Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, Legislation and Policy, USA, Middle East



Hundreds of thousands of people are waiting for the US Environmental Protection Agency to issue its final ruling on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Over 110,000 signatures were collected by the group VoteVets.org (often politically active on energy issues), which delivered its petition with Congressman Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. Over 35,000 of those signatures were from veterans and military family members.

VoteVets.org is a veteran group that believes that the US needs more homegrown energy, not dependence on foreign oil. Congressman Braley represents the corn-growing, ethanol-producing state of Iowa, where over 1,000 of these signatures were collected. They've asked the EPA to protect the RFS and not give in to Big Oil, and recently met with EPA senior staff members to voice their concerns.

"The RFS improves our economy and contributes to our energy independence-and the EPA needs to understand that Americans don't support their misguided attempt to alter a law that's working so well," said Braley in the press release available below.

For Jon Soltz, VoteVets.org chairman and an Iraq war veteran, the issue is clear cut - standing up to Big Oil is the same as standing up for US troops. Soltz said that if we're less dependent on oil by using more biofuels, oil prices will decline. And our enemies (his word) like to see high oil prices so they can use petroleum industry profits against US troops. Ethanol is a key part of ensuring that "America's dependence on oil is decreased," according to Soltz. One oil-rich country that the veterans group would like to see blocked is Iran; while the US hasn't gone directly to war with Iran, there's a reference in the press release to a 2007 incident where Iran produced and shipped Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs) to Iraqi insurgents, who used them to target US troops.Continue reading Vets group says EPA should stand up to Big Oil, stand up for US military

Vets group says EPA should stand up to Big Oil, stand up for US military originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 10 Feb 2014 19:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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