Weekly Update from the Texas Seed Trade Association | |
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We sincerely thank all our conference sponsors and attendees of The Texas Seed Trade Association Annual Membership & Policy Meeting
Additional news The Texas Seed Trade Association office has received several unsolicited memorials in honor of Rusty Smallwood. Thank you to those who have generously sent memorials. The executive committee and the board of directors have had some discussions about starting a memorial to Rusty via an endowed scholarship. This seems entirely appropriate as Rusty spearheaded our primary scholarship fundraiser, the corn-hole tournament, the last three years, and through his service as a dedicated association board member, Rusty was always a strong promoter of our scholarship activities.
If you would like to make a memorial scholarship contribution in Rusty's name please consider the TSTA Foundation, P.O. Box 1588, Goldthwaite, TX 76844.
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Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Biden Administration to Stop New Radical Emissions Rule
from the Texas Attorney General's Office
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued to prevent an expansion of authority by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) by means of a rule aimed at regulating methane and other emissions from sources in the oil and natural gas industry.
EPA’s new rule establishes onerous emissions standards for the oil and gas industry that would require producers to drastically update infrastructure. Additionally, the rule usurps the States’ role in establishing emissions standards for existing sources and establishes new guidelines that mirror the Federal standards for new sources. EPA’s rule violates fundamental principles of federalism by forcing the States to adopt Federal standards as their own in an unlawful attempt to regulate existing sources.
The rule has been developed despite the Clean Air Act’s clear requirements for findings as to specific emissions and emission sources. Instead of making such findings, the EPA relies upon its past rules that Texas and other states challenged as illegal. Attorney General Paxton filed the petition for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
“The EPA is once again trying to seize regulatory authority that Congress has not granted,” said Attorney General Paxton. “I am challenging this blatant overreach by the Biden Administration and will continue to defend vital sectors of the Texas economy.”
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CORN GROWERS: EPA’S NEW TAILPIPE STANDARD WILL HURT FAMILY FARMS
Source: National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) news release
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) expressed grave concern and disappointment today with the Environmental Protection Agency's final 2027-2032 emissions standards for sedans and light- and medium-duty trucks.
The plan still relies almost exclusively on the use of electric vehicles, requiring that a majority of the specified fleets are electric in less than a decade. A decision of this magnitude will have long-lasting negative implications for the rural economy because it ignores the benefits of ethanol.
"We are deeply concerned and disappointed that EPA has chosen to force a one-size-fits-all solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ignore the readily available solution that biofuels like ethanol bring to the table," said NCGA President Harold Wolle. "This decision will not only severely hamper the administration's ability to reach its own climate goals, but it will also hurt family farms and rural communities that rely heavily on the sale of biofuels. On top of that, it will remove consumer choice from the market."
Given that for the past 15 years more than one-third of the corn produced each year has been used in ethanol, Wolle's concerns are shared by many experts.
Economists Jeffrey Stokes and Jim Jansen, writing for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, recently noted this magnitude of structural loss in corn demand could lead to a permanent 50% decrease in the price of corn causing the top five corn-producing states (Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Indiana) to collectively lose well over $100 billion in farmland value from corn acreage alone. The authors noted that such a decline would have profound implications for the financial viability of Midwestern farming operations and the nation's food supply.
Corn growers have been on the forefront of the campaign to lower emissions. For example, NCGA has urged Congress to pass the Next Generation Fuels Act, which would set a new, cleaner standard for fuel that capitalizes on American-grown biofuels. The organization has also pushed for consumer access to higher blends of ethanol at the pump.
Currently, around one percent of the cars on the road are electric vehicles. Increasing that number significantly will require major infrastructure developments and improvements in a short amount of time, something concerning to a majority of consumers, as shown in a recent survey, sponsored by NCGA and conducted by Morning Consult.
Results from a recent survey showed that Americans have concerns on a range of issues involving electric vehicles, including the accessibility of charging stations, and 72 percent say vehicles that are compatible with biofuels should remain available to consumers.
To view that survey click here.
Farmers have pointed to California to illustrate the difficulties that come with an overreliance on electric vehicles. The state, one of the most prominent in the push for electrification, has spent years at the forefront of the transition to EVs, spending enormous political capital and billions of dollars to encourage its citizens to embrace electric vehicles. Yet, by the end of 2022, only 2.6% of the state's light-duty vehicles were electrified.
The desire to significantly reduce GHG emissions and address climate change has been a marquee issue.
Editor's Note: For those not particularly paying close attention the US EPA has been out of control under the current administration - this is but the latest example. Meant to drive car and light truck sales to 70% electric vehicles by 2032 these new regulations are based largely on fantasy. No one believes the infrastructure for charging the number of EV envisioned can possibly be in place in eight years. EV sales are in a downturn just now based on consumers rejection of the technology. EV manufacturers have scaled back production due to their own skepticism over the developing technology, supply chain issues, costs, reliability of their product, and tanking sales.
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Rice Tec has an opening for a production agronomist in Brazoria County. Please contact the TSTA office if you are interested or know of someone who may be. | |
The articles, views, and opinions expressed in the Weekly Update do not necessarily reflect the policies of the Texas Seed Trade Association or the opinions of its members. | | | | |
