Green Kids Workshops
March 14th - 18th, 2011

10 A.M. - Noon ~ Ages 4 & Up 

Facilitated by: Lisa Gerwulf, Assistant Naturalist

Wapsi River Environmental Education Center

Monday 3/14 - Flower Power!

This project utilizes normally discarded cardboard in various forms (egg cartons, paper towel/toilet tubes) to create life-like flowers.  Due to the time needed for paint to dry before assemblage, a separate activity of using plastic bottle bottoms as stamps to create a flower mosaic on paper or acetate sheets is part of this activity and keeps with the flower theme.

Tuesday 3/15 - Signs of Spring

Egg Carton Greenhouse ~ This project utilizes 8-holes of a cardboard egg carton as seed starter pots that can then be planted directly into a garden come springtime.  The addition of a clear, plastic bag creates an almost terrarium-like environment allowing for minimal care.  The project becomes its own science fair project by visually showcasing the water cycle concepts of evaporation, condensation and transpiration.

Owl Scarecrow ~ This project utilizes the left-over, 4-holes of the egg cartons used above by creating an owl face that is then wrapped in aluminum foil (weatherproofing), embellished with yellow plastic tops and black buttons, and then glued to an aluminum pie plate.  Once completed and hung in the garden from a chain of pop bottle plastic rings, the owl acts much in the same way as a traditional scarecrow does - to scare away would-be vegetable nibblers.

Wednesday 3/16 - Games Galore

Tangram ~ This project puts a modern twist on an ancient Chinese game.  Storytelling is an important part of Asian culture and tangrams play a part by providing a tool for illustration.  The use of various math concepts are just part of creating the puzzle and participants of all ages can grasp them.


Tic-Tac-Toe ~ This project utilizes various cardboard and plastic elements to create a old, family favorite.  A cleverly converted entrée box creates convenient storage to make this game vary portable. 

Thursday 3/17 - Heavy Metal Belt

This project utilizes pop can tabs and "plarn" (plastic yarn) to create a belt of retro and Art Nuevo styling.

Friday 3/18 - A Tisket, A Tasket, a Recycled Trinket Basket

This project utilizes a plastic pop bottle bottom as the base for the basket.  Then uses "plarn" (plastic yarn) and pop can tabs to create a decorative edge around the top.

Studio and materials fee:  $5 per workshop per child
(All participants will receive one free pass for "drop in art" and a mini playkit!
Must be registered by 2 P.M. one day in advance of each workshop.  Limit 25 per class.

Register by calling: (563) 289-3946 or email: Angie@reusableusables.org

Reusable Usables Creative Arts Center
322 N Cody
LeClaire, IA  52753

www.reusableusables.org

Recycled Stitches Program Planned

On Saturday, March 19th at 2:00 P.M. the Wapsi River Environmental Education Center will host a recycled stitches program.  Come join naturalist Lisa Gerwulf as she shows you how to create a uniquely versatile yarn from recycled plastic bags.  "Plarn" (plastic yarn) is not a new fad, but rather a frugal technique reminiscent of the Depression Era.  Participants will learn about the plastic industry, plastic's waste-to-energy potential, as well as how to create two versions of "yarn" out of recycled shopping/grocery bags.  Knitted, crocheted, woven, braided and corded items will also be on display.  Those interested need not be fancywork experts to enjoy this program.  Each participant needs to bring 5 plastic shopping/grocery bags and a pair of sharp scissors.  If you have access to a quilting tool called a rotary cutter and mat, consider bringing these.  Pre-registration is required, by calling (563) 328-3286 to reserve your spot.

The Wapsi River Environmental Education Center can be found 6 miles south of Wheatland or 1 mile northwest of Dixon, Iowa by taking County Road Y4E.  Then turn north at 52nd Avenue and follow the signs for about 1 mile.

 


The advent of spring brings about a special type of activity in the Midwest, the training and retraining of weather spotters and a heightened awareness of being prepared in the event of an emergency.

Girl Scouts is no different in being prepared. A unique series of programs has been brought to the region this year by Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois in an effort to prepare girls for emergencies, disasters, severe weather and climate change. The series of programs, which started earlier this year, has been well received by audiences of girls and their parents.

The first set of programs held in January taught girls and their families who attended information about recognizing severe weather threats and trends, learning about the basics of weather and forecasting, looking at a weather map and how to protect your family in bad weather.

