04/17/07 Building For A Cleaner Future

Building for a cleaner future. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. What kind of fuel will be using in 25 years? Where will we be with the energy situation even 10 years from now? Those are good questions and ones that are being debated even as you hear them. And not just here in the U.S. - but globally. Read Smith, co-chair with 25x'25 says it's an on-going process with priorities. SMITH: We've got a number of things going on for 2007 for our priorities, the first of which is to get our national resolutions passed in Washington DC. We have a resolution in both the House and the Senate that we are currently seeking co-sponsors for. We want to try to get that thing passed before the July recess and that's out number on priority to get that done. Some of the other things we're doing  we're continuing to grow the alliance. We're approaching 450 organizations now that have endorsed 25x'25. 25x'25 is working to realize 25% of our energy needs from renewable sources by the year 2025. The Bush administration is pushing their own agenda but Smith says it's all one goal. SMITH: There are a number of programs out there. You hear of 20x20 and a 30x30 and the President's 10x17 and there's the alternative energy and the renewable energy -We're not really all that hung up about program numbers, the title or anything else if they will all head us towards becoming more energy independent then it's very compatible with what we're trying to do. But Smith says there are some key differences between the President's plan and 25x'25's. SMITH: The President's program probably emphasizes alternatives like clean coal, or syngas from coal and or some other fossil based alternatives to foreign oil, and I guess that's fine, and I think we need those alternatives. That just is not where we are and what our initiative is about. It is 100% about renewables. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.