Matt Goes Green

The Woodstock Festival of 1969 – three days of positive engagement that left a mark on the times. Readers of the Digest will remember that last Friday, we ran an exclusive interview with Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa in which the Senator invited the Director of the EPA’s office of Transportation and Air Quality, Margo Oge, to visit his farm in Iowa. The invitation came after it was revealed in House testimony that Ms. Oge had not visited a US farm in the 41 years since she had arrived in the US, something that became relevant when her office was assigned the responsibility by former EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson  of measuring direct and indirect emissions from biofuels as required by the 2007 Energy Security and Independence Act. We are delighted to inform readers that, according to the Senator’s staff and as reported on Opisnet and elsewhere, that after the story ran in Biofuels Digest, the EPA contacted Senator Grassley’s office “to indicate that they would like to try and work something out. So my staff is in the process of trying to find time in my schedule and the EPA staff schedule when we can all be in Iowa.” EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Regina McCarthy, nominated as assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation have also been invited. The story that ran on Friday addressed the larger question of a growing communications gap between farm and city, and suggested, in line with EPA-funded research demonstrating that “place-based education” has an impact on attitudes towards the environment, that a greater engagement between regulators and farms was a first and important step towards a national consensus on biofuels policies. The Digest looks forward to proposing ways over the next few days in which a broad section of those who care about farms, green jobs, energy independence and climate change can also participate in what is shaping up to be a highlight of the summer, the EPA’s visit to the Grassley farm. Early indications are that another farm more convenient to airports may be chosen for the visit. No one can say how one day on a farm will impact EPA’s view on indirect land use change, and the proposed elimination of soy biodiesel as an permissable fuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard (because of the controversial contention that soy biodiesel leads to Amazonian deforestation). But 10,000 people showing up to say “thank you” to the EPA for making the effort, would certainly be news, would show positive engagement, would be inclusive, would send a positive message in a world of negative campaigning, and might alter the balance. Just showing up and saying “I am” has been known to make a difference. Or as so many Americans would put it, “Yo soy”. As biodiesel supporter Neil Young sang in the classic CSNY hit, “Woodstock,” about the celebrated festival of forty summers ago: “I’m going on down to Yasgurs farm I’m going to join in a rock n roll band I’m going to camp out on the land I’m going to try and get my soul free We are stardust, we are golden We are billion year old carbon, And we’ve got to get ourselves Back to the garden.” From Biofuels Digest: Thank you, EPA.

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EPA responds to Grassley’s invitation to visit a farm: “they would like to try and work something out”.