Vital Magazine - Summer 2019

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE Summer 2019

THE HAZE OF OUR FUTURE Air pollution is a growing worldwide concern. Using more biofuels can help mitigate the effects.

EPA ISSUES FINAL E15 RULE Biofuels industry celebrates year-round access to E15

SEEDS OF CHANGE

Mission Hope returns to Kenya in its seventh year

big ideas

open doors to big solutions POET.COM

When the first POET plant opened over thirty years ago, it opened the door to endless world-changing possibilities. Beyond that threshold we’ve discovered a world of innovative renewable energy solutions. Biofuels, nutrient-rich proteins and oil alternatives are just the beginning.

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FEATURES 06

34

EPA Issues Final E15 Rule

The Haze of our Future

Biofuels Industry Leaders, Stakeholders Celebrate Historic Announcement to Provide Uninterrupted Access to E15

Air pollution is a growing worldwide concern. Using more biofuels can help mitigate the effects.

18

48

Seeds of Change

A Two-century Battle for Biofuels

Mission Hope Returns to Kenya in its Seventh Year

The fuel of the future is shaped by its storied past

30 Ethanol, Ag Industry Groups Call on EPA to Stop Giving RFS Waivers to Big Oil

Visit VitalByPOET.com for exclusive online content.

Cover photo February 3, 2018: Hollywood and Los Angeles downtown at dawn. iStock.com/4kodiak

COLUMNS 04

In Sight

By Jeff Broin

14

Farm Fresh

by Brian Hefty

16

Mechanics Corner

Automotive Advice from the Under the Hood radio show

40

Nascar® Update

by Ryan Welsh

56

Out Of Left Field

by Scott Johnson

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COPYRIGHT

Policy Corner

28

Prime the Pump

42

Energy For Life

44

Renew

POET’s Vital magazine is an important conduit to share how POET is moving our country and our world from depending on fossil fuels to producing sustainable resources from the Earth. We will represent the voices of producers and biofuels supporters, as well as educate and inform readers about agriculture and industry knowledge, opportunities and the power of the human spirit.

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Vital is published quarterly by POET, LLC and other individuals or entities. All materials within are subject to copyrights owned

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The opinions and statements expressed by content contributors and advertisers in Vital are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of POET. Neither POET nor its third-party content providers shall be liable for any inaccuracies contained within Vital, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. ©2019 POET, LLC. All rights reserved.

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VITALBYPOET.COM

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www.novozymes.com

IN SIGHT

Year-round E15 is finally here!

by Jeff Broin, Executive Chairman and CEO of POET

History was made on May 31 when the EPA, led by President

At POET, we like to look at the big picture. We know that there

Trump, finalized the rule allowing E15 to be sold in our nation

is more than enough grain worldwide to make food, fuel and

all year round! This announcement marks a massive win for

fiber for everyone on the planet. The short-term challenges

the biofuels industry, farmers in the U.S. and around the world,

currently facing rural America will require us to make some

consumers coast to coast, and the future of our planet.

adjustments, but as always, we will rely on our faith, resilience

It was more than a decade ago when, after years of discussing

and ingenuity to come out on the other side as strong as ever.

the impending Blend Wall with no action plan, Growth Energy

It will take several years to realize the enormity of this

was formed to get us our share of the gas tank. Just 30 days after

announcement as markets grow, values change, the air gets

its founding, we filed the Green Jobs Waiver, petitioning the

cleaner and life gets better. The nationwide adoption of E15 has

EPA to increase the amount of ethanol in the fuel supply to 15

the potential to open up 7 billion gallons of new ethanol market and more than 2 billion bushels of additional corn demand

This is the biggest victory American agriculture has seen in decades, and it could not have come at a better time. Calling this growing season “difficult” would be an understatement, but as with the many trials farmers have triumphed over throughout history, this too shall pass.

annually in coming years. It will bring down global surpluses of grain and increase commodity prices while lowering fuel prices for consumers everywhere and reducing global climate change.

