[Scpg] Fwd: Secretary Vilsack

[Heather Hartley]

A friend of mine in the Horticulture program at Cornell forwarded me  
this message, thought you might find it interesting. Also, here is a  
link to the Organic Consumers Association's petition to stop the  
appointment of Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/vilsack.cfm

Please feel free to forward this message.

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Melanie Sifton" <mas577 at cornell.edu>
Date: December 18, 2008 7:11:32 PM PST
To: hartleyh at gmail.com
Subject: Fwd: Secretary Vilsack

Here is that email about that dude

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jim Meyers <jmm533 at cornell.edu>
Date: Wed, Dec 17, 2008 at 8:37 PM
Subject: Re: Secretary Vilsack
To: Trent Preszler <tlp24 at cornell.edu>
Cc: hortgrads-l at cornell.edu, Su-Sheng Gan <sg288 at cornell.edu>


All,

Ok, you drew the old recluse out of his cave with that post...

I had the good fortune to be part of Su-Sheng Gan's "Papers in Plant  
Biology: Biofuels" class last spring. The point of the class was to  
discuss as many aspects of biofuels as we possibly could in within  
the confines of a one credit course. Su-Sheng layed out a fairly  
broad and balanced agenda, including first, second, and third  
generation biofuels -- plus related government policy. The agenda was  
admirably free of any apparent alterior motive, and yet, within the  
first three discussions the class spontaneously and unanimously came  
to the conclusion that row crops were a complete waste of time as a  
source of renewable biofuel. We also agreed,  by the way, that row  
crops could be a net positive (producing more energy that they  
consume), yet not nearly efficient enough to commit to as a solution  
to anything meaningful.

Having said that, we all (mostly) agreed that celluosic ethanol had  
some potential (assuming someone could get it to work), but we  
unanimously agreed that algae bioreactors designed to produce  
biodiesel were the most sensible solution given what we know today.  
As an aside, these reactors need a fair amount of methanol to  
complete the biodiesel cycle -- but I think that the excess corn,  
albeit misguidedly produced, could be used to temporarily satisfy  
that need while the technology evolves.

I will continue to withold judgment on Obama's veractity for  
progressive change, but I agree that he seems to have completely  
missed the mark on this topic (and a few others). Plug-in cars  
powered by thousands of under-engineered nuclear reactors seem to be  
in our imminent future -- unless we can figure out a way to move  
government policy 20 years ahead of the politico/lobbyist mentality.  
Is this the best that we can do?

Personally, I am much less worried about where I get my spinach than  
where I get my household energy. Let's start a national dialog about  
real, objective, honest, and delusion-free sustainability.

--Jim


On Wed, Dec 17, 2008 at 7:27 PM, Trent Preszler <tlp24 at cornell.edu>  
wrote:
Hi Grads,

I thought you'd be interested in the NY Times article below about the  
Secretary-designate of the USDA.  I have to admit, this appointee  
makes me a little nervous.  Even though I'm an Iowa guy myself, I  
don't think this will be a progressive step forward for American  
agriculture.  I tend to be on the skeptical side of the argument when  
it comes to the use of row crops for biofuel.  Does this conversion  
process produce as much so-called "green" energy as it consumes in  
oil?  What if we factor in the environmental impact of intensive corn  
and soy practices?  Or what about the fact that food prices around  
the world have skyrocketed since we started diverting more of our  
farmland into energy production rather than growing food that people  
can actually eat?

I read an Iowa State University extension bulletin once that said 80  
percent of the food consumed in Iowa had to travel more than 1,000  
miles to get there.  Agriculture in Iowa has moved away from  
community-based, diversified farms toward an industrial food system.   
Shouldn't there be ways to revitalize our rural communities that are  
more creative than simply enlisting the masses in growing corn for  
fuel?  Let's start a national dialogue about spinach, strawberries,  
snap peas, grapes, and carrots -- food that actually gets eaten by  
people!   `:-O

Ok I'll step off my soap box now.  Food for thought, I guess.

Trent





December 17, 2008
The New York Times
Iowa Ex-Governor Picked for Agriculture Secretary

By JEFF ZELENY and DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
CHICAGO — President-elect Barack Obama has selected former Gov. Tom  
Vilsack of Iowa to serve as his agriculture secretary, according to  
officials familiar with the decision, and will make the announcement  
on Wednesday as he works to round out his remaining cabinet nominations.

Mr. Vilsack, who briefly sought the Democratic presidential  
nomination in the 2008 race after serving two terms as governor, is a  
strong proponent of renewable energy and developing the nation's  
alternative fuel industry. He will be joined at a news conference  
here by Senator Ken Salazar, Democrat of Colorado, who will be  
nominated as interior secretary.

