

Years ago, Elizabeth Brennan Moynihan told me about her disgust with the Democratic Party’s outside consultants. These consultants were not competent. They were arrogant, costly, and looking out first for their interests, not the candidates they were supposed to advance. She threw them out and personally took over her husband, Senator Daniel P. Moynihan’s successful re-election campaign.

Bill Curry, former counselor to President Bill Clinton and later a cogent critic of the “Arkansas sweet talker” said these consultants stay hired even after losing election after election. They blame the candidates, not themselves, nor the way they misshape the strategies and insipid television ads (from which they take a 15% cut).

Curry said these repeat offenders, whom he noted, make much of their money from corporate clients, have a clear conflict of interest, and are an ongoing menace to the Party.

I was reminded of their observations when I received two fundraising letters from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Elected politicians long ago stopped writing their own appeals for campaign dollars. This chore is farmed out to well-paid and wealthy consultants flaunting their supposed smooth expertise. They must have scoured their brilliant insights to come up with this doozy on the envelope – “R.Nader, I Won’t Back Down. Are You With Me?” I wonder how much the consultant was paid to think that defensive and vague message would tempt voters to tear open their mail and lunge for the return envelope to send the dough.

Bear in mind, this is the age of a Trumpian criminal enterprise and a destructive, rampant lawlessness, a hyper-corrupt Trump regime stiff-arming the people daily on the behalf of the giant corporate supremacists. And Nancy tells us she’s not backing down. Wow – what political ambition it takes to defend expensive Obamacare (that still left 30 million people uninsured and more than double that number underinsured), instead of bucking up to support full Medicare for All. The Medicare for All Act, (H.R.1384) would create a system that is more efficient and lifesaving with free choice of doctors and hospitals.

Playing defense embeds itself in Nancy’s survey included in the fundraising appeal. We are asked to rank the following:

(1) Defending choice (without adding maternal, neonate, and childcare).

(2) Stopping voter suppression (without expanding known ways to surge voter turnout).

(3) Protecting social security (instead of also expanding this lone barrier to severe elderly poverty and repealing the huge Trump tax cut for the rich and corporations. Note that both were pressed for by the ignored Bernie Sanders campaign).

(4) “Fighting climate change and opposing Trump’s weakening environmental laws” (instead of displacing fossil fuels and recognizing the objectives of the Green New Deal advanced by Democratic Party Progressives).

No mention of law and order for corporate crime and runaway costly corporate welfare, and no mention of telling bungling, dangerous Trump to step aside to let pandemic scientists, doctors, and managers run the federal effort to suppress the spreading Covid-19 disaster.

Of course, a letter can only contain a few top defensive issues. So, the House Speaker gives us a line titled “other”, “to hear from” us as, she adds, our “opinions are important.”

Fair enough Nancy, see the four letters by me and constitutional law specialists with important opinions that were not even acknowledged much less responded to by your office.

I believe our proposals – available to all incumbents and challengers  –  will help citizens and Congress take America closer to the just rule of law and constitutional observance which will enable a better life for the people and the environment of our country.

Granted your letter was very focused on winning elections. But winning elections without enabling basic mandates that translate into good livelihoods can leave voters with that familiar empty post-election letdown malady. May we hear from you?

Stay tuned!