The many years of hard work leading up to E15 will truly change the world. And make no mistake — it all started right here at POET. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who played a role in this heroic effort! I assure you that the oil industry is reeling from this battle they thought they could never lose. I hope you are as proud as I am for taking on this fight, never quitting and pushing E15 over the finish line!

percent. And while we should have accomplished this milestone much sooner, unfortunately the oil industry did everything in their power to stop this great opportunity for our country.

But the battle was not theirs to win.

Thanks to the talent, tenacity and hard work of thousands of people — including the dedicated teams at POET and Growth Energy, our relentless legislative champions across the Midwest and President Trump himself — year-round E15 is finally here!

This is the biggest victory American agriculture has seen in decades, and it could not have come at a better time. Calling this growing season “difficult” would be an understatement, but as with the many trials farmers have triumphed over throughout history, this too shall pass.

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POLICY CORNER

EPA Issues Final E15 Rule Biofuels Industry Leaders, Stakeholders Celebrate Historic Announcement to Provide Uninterrupted Access to E15 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on

The E15 ruling sets the wheels in motion for boosting

Friday, May 31, issued a final rule to allow consumers

ethanol sales nationwide and pumping life back into a

uninterrupted access to E15, a fuel blend with 15 percent

struggling ag economy. More than 1,800 fuel retail stations

ethanol. The announcement came following a public

in 31 states offer E15, and industry experts anticipate more

comment period on a proposed rule and in time for this

retail chains will add equipment to sell E15 in the coming

summer’s driving season.

months.

The EPA’s rule changes the nearly decade-old limitations on year-round E15, allowing consumers to have yearround access to the clean, lower-cost option at the pump. Previously, E15 sales were restricted in most markets from June 1 to Sept 15.

With the rule, President Trump is fulfilling the commitment he made to rural voters on the campaign trail and reiterated in October 2018.

“The Trump Administration’s yearround E15 rule is a huge win for farmers, clean fuels and consumer choice,” said POET CEO and Founder Jeff Broin. “Millions of drivers will now have the freedom to choose cleanerburning E15 and enjoy greater savings at the pump when they need it most

Biofuels and ag industry advocates

With year-round E15, retailers will have the regulatory certainty they need to offer American drivers a cleaner, more affordable fuel choice throughout the year.

milestone for the industry that is the result of more than a decade of hard work by many connected to the industry,

including

champions,

farmers

congressional and

biofuels

advocates across the heartland.

Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, the biofuels industry’s largest trade association, highlighted the myriad benefits of this action for consumers and farmers.

“We are grateful to President Trump for delivering on his promise to unleash the power of E15 all yearlong,” said Skor. “With year-round E15, retailers will have the regulatory certainty they need to offer American

— during the summer driving season

drivers a cleaner, more affordable

when fuel prices peak. Nationwide

fuel choice throughout the year.

adoption of E15 is expected to drive

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touted the final rule as a critical

This action also means savings for

the production of 7 billion gallons of biofuels, creating an

American motorists at the pump and a sorely needed

additional demand for 2 billion bushels of corn each year

market for farmers who are facing a devastating economic

and unlocking new domestic demand for homegrown

downturn.”

fuels at a critical time for America’s farmers. We extend

“We appreciate the EPA’s efforts to get this rule over the

our deepest thanks and appreciation to President Trump,

finish line in time for the summer driving season. We will

Vice President Pence, Secretary Perdue and Administrator

continue our work with the agency to ensure that the market

Wheeler for putting family farms, rural jobs, cleaner air

for biofuels remains strong, and that means upholding the

and American consumers first and delivering year-round

targets set by Congress and ensuring American drivers

E15 as promised.”

continue to benefit from true competition at the pump.”