Mr. Vilsack's nomination comes at a time of extraordinary tumult for  
the American agricultural industry, which not only has been battered  
by the recession, but is also increasingly entangled in the  
contentious debate over energy policy. The Agriculture Department is  
also contending with a sharp increase in the demand for food  
assistance in the wake of the economic turmoil.

Both Mr. Obama and Mr. Vilsack are regarded as staunch advocates of  
ethanol and other bio-fuels as a way to reduce the nation's reliance  
on foreign oil. And Mr. Obama and Democrats in Congress are working  
on a major economic stimulus package, in which they intend to promote  
the creation of thousands of new jobs tied to "green energy"  
industries, including the production of solar and wind energy.

One of the first major decisions Mr. Obama and Mr. Vilsack may have  
to make is whether to grant the ethanol industry's requests for  
billions in federal aid in the stimulus bill, which Mr. Obama has  
said he hopes to sign into law quickly, perhaps on his first day in  
office.

"The big issue for him and any incoming secretary is going to be  
biofuels, that's the sector that right now is in such a volatile  
position," said Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working  
Group, a nonprofit group that is a leading critic of federal farm  
subsidies. American farmers, Mr. Cook said, are "hitched to both the  
food system and the energy system, both of which are oscillating."

Mr. Vilsack, 58, sought the presidential nomination for about three  
months, dropping out shortly after Mr. Obama entered the race. At the  
time, Mr. Vilsack criticized the campaign as a process that rewarded  
intense fund-raising over innovative ideas. He endorsed Senator  
Hillary Rodham Clinton and served as a co-chairman of her campaign,  
often criticizing Mr. Obama as lacking experience for the job.

But during the general election, Mr. Vilsack energetically campaigned  
for Mr. Obama, promoting their common ideas on renewable energy and  
rural growth. Late last month, Mr. Vilsack told friends he did not  
believe he would be selected because he had not been interviewed, but  
Democrats familiar with the process said the two men got along well  
during a recent meeting in Chicago.

Mr. Vilsack, like the president-elect, is a strong advocate of  
combating global warming and developing alternative sources of  
energy. He was the co-chairman of a task force last year on climate  
change for the Council on Foreign Relations, which recommended  
phasing out subsidies for mature biofuels, including corn-based  
ethanol, as well as reducing tariffs on imported biofuels like  
Brazilian sugar ethanol.

"Let us build a 21st-century rural economy of cutting-edge companies  
and technologies that lead us to energy and food security," Mr.  
Vilsack wrote in one of several op-ed articles he had published  
during the campaign. "Such an investment will revitalize rural  
America, re-establish our moral leadership on climate security and  
eliminate our addiction to foreign oil."

Tom Buis, president of the National Farmers Union, said Tuesday  
evening that the biggest challenge facing the next agriculture  
secretary would be writing rules for the new farm bill. Mr. Buis  
praised the selection of Mr. Vilsack, who as governor promoted the  
use of alternative energy as a means of revitalizing rural America.

"Governors understand what's going on out there," Mr. Buis said.  
"With the severe economic conditions in rural America, it's good to  
have someone who understands the challenges we face."

Mr. Vilsack, a native of Pittsburgh, moved to Iowa to live in the  
hometown of his college-sweetheart-turned-wife, Christie Vilsack. His  
career in politics was unexpectedly born in 1986 when a disgruntled  
resident of Mount Pleasant barged into a City Council meeting and  
killed the mayor.

Mr. Vilsack stepped in to serve as mayor. He later ran for the State  
Senate and in 1998 was elected governor in a campaign that even his  
closest friends did not believe he could win.

Mr. Vilsack, who has spent the fall semester as a political fellow at  
the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, works as a  
lawyer in Des Moines. Four years ago, he was among those who were  
considered to be a running mate for Senator John Kerry. Mr. Vilsack  
was not on the short list of candidates to join Mr. Obama's ticket.

Experts said Mr. Vilsack's experience as governor of a major corn- 
producing state makes him intimately familiar with many of the  
issues, but it also raises questions about whether he will be partial  
to growers of the crop that his state is known for.

"You can't be a politician from Iowa and not be identified with a pro- 
corn, pro-ethanol stance," said Mr. Cook, who leads the Environmental  
Working Group. "I just hope he will be more realistic and shoot  
straight with the public about what the prospects are of this in  
terms of energy independence."

Jeff Zeleny reported from Chicago, and David M. Herszenhorn from  
Washington.

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company






-- 
Cornell Plantations,
Public Garden Leadership Fellow,
Department of Horticulture

Visit www.sustainablesites.org
to download the SUSTAINABLE SITES INITIATIVE GUIDELINES AND  
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS DRAFT 2008 released for public comment as of  
November 10, 2008.

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