The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 360
best fuel… the best for our vehicles and for our country… then tell us what it is
and we will shout it from the rooftops. But don’t tell us the same garbage lies.
• ADDITIONAL UPDATE - May 25, 2013:
Shortly after publishing the above editorial, I notified both AAA and Edelman
Public Relations (the PR firm that sent me the press release) about my published response. On Friday, yesterday, I received replies from both. AAA denied
any knowledge of the press release or relationship with the oil lobby and stated
that their only interest is the American motorist.
Edelman PR stated that the email they sent me wasn't a press release but a
"media pitch including news and data points." The agency representative went
on to say that she had not been "speaking on behalf of AAA, AFPM or anyone
else and that it was by no means an official statement." Of course, the original
press release email from this person at Edelman PR offered to arrange for me
to speak with "a representative from the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers or representatives...or consumer advocacy groups who can provide
further insight into how government ethanol laws are creating problems for consumers this weekend."
Edelman PR is the public relations firm for both American Petroleum Institute
(the primary mouthpiece for the oil industry) and Saudi Arabia (the world's #1
producer of oil).
These were my responses:
TO AAA: "Thank you for your reply and your comments this morning. Knowing
for certain that AAA was not involved clears up certain aspects of the text, while
making the effort by Edelman Public Relations all the more insidious (in my
opinion).
...I would only respond by saying two things: If AAA is on the side of the motorist/consumer and you have no allegiance to the oil industry then you owe it to
the motorist/consumer to get facts correct. The two press release warnings that
AAA issued in November and December went far beyond simply advising consumers about potential warranty issues. The releases made definitive claims
about the negative effects of using ethanol that were not true. The effects of
those false claims were then amplified by the ridiculous story done by FOX
News. You may not have endorsed the FOX story or the persons talking about
the AAA warnings before they produced the show, but unless you can say that