VITALBYPOET.COM

POLICY CORNER

Attacks from Big Oil Continue; Show Your Support for Biofuels and Submit Comments to EPA In May the biofuels and agriculture industries secured a

ExxonMobil at the expense of the farmer,” Gilley said.

long-fought win against Big Oil when the Environmental

“At a time when grain markets have reached a 42-year

Protection Agency (EPA) approved year-round sales of E15.

low and there was an $11.8 billion decline in farm income

But the oil industry didn’t take long to start a new dispute

the last quarter, our rural communities are continuing to

with the ethanol industry and one of its strongest allies — Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.

Perdue has been advocating to improve the EPA’s biofuels policy.

In June more than a dozen oil state senators sent a letter to President Trump

asking

him

to

curb

the

involvement of Perdue around the decision making process on small refinery waivers. The June letter to Trump followed other efforts from a similar group of senators to disagree with Perdue’s role in small refinery exemptions.

These attacks on Perdue are another tactic from the oil industry to erode support

for

homegrown

biofuels,

industry leaders say.

“Secretary

Perdue

is

a

critical

voice for biofuels inside the Trump Administration. The oil industry is

be punished by the rapid escalation

The oil industry is trying to attack Perdue, and we can’t stand for that. We need to continue to support Secretary Perdue and farmers, especially during tough economic times for producers in rural America.

trying to attack Perdue, and we can’t

in small refinery exemptions by this administration,” said Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. “There is no legal or rational explanation for why EPA has quadrupled the number of secret exemptions to the world’s largest oil companies in the past 17 months.”

Biofuels supporters need to rally together and request that the EPA end the practices of granting small refinery exemptions. One important way to show your support is to comment on the EPA’s proposed Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for 2020.

In July the EPA released proposed amounts of renewable fuel to be blended into the nation’s fuel supply in 2020. A residual criticism from last year’s numbers is that the true amount of gallons for starch ethanol will be lower if the EPA continues to issue hardship waivers.

stand for that. We need to continue to

Please join us in telling regulators

support Secretary Perdue and farmers,

that the RFS works and that any waived

especially

gallons need to be reallocated.

during

tough

economic

times for producers in rural America,” said Kyle Gilley, Senior Vice President of External Affairs & Communications, POET. To date, the exemptions have caused a loss of 2.6 billion gallons of renewable fuel blending and nearly a billion bushels of corn demand. “The ethanol industry

Visit www.poet.com/comment to submit your comment to the EPA.

remains concerned that the EPA will continue to subsidize

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

7

POLICY CORNER

Year-round E15: A Win for Ag Economy, Consumers and Environment We could not have accomplished this critical milestone of

The announcement received accolades from our biofuels

year-round E15 without the strong support and dedication

champions. Here are highlights from a few of our elected

over the past several years from our biofuels champions

officials:

and elected officials across the heartland. POET extends our thanks and appreciation for their efforts in helping us secure this victory!

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds “Access to E15 year-round is a significant victory for our farmers. …. I want to thank President Trump and EPA Administrator Wheeler for following through on their promise to get E15 done by this summer, fulfilling a critical commitment to our farmers and rural Iowa.

Strong collaboration between our state, the White House and the renewable fuels industry will continue to benefit Iowa’s ag economy.”

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) “When President Trump committed to working toward the implementation of year-round E15 sales, South Dakota farmers were listening. I’ve spent nearly my entire time in the Senate advocating for this policy change, and I’m glad we have an administration that is willing to see it through.

Consumers will for the first time during a summer driving season have greater choice for a lower-cost, cleaner fuel.”

Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.)

“While I am still reviewing the details, it looks like EPA listened to our advice by allowing E15 to be sold year-round.

Although this may be caught up in the courts, allowing year-round sales of E15 is a step in the right direction for our rural economy,” said Peterson. “I have heard concerns about how the rule treats ethanol plants that sell directly to retailers and will continue to work with EPA on this issue.”