For almost 100 years, Girl Scouts has been at the forefront of preparing girls to be leaders. "Be Prepared" has been the motto of Girl Scouts since 1917, and this series of sessions helps girls to be better prepared in their households and communities. There are any number of types of emergencies to be prepared for, including natural hazards such as floods, tornadoes, fires and winter storms; technological hazards such as hazardous materials incidents or nuclear power plant emergencies; and terrorism from explosions and chemical threats. Recovering from disasters includes following health and safety guidelines, seeking disaster assistance, coping with the disaster and helping others.

The Girl Scouts disaster preparedness series is being presented by Eddy Weiss, a storm chaser, through the weather education organization, Chasing 4 Life. The program he presents gives girls in grades 2-12 the skills needed to be prepared in the event of disaster and weather emergencies. Girls and parents say they love Weiss' interactive speaking style as well as the way he relates to young people.

A series of program across Eastern Iowa this week and next week and also in April and May will take home Eddy Weiss' message to girls and their families on a variety of preparedness topics. This week and next week, Weiss talks about emergency preparedness, especially helping girls and their families become prepared in case of an emergency and to tell them how to make a disaster preparedness kit for the home.

In April, the program offered is on climate change and helps girls understand the past, present and future of climate change and how it affects everyone. Weiss' May program is about animal safety and how disasters affect not only humans, but also our pets. He helps girls make a plan for their pets during disasters and other emergencies.

Ensuring that your family is prepared in the event of a disaster or emergency is essential to getting through the event. Families should know how to receive warnings about impending disasters and have a plan to respond to those. It's also helpful to catalog the types of disasters and emergencies that might happen in your community in an effort to become prepared for each type of event.

By identifying the types of emergencies and disasters to be prepared for, a plan can be created by families, especially in knowing where to meet outside the home and perhaps elsewhere in the community in case of a widespread disaster. An out-of-state family member or friend can be a contact for those to coordinate where everyone is located.

The April sessions by Weiss talk about climate change and how the past, present and future affects all of us. Earth has warmed by about 1 degree Fahrenheit over the past 100 years, but scientists aren't sure why and how that has occurred. Earth could be getting warmer on its own, but many of the world's leading climate scientists think that things people are doing are helping to make the earth warmer. Weiss' presentation in April will help girls understand the importance of global warming.

The May sessions presented for Girl Scouts by Chasing 4 Life address the issues of pets in the home and how disasters force us to plan for them, too. Only in recent years has the Federal Emergency Management Agency recognized the importance of planning for pets in disasters. FEMA says on its website that pets should not be left behind in a disaster because they cannot survive on their own during an evacuation and families may not be able to find their pets when they return home.

While many emergency shelters may not be able to accept pets, some hotels and motels may be able to. It's a good idea to call in advance and identify possible locations you may be able to go with your pet in the event of a disaster situation. Pets also have needs during an evacuation, including food, safe drinking water, leashes or pet carriers, cat litter and medications. Being prepared with a checklist will assist in a speedy evacuation with your family and pet.

The emergency preparedness sessions presented over the next week by Weiss will occur at these locations on these dates:

Emergency and disaster preparedness: 6-7:30 p.m., Friday, March 11, First United Methodist Church, Mount Pleasant; 10-11 a.m., Saturday, March 12, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Dubuque; 3-4:30 p.m., Saturday, March 12, Our Savior Lutheran Church, Bettendorf; 6-7:30 p.m., Monday, March 14, Taft Middle School, Cedar Rapids; and 6-7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 15, Kaplan University, Cedar Falls.

Climate change: 5:30-7 p.m., April 27, Our Savior Lutheran Church, Bettendorf; 6-7:30 p.m., April 28, First United Methodist Church, Mount Pleasant; 6-7 p.m., April 29, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Dubuque; 2-3:15 p.m., April 30, Hope Lutheran Church, Cedar Rapids; and 10-11:30 a.m., April 30, First United Methodist Church, Cedar Falls.

Pet safety during emergencies and disasters: 6-7:30 p.m., May 19, Highland Elementary School, Waterloo; 6-7 p.m., May 20, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Dubuque; 5:30-7 p.m., May 23, Our Savior Lutheran Church, Bettendorf; 6-7:30 p.m., May 24, Aldo Leopold Middle School auditorium, Burlington; 6-7:30 p.m., May 25, Jefferson High School auditorium, Cedar Rapids.

