02/13/07 Food, feed, fiber and fuel

Read Smith is an eastern Washington farmer and co-chairman of the 25 by 25 campaign. That's the national effort to produce 25 percent of America's energy needs by 2025 from renewable sources like wind, solar, biomass, ethanol, geothermal and the like. He says we got a wake up call in the 1970's with the Arab oil embargo but dropped the ball after that. SMITH "Oil production in the United States peaked during that period in the late '70's. There is additional pressure built around the environmental concerns of burning fossil fuels. The one that hits most Americans the most is the energy security, the security of our nation." Smith says Idaho and the Pacific Northwest have great potential for renewable energy thanks to our farmland and our forests. SMITH "The idea of dedicated energy crops and that's whatever grasses are appropriate for our climates. That's forest products, forest waste and even plantations that are produced just for their energy value." Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott