Clean My Ride: Celebs Pimping Ethanol & Acting Badly

Hey Colin -

Thanks for your post! We agree with you that ethanol is not the whole solution to our energy problems. By making these videos, our aim was to raise awareness of all bio, flex, and alternative fuels, not just ethanol and corn-based solutions. And if we can make people laugh while doing it, all the better.

Thanks for watching!

Colin I agree with you--sorry "Cleanmyride". I watched the first two videos and they pretty much were a propaganda piece for the Corn Lobby and Big-Agri. I appreciate trying to appeal to young people with an entertaining message on promoting energy efficiency, but when the story is about a cornstalk and an activist trying to get Flex Fuels available at the pump, I'd say you are promoting corn based ethanol as the PRIMARY solution.

I seldom fault anyone for taking aim and criticizing Big Oil, but gettting in bed with Big-Agri is like exchanging Don Corleon for
Tony Soprano--they are both really bad.

I've read your feedback on youtube and each time you say that you agree that ethanol is not the whole solution, but why do your videos then spend so much time on this one issue? Perhaps the money you received from the Center for American Progress came from, hmmm, perhaps the corn lobby? Just a hunch.

I admire John Podesta on many things, and I believe his heart and intentions are in the right place, But the CFP is plowing the wrong filed in the case of corn-based ethanol. Please, don't confuse ethanol with anything having to do with the environment.

Rather than throw around phrases like "getting in bed with Big-Agri," we should focus on the merits of the policy. Yes, we agree that corn is not the answer (see our discussion on this at CleanMyRide.org ). No, we are not being paid by big-agri to promote corn.

We are very much about finding alternative fuels that do lower emissions and reduce our dependency on oil. Cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, etc. are all better than corn.

But two things make corn relevant in this discussion.

1. Ben Affleck dressed as an ear of corn is funny and funny videos make people pay more attention to the need for alternative fuel, even if corn itself is not the answer.

2. Congress has already mandated the production of a large amount of corn ethanol, 4.5 million cars on the road can use it, and it is currently very difficult for those cars to get the fuel. Building out the distribution for existing supplies of corn ethanol, NOT producing more of it, will help build out the distribution network for the better fuels we are developing.

In a way, this is about making sure the perfect is not the enemy of the good. I'd rather see us take steps in the right direction (even though I understand corn ethanol fuel itself is not so good) than take no steps at all.

Phin,
I understand there is a need to do something. But pushing "flex fuels", namely, E85 is not the answer and the campaign is very misleading to the public who may not be aware of the dangers and inefficiency of corn based ethanol. Almost every response I have read from you or the organization agrees that corn is not the answer, then why on earth is it pushed so hard then?

I went back and watched all six episodes to see if there was a fair representation for other more environmental options or even a definition of just what you mean by "flex fuels" other than E85. If there was, it didn't jump out at me. Instead I found lines such as "...the corn-blended gas needed congress to pressure Big Oil" (episode #1), "must run on clean burning flex fuel alternatives, like corn based ethanol".

So, when you respond that you agree with critics that corn is not the answer, then you are disagreeing with the crux of this campaign! The notion of higher mileage standards was really only promoted in the final episode....the shortest one. So you spent all that time on corn when you could've made MPG the issue--which does soooo much more for the environment and our national security. Did you not have a cute costume for MPG or CAFE standards? I don't beleive having a corn costume is the main reason you pushed for corn based ethanol either as I've read in other responses you've published.

Your response to me was that we need to have access to the E85 pumps to use up existing supplies, NOT to produce more of it. Are you serious? Do you think the refineries in places like Coon Rapids, Iowa are not going to produce more corn based ethanol? Your organization, Big Agri, the government and General Motors, might be pushing E85, but you all are betting on the wrong horse. The corn lobby, once they get a taste of the profits and control of the ethanol market, will be as committed to trouncing other technolgy as oil companies have been for the last 80 years.

Please do not drink the corn syrup, high fructose-flavored Kool-aid! If you don't think corn is the main answer, then it is disingenuous to promote it. Unless, again you are funded by the corn lobby or some incarnate of the corn industry. If you

(I have been trying to get on cleanmyride's site to read the comments, but my computer shuts down when I try. )