Cost of each event is $7 per girl and $5 per adult, and includes a Chasing 4 Life patch for girls. Seating is limited and is expected to fill up fast for each event. Register by going to GirlScoutsToday.com or call 800-798-0833. For more information about the event, including an online video, visit GirlScoutsToday.com and click on the link from the rotating billboard on the home page. Girls who are not current Girl Scouts may attend the sessions by becoming a member; dues are only $1 a month.

Girl Scouts is the premier leadership development program for girls where girls can have fun, make new friends and learn new things in a safe all-girl setting. For more information, visit GirlScoutsToday.com or call your local Girl Scout Leadership Center at 800-798-0833.

 

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The Galesburg Civic Art Center proudly announces the opening of the national juried GALEX 45 Exhibition and Competition.  The exhibition opens Saturday, March 12th and runs through Saturday, April 9th.  The competition awards over $2,000 in prizes including a $1,000 Purchase Award sponsored by Blick Art Materials.  The GALEX 45 Exhibition is sponsored by our exhibition partner, Cottage Hospital.

GALEX is one of the longest running juried exhibitions in the country.  It began in 1966 and has been an annual event at the Art Center ever since.  Sixty-two artists from Illinois and other states have been selected to participate in this show including:

  • Christopher Bradshaw of Bettendorf, Iowa for his oil on canvas entitled A Precipitated Fashioning

There will be an Opening Reception in the Art Center Gallery on Saturday, March 12th, from 6-8 p.m. which is free and open to the public.  Many of the artists will be in attendance.

The juror for this year's exhibition and competition is Mel Adamson. Ms. Adamson received her Master of Fine Arts from University of California at Berkeley in 1988.  She studied with Joan Brown, Christopher Brown and David Simpson and was a teaching assistant to Joan Brown.  She studied painting at >cole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France during her junior year but otherwise did her undergraduate studies in both music and visual art at the University of California at Santa Cruz.  Her work is exhibited nationally and locally. Mel's primary subjects are the figure as well as imagery that refers to elements in nature, some of which have been affected by human activity such as harnessed rivers for hydroelectricity or high atmospheric clouds whose formation is threatened due to global warming.  "I work with imagery relating to water and other natural resources, their use, storage and waste, and our simultaneous reverence for and destruction of nature.  I am interested in the translation of the idea of storage and release of energy and the condition of change into the pictorial realm."  She is inspired by her students - their visual inquiry, dedication and skill.  She lives most of the year in Richmond, CA with her husband, her teenage daughter, their black lab, cat, and chickens and gains inspiration for her painting while working in her garden.  Mel is a part-time assistant professor for the pictorial art department at San Jose State University and taught at the California College of the Arts for their extended education program in Oakland, CA between 1999 and 2007.

Additional award sponsors of this year's GALEX show are Breslin's Floor Covering for the Award of Excellence, McFall Monument Company for the Medallion Award, and Blick Art Materials for the Kent Leasure Memorial Fine Print Award. Dowers Roofing is our Juror Sponsor.

GALEX and all other programs of the Art Center are partially funded by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. The Galesburg Civic Art Center is located at 114 E. Main St. in Galesburg, Illinois.  Art Center hours are Tuesday through Friday 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  For more information please contact the Art Center at (309) 342-7415, or visit our web site at www.galesburgarts.org

 

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Quad Cities, USA (March 7, 2011) - March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month and gastroenterologists  and other healthcare professionals from around the Quad Cities are joining forces to spread the word about how colon cancer can be prevented.  Colon Cancer Free QCA is a coalition of physicians and staff from The Center for Digestive Health, Gastroenterology Consultants and Trinity Medical Center.  Colon Cancer Free QCA is coordinating efforts to raise public and clinical awareness of the role that colonoscopies play in the prevention and early detection of colon cancer.  Physicians from these practices will address groups in the area about why colonoscopies are so important.  Others will be talking with family physicians about the importance of patients receiving colonoscopies early in life.  Colon Cancer Free QCA will also publish public service announcements throughout March.

