More ethanol education needed

Have you seen a “No Corn in Our Gas” sign lately? Or one asking, “Why Do You Put Alcohol in Your Tank?” Or maybe a gas station promoting “100% Gas”?

Although more common in the late 1970s or early '80s when oil companies funded campaigns against gasohol - their very tiny competition at the time - such signs can also be found in Oklahoma City today, where several gas stations have bought into the same half-truths that were common 30 years ago. All because a labeling law recently came into force in the state. Before that people didn't know the difference.

Here's an article in the New York Times talking about the 'controversy.' Although the Times quotes many consumers who've been fed (and believe) the mistruths, not all is negative. This article talks about consumer choices - and how the station owner believes in renewables. This article says Oklahoma had the cheapest gas in the country this week (shouldn't they thank ethanol for this?).

This reminded me of a good blog post by the Clean Fuels Development Coalition that explained the 11 campaigns in history against ethanol. To read about the history of the anti-ethanol campaigns, click here. If people would read this, they'd understand why corn and ethanol producers work so hard to tell the positive story of ethanol.