President Obama has stated he wants Congress to decide on the US course of action in Syria. At the same time, the ethanol industry is pressing lawmakers to allow greater market access by not dismantling the Renewable Fuel Standard. Growth Energy’s General Wesley Clark says the current crisis in Syria is all about big oil and the dependence of the US on imported Middle Eastern supplies, “Do you think it is not about the relationship with Saudi Arabia, and their rivalry with Iran? Do you think it is not about America’s dependence of Saudi Arabia’s oil supplies? Of course it is; it is totally about big oil.” Clark made his comments during a press briefing on Monday discussing Growth Energy’s efforts to block changes to the RFS. He added he hopes lawmakers can connect the dots between the Syrian crisis and the need for renewable fuel.
Clark says that, by allowing more US produced renewable fuel into the market, the US will not have to get involved in another military action in the Middle East, “If this was taking place in Africa, the world and the US would not be all upset about it. This is all about the powers behind the world oil business.”
Over 150 ethanol advocates are in Washington this week to lobby Congress to reject the big oil monopoly of the transportation fuel market. “Big Oil has made repeal of the RFS one of its top policy priorities, and it is time the American people know that they are actively seeking to block the use of renewable fuels that are cleaner burning, less expensive, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil – it’s time to put an end to Big Oil’s campaign of misinformation to protect their bottom line by trying to eliminate competition,” said Tom Buis, President of Growth Energy.
Clark says, by allowing more US produced fuel into the marketplace, the US economy and US consumers will not be under the thumb of foreign oil rich nations, “Saudi Arabia controls the price of oil; right now they have it at just above $100 a barrel. A year from now they will need that price to be $120 a barrel. Russia and Iran also benefit from higher oil prices. The only one who does not benefit is the country that is suffering from it, the United States. And here we are serving their interests in Syria.”
2013 is the 40th anniversary of the first OPEC oil embargo which crippled the US economy and created a gasoline shortage in the US that is legendary to this day.