On Saturday, March 5th, as part of Colon Cancer Free QCA, free colonoscopies were provided to 15 uninsured patients identified as high-risk by the Good Samaritan Clinic in Moline.  Nurses and support staff from Trinity Regional Health System - along with Drs. Ahmad Cheema, Sreenivas Chintalapani, Arvind Movva, Shasinath Chandrashasegowda and Poonput Chotiprasidhi,  gastroenterologists from competing practices -- volunteered their service.  The exams were performed free-of-charge for the high-risk patients, who were identified as being high-risk by the Good Samaritan Clinic.  Anesthesiologists from Western Illinois Anesthesiology participated in the free clinic.  Lab and pathology services were donated by Metro Lab.  A grant from Trinity Health Foundation helped fund part of the clinic's costs.

Excluding skin cancer, colon cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosis in the United States.  It remains among the top three cancer killers, even though it is also the most preventable form of deadly cancer. The most effective means of preventing colon cancer is a colonoscopy, where pre-cancerous polyps are removed before they turn to cancer and early cancers are seen and biopsied, often before they cause symptoms.  If the cancer is detected early, before symptoms appear, a person's chance of survival is about 90 percent. People with an average risk for colon cancer should be tested at age 50.  However, screenings should begin at age 40 if you have a family history of colon cancer.   Colon cancer affects men and women equally, crossing all socio-economic lines.

Among those serving on Colon Cancer Free QCA committee are several who've been personally touched by colon cancer.   Committee member Courtney Boothe is a Moline native and the daughter of Frank Boothe, a colon cancer survivor, "This coalition is doing something that is much needed in today's world, I hadn't really heard of colon cancer until my father was diagnosed with it. Last year when I heard about Colon Cancer Free QCA, I wanted to do anything I could to help raise awareness."  Booth hopes her participation in CCFQCA inspires others to take a step that could save their lives.

For more information about Colon Cancer Free QCA visit www.coloncancerfreeqca.com.

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WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley said today that the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has awarded a $182,029 grant to the Iowa Department of Transportation.

The Iowa Department of Transportation will use the funds to implement and enforce occupant protection programs to reduce deaths and injuries from riding unrestrained or improperly restrained in motor vehicles.

According to the Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970 to carry out safety programs previously administered by the National Highway Safety Bureau.  The agency is charged with improving motor vehicle and highway safety.

 

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Amana - The Old Creamery Theatre Company is celebrating our 40th anniversary season and we want you to be a part of it! Season tickets are a great value and on sale now through June 1, 2011 so don't miss the fun and excitement of 40 years of great entertainment and save some money too!

Call the box office or visit the web site for money saving season ticket package options 800-35-AMANA or www.oldcreamery.com

BOURBONNAIS, IL (03/08/2011)(readMedia)-- Michael Tuttle of Orion has received national recognition for 2011 by the Who's Who Among Students program. He is the son of Robin and Scott Tuttle.

Tuttle is one of a select group of 54 students from Olivet Nazarene University to accept this prestigious award. More than 2,842 schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated in nominating their students for this honor.

An accounting/economics/finance major, Tuttle received this honor for his achievements while at Olivet, including: being named to the dean's list; member of Sigma Beta Delta international business honor society; marshal for 2010 ONU commencement; president of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE); member of honors program; volunteer with Youth for Christ; and serving on mission trips to Haiti, Romania and the Osage Nation Reservation.

Olivet Nazarene University's campus nominating committee - made up of representatives from the faculty, administration and student body - selected and nominated him for this award. Criteria for this selection included grade point average, participation and leadership in school activities, community involvement and leadership ability.

Olivet Nazarene University is an accredited Christian, liberal arts university offering over 120 areas of study. It is centrally located in the historic village of Bourbonnais, Illinois - just 50 miles south of Chicago's loop - with additional School of Graduate and Continuing Studies locations in Rolling Meadows, Ill. and throughout Chicagoland.

For more than 76 years, Who's Who Among Students has annually honored outstanding student leaders from institutions of higher learning across the country. It is one of the most highly regarded and long-standing honors programs, respected by college faculties and administrations.

The SECC and EMA invite the public to an Open House on Sunday March 20th from 1:30p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event is designed to provide a first look at the new consolidated dispatch center and emergency operations center. The SECC/EOC is located at 1100 E 46th Street, Davenport.  Parking is available in the adjoining lot or Dee Bruemmer Public Works Building lot.

