The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 263
wind, solar rays are also corrosive. Gasoline is of course corrosive, which is
why certain materials cannot be legally used to hold gasoline. But the oil industry doesn't tell you this, instead, they make it seems as if only ethanol causes
corrosion.
Big Oil's issue with soil depletion follows the same fallacious line of attack.
Therefore, in the same way that we respond to the corrosion claim, that's how
we respond to the point of soil depletion: Everything causes soil depletion.
Growing crops depletes the soil; not growing crops depletes the soil; rain depletes soil; no rain depletes soil; wind depletes the soil; solar rays deplete the
soil; walking on soil depletes the soil; driving motor vehicles on soil depletes the
soil, animals walking on soil depletes the soil. But ethanol opponents don't
acknowledge any of this, they make it seem as if only corn crops deplete the
soil.
For the moment, let's look at the most extreme case scenario. Let's pretend that
only corn crops damage the soil, and let's pretend that nothing can be done to
stop the damage caused by growing corn. And now let's pretend that the oil
industry and groups like Smarter Fuel Future are filled with good people who
are truly concerned about this problem. Then why are they not calling for the
elimination of all products that are made from corn? The soil doesn't know if the
corn being grown is for ethanol or corn chips or corn syrup. So if corn growing
is so detrimental, and if these good people care so much, why do the oil industry
and groups like Smarter Fuel Future "partner" with the junk food industry? Why
do we need corn chips and corn flakes and corn syrup sweeteners. Why are we
feeding animals corn or corn by-products like distillers grains? Can't chickens,
ducks, and cattle find something else to eat? Don't these animals know that
they are helping to destroy all the good soil?
If growing corn is so bad then why is any corn grown anywhere in the world for
use in any product?
The answer is that the oil industry's depiction of ethanol causing a soil problem
is as grossly exaggerated and untrue as every other lie they spread about alternative fuels.
Mickey, this brings me to the second point illuminated by your question: Groups
like Smarter Fuel Foundation. The oil industry and their paid assassins set up
these shill, scammy organizations as a way to try and legitimize the lies and
disinformation that they use to denigrate all competition. These groups use
names that make them sound either socially concerned or scientific, or both.
