04/18/07 Renewables

Renewables. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Every day I open the paper or turn on the news I hear about future fuels, alternative fuel sources, renewables, biodiesel, ethanol and the list goes on. It can really get confusing. High fuel prices and an ever growing demand for fuel are driving several different industries. There are a number of organizations looking to replace all or part of our dependence on foreign oil. Read Smith is the co-chairman of the 25x'25 organization that is calling for 25% of our fuel to be from a renewable source by the year 2025. Renewables are things like making fuels from plants&things that can be constantly renewed. 25x'25 has been gathering a lot of support from business according to Smith. SMITH: Corporate America has come to us and expressed interest in participating and being involved and didn't know how they fit, so we are meeting with a core group of about 10 of those corporate partners in order to scope exactly how best we can capitalize on their particular skills and resources and find something in it for them and us. One of the issues according to Smith is to make sure everyone is on the same page so to speak and become proactive. SMITH: We're continuing to grow our state alliances and in the northwest I've been working in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Each state has unique challenges and opportunities whether it's dealing with the state legislature or whatever  but I think what we have seen happen in most states around the country has been, particularly the ag and forestry communities it's been reactive rather than proactive and the idea of the alliance is for everyone to get together and talk out some of the issues before the legislature deals with them or whoever so that there is some consensus built. Smith says they are working in over 30 states and hope to have some activities in all 50 by the end of 2007. He also says a major part of their plan is working with a public relations firm to get the word out to the general population. SMITH: An outreach public relation campaign to reach public America, the folks that aren't individually impacted by renewable energy but yet have some interest just maybe not a lot of knowledge. Smith says they are trying to create a lot of support around these issues and to make it known that it will take a major financial commitment. But according to Smith: SMITH: This investment is not small. It's in the neighborhood of 13 billion dollars a year which our decision makers say of course they don't have, but the point is  it's a very small fraction of what we're spending on importing foreign oil. About 5% exactly. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.