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VITALBYPOET.COM

POLICY CORNER

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) “This is a promise made and a promise kept by President Trump. It’s been a goal of ethanol producers and Midwest farmers for many years... Banning this higher blend of ethanol for part of the year never made any sense. Ethanol is good for the economy, good for national security and good for the environment. This is another step the administration has taken to end harmful bureaucratic red tape that hurt American jobs, consumers and domestic industries.”

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) “President Trump delivered on his promise to Iowans.

Expanded access to E15 provides Iowa consumers a cleaner, more affordable choice at the pump. We’ll see an increased demand for corn, thus creating an economic booster for our state’s growers. The increased demand created by E15 will allow us to support more new ethanol plants. …. Ethanol is an energy source that supports tens of thousands of jobs across the country. By granting the sale of E15 year-round, we’ll see an economic ripple throughout farm country, rural communities and the entire nation.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)

“As the summer kicks off, the new rule for the year-round sale of E15 is great news for farmers and consumers across the country. The year-round sale of E15 will bring prices down at the pump, strengthen our homegrown energy economy and decrease our dependence on foreign oil. I have been fighting for years to allow for the year-round sale of E15 and this announcement will ensure cleaner, more affordable fuel choices during the summer driving months and all year long.”

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

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TRUMP HERALDS WIDESPREAD BENEFITS OF YEAR-ROUND E15 DURING IOWA VISIT

photo by Scott Olson/ Getty Images News

‘I fought very hard for ethanol, and you proved me right’

by BryAnn Becker Knecht

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VITALBYPOET.COM

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — During

year. Nationwide adoption of E15

Trump has visited Iowa ethanol

his visit to a renewable energy facility

is expected to drive production of 7

plants before. As a candidate in 2015,

on Tuesday, June 11, President Trump

billion gallons of biofuels, creating

Trump toured POET Biorefining –

celebrated

an additional demand for 2 billion

Gowrie. POET, along with biofuels

approval of year-round access to E15

bushels

and

trade association Growth Energy, has

and what the ruling means for the

unlocking new domestic demand for

spearheaded efforts in the decade-

American economy, the agricultural

homegrown fuel at a pivotal time for

long

industry

America’s farmers.

E15. POET CEO Jeff Broin has had

his

and

administration’s

American

independence.

The

energy

was

each

joined

year

by

fight

to

secure

year-round

EPA

numerous meetings with President

Administrator Andrew Wheeler and

Trump and members of his cabinet

year-round sales of E15 — a fuel blend

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny

to discuss the importance of lifting

with 15 percent ethanol — expanding

Perdue, along with Iowa Gov. Kim

restrictions on E15.

access to the clean-burning fuel in

Reynolds, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa),

Broin

time for the summer driving season.

Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Nebraska

personally thank the President at Air

“Today

honor

Trump

corn

Protection Agency (EPA) approved

we

Environmental

of

had

the

opportunity

to

America’s

Gov. Pete Ricketts, Iowa Secretary

Force One when he landed in Des

cherished farming heritage. We salute

of Agriculture Mike Naig and many

Moines for following through on his

your commitment to American energy

other elected officials from the region.

campaign promise to secure year-

independence, and we celebrate the

round E15. Broin expressed that year-

bright future that we are forging

round E15 wouldn’t have happened

together, powered by clean, affordable

without the support of the White

American ethanol. Congratulations,

House and discussed other issues

congratulations. I fought very hard

important to the industry.

for ethanol, and you proved me right,”

Jim Gregory farms 4,000 acres near

Trump said.