Open House highlights include : the consolidated dispatch center where all Scott County 911 calls will be received and an explanation on how all public safety (police, fire and ambulance)
services will be dispatched; emergency operations center where the public will see the improved capability of the community response to a disaster; and explanation of the building design to meet LEEDs building standards and the impact on long term energy savings. Guided tours of 6-10 people will be continuous beginning at 1:30pm and are expected to last 20-30 minutes.

The Scott Emergency Communication Center (SECC) was formed in December, 2007 when Scott County, City of Davenport, City of Bettendorf, MEDIC EMS, and the Emergency
Management Agency entered into an intergovernmental agreement (aka 28E Agreement) for the purpose of providing public safety dispatch and communication services. A formal ribbon cutting ceremony will be scheduled in May, 2011.

March 13, 2011

Dear Friends:

Churches United has received calls from media outlets as well as some churches seeking information about how to help with the relief following the terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11th.  We have been in touch with Church World Service, the international relief arm connected to the National Council of Churches of Christ USA as well as some denominational-based international relief efforts.

At this point most are in an analysis phase trying to determine the best use of their resources to assist in this massive effort.  We anticipate more information being available within the next day or so.

In the meantime if you would like to make a donation to help, most of the various denominational relief efforts are taking donations for this purpose.  Any donations that comes to Churches United will be sent to the relief effort coordinated by Church World Service.   (Please mark donations :  "Japan Relief" and mail to 2535 Tech Drive - Suite 205, Bettendorf  IA  52722)

Please continue to pray for all who have been so terribly affected by this tragedy.  We hope to provide more information about helping efforts as soon as they are available.

Peace,

Ronald C. Quay,

Executive Director

563/332-5002

Floor Speech of Sen. Chuck Grassley

Ethanol and Energy Independence

Delivered Monday, March 07, 2011

The American economy remains on unsettled footing.  While there are some small signs of an economic recovery, it is still fragile.

The consumer confidence level seems to be increasing.  U.S. factory activity is up.  But, the housing market remains weak.

The nation's unemployment rate stands at nine percent.  And now, our economy is facing a significant headwind due to rising energy prices.

Since the unrest began in Tunisia, our energy markets have been rocked by the uprisings in Egypt, and now in Libya.

Libya produces only roughly two percent of the world's crude oil, with much of that going to Europe.

The uncertainty and fear about supplies, according to oil speculators, has driven crude prices to more than $100 a barrel.

Prices at the pump were already high before the unrest in the Middle East.  The events just worsened the problem.

According to the Energy Information Administration, gas prices jumped 19 cents during a one week period at the end of February. This is the second largest one-week jump in more than 20 years.

American's are now paying an average of $3.38 a gallon for gasoline.  This is 68 cents higher than this time last year.

The average cost to fill up a tank of gas is likely around $50.  For a family struggling to make ends meet, these are valuable dollars spent at that pump, going overseas.

Our country is at risk.  Our economy is at risk.  Our nation's security is at risk.

Our ever-increasing reliance on foreign sources for energy is undermining our nation's economic and national security.

The activity in the Middle East over the last six weeks should be an alarm bell going off.  It should be a wake-up call.

Let me be clear.  I know that for our economy to grow and for business and individuals to thrive, we need access to reliable, affordable energy.

I support an energy policy of all of the above.

First, we must have access to oil and gas resources here at home.

The idea that we limit access to our own resources, which in turn leads us to go hat-in-hand to foreign dictators and oil sheiks, is ludicrous

We currently import more than 60 percent of our crude oil needs.  It doesn't have to be that way.

I know we can't get to energy independence by drilling alone.

But isn't it a little foolish to have our economy held hostage by events in Libya, where only two percent of the world's oil comes from?

The Obama Administration needs to put an end to the existing policy of a de facto moratorium through permitting.

We need to make sure that we're doing everything we can to protect workers and the environment.

But, permitting delays and obstacles should not prevent our nation from moving forward to developing resources here at home.  I also support efforts to expand the use of clean coal and nuclear energy.

I also support conservation efforts.  I agree that the cheapest form of energy is the energy that doesn't have to be used.

Here in the Senate, I've supported polices aimed at reducing energy use in homes and buildings through conservation and energy efficient technologies.  I see the value in reducing overall energy consumption.

I've also been a leader in the senate in promoting alternative and renewable energy.

The supply of fossil fuels is finite.

We must look to alternative and renewable resources so we can improve our energy and national security.

This includes supporting energy from wind, biomass, hydroelectric, solar, geothermal and biofuels.

