ND ag secretary defends ethanol, promotes tech
BISMARCK, N.D. --U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer says a backlash against ethanol production may be easing as consumers realize the alternative fuel's value and begin doubting arguments that it is to blame for soaring food prices.
The former North Dakota governor, in a Wednesday speech to a rural economic development conference and in remarks to reporters afterward, also said the Agriculture Department is taking a more prominent role in trying to improve Internet access in rural areas.
Many rural residents, in North Dakota and elsewhere, are missing opportunities because their communications systems do not have adequate capacity to handle such advanced Internet applications as streaming video and telemedicine, Schafer said.
"We think we're very technology-oriented in the United States. We think we're really with it," Schafer said. "The United States is 17th in the world in penetration of broadband. That doesn't make us very competitive out there, and it's a big concern."
In a June report, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group of 30 countries, put the United States in the middle of the pack when measuring broadband access for every 100 households. The leaders were Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Since he became agriculture secretary in January, Schafer has fought arguments that ethanol production is chiefly to blame for rising food prices because of the industry's demands on the nation's corn crop.
"Things have become apparent that while ethanol production ... is a factor in increased (food) prices, it's not the driving factor," Schafer said in remarks to reporters. "Energy, and increased consumption globally, are the issues here that are pushing the show."
Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency denied a request by the state of Texas to relax a national mandate for ethanol use.
The agency's investigation showed Texas drivers realized much more in gasoline savings -- the result of gasoline being blended with cheaper ethanol -- than the state's livestock industry had to pay in increased feed prices, Schafer said.
"The savings are there from these types of programs, and as those numbers get out, it becomes real clear," Schafer said. "I think we're on the right direction, and we'll stay there." 