Tabor, Iowa, and showed up at the

Calling the prior restrictions on E15

event in support of Trump. “I’m happy

“ridiculous,” Trump heralded year-

with Trump and what he’s done for

round E15 sales as a milestone and a

farmers. What made this country

hard-fought win that will help power

great was the farmers; ethanol is

American jobs and bolster a lagging

good for the whole country and the

farm economy.

economy. I think it’s a great product,

Trump sang the praises of farmers

and it has done wonders for this

to a captive crowd of hundreds of

country.”

producers, ethanol producers and

POET employee Julia Ellensohn

stakeholders at the Southwest Iowa

Colon traveled to the event from the

Renewable Energy (SIRE) ethanol

POET headquarters in Sioux Falls,

plant as part of a multi-stop victory lap

S.D. A self-described “farm kid” who

in Iowa. His remarks highlighted the

was raised on an Iowa farm, she was

integral role of the American farmer

pleased that Trump followed through

in U.S. history and Trump’s continued

on his promise to deliver on E15. She

commitment to farmers.

was impressed with his remarks and

“Last

here

said he did a great job of representing

to Iowa and announced that my

year

I

came

right

the American farmer at the event. “He

administration would open up the

said, ‘I’m going to do this,’ and he did

sales of E15 year round, and now I’ve

it. He came here after it happened.

come back to announce that just days

He’s going to continue to represent

ago, we officially lifted the restrictions

As part of his Iowa stops on Tuesday,

on E15 just in time to fuel America’s

Trump attended two Iowa GOP events

summer vacations. We just made it.”

in Des Moines: a social that was

Trump noted that E15 sales are

sponsored by POET and an Iowa GOP

expected to more than double this

dinner.

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

the American farmer.”

11

POET PAC

POET PAC: A Smart Investment ‘The most effective way to amplify your voice in Washington’ One critical element of protecting the future of biofuels and rural America is being engaged in the political process.

POET PAC, which was established in 2008, does that by building strategic relationships with and educating policy leaders on critical issues for the biofuels industry and supporting candidates who will be bold champions for the biofuel and agricultural industries in Washington D.C. Hear why POET PAC Member and farmer Gary Pestorious supports PAC and encourages individuals to get involved and support American farmers.

Gary Pestorious, Freeborn County, Minn.

Industry Involvement: Farmer, President of Freeborn County Corn and Soybean Growers Associations (nine years), Minnesota state Corn Growers board (five years), National Corn Growers Ethanol Committee (three years), POET PAC President’s Club member for six years

Contributions to POET PAC are not tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes. Contributions to POET PAC will be used in connection with federal elections and are subject to the limits and prohibitions of federal law. The maximum an individual may contribute to POET PAC is $5,000 per year ($10,000 per couple). Corporate and foreign national contributions are not permitted under federal law. Please make checks payable to POET PAC. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to obtain and report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 per calendar year. Your contribution to POET PAC is strictly voluntary.

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PAID FOR BY POET PAC

POET PAC

Vital Readers, When ethanol was getting started, I remember the

Without POET and other organizations like Growth

tremendous effort put in by various organizations

Energy, we would not have been able to celebrate our

promoting the benefits of biofuels to political figures. This

most recent victory of year-round sales of E15. It has taken

proved to be a smart investment of time for the industry

ten years to get to this point, but through the dedication

and still holds true today.

of these organizations and POET PAC members, and the

As corn farmers, we know approximately six billion

commitment made by President Trump, Americans finally

bushels of corn are used to feed livestock, a number that

have a choice at the pump. This proves that when we walk

hasn’t changed in the last 50 years; two billion are exported

into a room in Washington, people listen.

around the globe; and one billion bushels are used for the

I urge all of you to consider donating to POET PAC.

seed and industrial market. Currently, we have nearly two

Personally, I use half of my check-off dollars to give to

billion bushels of surplus grain. This means that biofuels

the PAC at the President’s club level because every dollar

currently process about one third of the corn crop, which

counts.

is five billion bushels per year. If this went away, we would

If you are not sure if giving to the PAC is right for you, I

have five to seven billion of surplus grain sitting on the

encourage you to ponder this question: What would we do

ground each year! This is why the growth of the biofuels

with the extra six billion bushels of corn extra each year if

industry is so important for agriculture and why we need

biofuels were to go away due to regulation?

to tell Washington D.C. officials about our industry.