I'd like to focus on the effort to develop homegrown biofuels.

For many years, Congress has realized the need to develop an alternative to fossil fuels, particularly as a means of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.

One of the first policies was a tax incentive to encourage the use of homegrown ethanol.

For over a hundred years, the fossil fuel industry has had a monopoly on our transportation fuel.

They built the market.  They own the infrastructure.  They weren't about to use a product they didn't manufacture, own, or profit from.

So, Congress created a tax incentive to encourage big oil to use the product and make it available to consumers.  It was paired with an import tariff to make sure that only domestic ethanol receives the benefit of the tax incentive.

The tax incentive and the tariff work together to do two things.

The incentive exists to encourage the use of domestic ethanol.

The tariff exists to ensure we aren't giving a tax incentive to already-subsidized foreign ethanol.

Together, they ensure that we don't replace our dependence on foreign oil with a dependence on foreign ethanol

So, the incentive was created to encourage big oil to use the product.

In 2005, Congress created the Renewable Fuels Standard.  This standard was created to ensure that a minimum amount of renewable fuels was used in the fuel supply.

It was strongly opposed by big oil, but it was enacted over their opposition.

In 2007, it was greatly expanded.  It mandates the use of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel annually by 2022.

It also limits the amount that can come from corn starch ethanol at 15 billion gallons.

One of the criticisms I hear occasionally is that ethanol receives both an incentive and a mandate.  I'd like to address this point.

First, while the mandate requires that the fuel be used, it does not mandate that the ethanol be produced domestically.  The incentive acts as encouragement to use a homegrown product.

It increases economic activity at home and works to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Secondly, the mandate acts as a floor to ethanol use. Without the incentive, we would consume the bare minimum.  The incentive encourages ethanol use beyond the mandate.

Some in the environmental community are quick to raise objections to the biofuels mandates and incentives.

This is a clear example of the limitless hypocrisy and intellectual dishonesty in Washington.

Many of the loudest voices against these policies are same voices who lobby me for tax incentives and mandates for wind, solar, geothermal and other renewable energy.

I'm a strong supporter of electricity generated from wind and other renewable sources.  I first authored the production tax credit for wind in 1992.

Over the years, it has been expanded to include other types of resources.

Since as far back as 2003, environmental advocacy groups have been pushing for a renewable portfolio standard, which is a mandate.

So, they want the production tax credit for wind and other renewable electricity, and a mandate that it be produced.  Yet, they oppose those same policies for biofuels.

It's clearly a double standard and inconsistency that undermines their credibility on these issues.

I've been a champion of ethanol and biofuels for a long time.  I'm well aware of the positive role ethanol is playing to create a cleaner environment.

It's improving our economic and national security.  And, it's creating jobs and economic activity in rural America.

In 2010, nearly 90 percent of all gasoline sold in the United States contained some ethanol.  The 13 billion gallons of ethanol produced in United States reduced our oil imports by 445 million barrels of oil.

After domestic oil production and imports from Canada, U.S. ethanol production is the third largest source of transportation fuel.

U.S. ethanol production is larger than what we import from Saudi Arabia or from Hugo Chavez's Venezuela.

Without domestic biofuels, we'd be on bended knee even more than we are today begging others for oil.

Ethanol is the only reliable, legitimate alternative to crude oil.  Domestic ethanol currently accounts for nearly 10 percent of our transportation fuel.

There is no other renewable fuel that comes close to achieving the economic, environmental and national security benefits currently delivered by ethanol.

Mr. President, there are other well-funded misinformation campaigns under way to undermine the only alternative to imported crude oil.

Big oil has been joined in recent years by opportunistic grocery manufacturers who hope to find a scapegoat in their desire to increase profits and raise food prices.

They continue to perpetuate the same tired, baseless arguments to try and undermine our efforts toward energy independence.

They're more interested in protecting market share and profits than national and economic security.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to do everything I can to educate my colleagues and the public on the benefits of domestic biofuels.

I'm not going to sit quietly while the energy, environmental and national security benefits of ethanol are scoffed at.  I intend to beat back every false attack.

The American public deserves an honest, fact-based discussion about the benefits of reducing our dependence on people like Hugo Chavez and Moammar Kadafi.

They deserve to hear the benefits of reducing our dependence on dirty fossil fuels.

I look forward to continuing this education and dialogue.

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