Ethanol Industry Fights Back Against Big Oil Lies
The US ethanol industry has taken off the gloves and is fighting back against Big Oil. Growth Energy announced a multimillion advertising campaign aimed at challenging the false facts being propagated by the oil industry. Growth Energy President General Wesley Clark admits it’s a tough fight, “The ethanol industry is under attack from the most powerful industrial and geostrategic group in the world.”
Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis said the campaign of radio, television, and internet commercials will be a departure from the positive messages about ethanol that have characterized promotion efforts in the past. Buis told HAT this time the industry is challenging the misconceptions the oil industry has been portraying about ethanol, “For far too long, Big Oil has run a campaign of misinformation and unsubstantiated attacks against the renewable fuels industry; it is high time consumers get a reality check from Big Oil’s propaganda designed to protect their market share and enable their monopolistic behavior. Oil companies are not willing to give up any of their market share, and they will do anything to protect their profits – plain and simple.”
The campaign will coincide with Congressional debates and possible action on the RFS. Clark said Growth Energy opposes any changes to RFS and said this is a fight for America’s energy and economic future, “The economic future of America is being decided. Three hundred billion dollars each year goes out of this country to pay for oil imports — that is about 2% of our GDP. It is enough to create 8 million jobs if we could keep it here in the US.” Clark added that nations like Russia and Saudi Arabia need to keep oil prices above $100 a barrel, and the oil industry is taking that money out of the pockets of the American public.
The campaign called “You’re No Dummy” in an effort to help Americans better understand that the oil industry is trying to stop the growth of clean, green renewable fuels to protect their own bottom lines. “The campaign we have launched today is designed to do one thing – show consumers that the oil industry has attempted to deceive them over and over again and it’s time they stop being treated like puppets by the oil industry,” said Buis, during a media call. “It is time consumers are allowed a choice when they fill up at the pump – a choice that allows them to not only save their own hard-earned money, but also spend their money on an American product that creates American jobs, promotes energy independence, and improves our environment.” Buis said that consumers need to know they are being deceived by Big Oil and they are preventing them from having the ability to make a choice at the pump. “Our message is simple – You’re no dummy. Don’t let the oil industry treat you like one,” Buis concluded.”
As part of the “You’re No Dummy” campaign, ads will air nationally on major cable news networks such as FOX, CNN, MSNBC and RFD-TV, as well as in several local markets.
General Clark will be in Indiana on Tuesday, visiting with farmers at the POET Portland ethanol plant and the POET facility in Cloverdale.