If you are not a POET PAC member, what other

In addition to the surplus production, this country

organization is working hard on your behalf to educate

continues to be dependent on foreign oil. Any action we

policy leaders in Washington?

can take to offset that dependence, or reduce the amount

POET PAC is the most effective way to amplify your voice

we use, would be a benefit to the whole country. When

in Washington and for you to stand alongside thousands of

gasoline prices get high, ethanol proves its worth by

others who want to make the world a better place.

reducing the price at the pump for American consumers by

It’s time for you to be informed, get involved and support

over 40 cents per gallon. There is only one liquid fuel that

the American farmer. Join POET PAC today!

can offset gasoline, and that is ethanol.

Unlike gasoline, biofuels also reduce climate change, create American jobs and will help farmers, like you and me, out of the current ag crisis we face today.

Want to join POET PAC? Use one of the following options to make your investment today!

Online

www.poetpac.com

Phone

(605) 965-2377

Sincerely, Gary Pestorious

POET PAC Giving Levels President’s Club: $5,000 Champion: $2,500 to $4,999 Partner: $1,000 to $2,499 Advocate: Up to $999 Email

poetpac@poet.com

Designate a percentage of grain The next time you visit your local POET bioprocessing facility, let the grain team know you want a portion of bushels to go to POET PAC. 13

FARM FRESH

Thriving In Extremes

by Brian Hefty It was another cold morning on April 10. We should have been

weren’t doing exactly what we were supposed to. He was not the

planting corn, as April 10 is the first planting date allowed with

perfect dad, but who is?

crop insurance. Instead, it was a day that changed our family

Ten years ago, I wrote a book called “$100 an Hour Jobs:

forever.

Lessons from Dad.” Over the previous five to 10 years, I jotted

First, my oldest child texted me in the morning: “I’m going to

down some notes about all the different things he had told me

Morningside to play baseball,” he said. After months of weighing

over the years, and I’m first of all glad that I got the book done

all the options, he had finally made a college decision. I was

so he could see that during his lifetime. I’m also happy I put all

ecstatic. I’m pretty sure my wife was on the other end of the

those things on paper (or electronic, if you read books that way)

emotion spectrum: sad, just because it was official that kid No. 1

for my kids to read, passing on the lessons their grandpa taught.

would be leaving the house in the fall.

Every day, each one of us gets to choose how we want to look

That evening, my dad Ron passed away. He was 77 years old,

at things, and what we will spend our time doing. Rather than

which I used to consider “old” — make that “really old” — but

focus on the sadness of April 10, I choose to be thankful, which

now I look at that as “young,” since my goal is to live to be 100.

brings me back to farming. Even though it is easy as a farmer

I experienced great joy and terrible sadness all in one day.

to focus on adverse weather, poor commodity prices, negative

I recently read a quote from Roy H. Williams: “The defeated

farm news, etc., the No. 1 key to thriving in extremes, in my

person sees life as a series of difficulties, disappointments and

opinion, is to stay positive.

dilemmas. The victorious person sees life as an adventure

Think about when our grandparents and great-grandparents

consisting of puzzles to be solved, battles to be fought and

started farming and how tough they had it. Think about today

problems to be overcome. Which of those two people do you

with all the people in third-world countries and how challenging

think is happiest?”

that must be. Always be thankful that we get to live and work

One of the things my dad told me growing up was to stay

and farm here in the greatest country in the world.

busy, because when you have idle time, that’s when you start to question yourself and everything happening in your life.

Unfortunately, rather than thinking positively, most people get down on themselves, he said, and that’s not good. Rather than sitting around, spend time working and helping others. Personally, I have found that is the best thing I can do when times are tough, sad or just not what I want. The best part about being a farmer, in my opinion, is that by simply doing the job every day, there is great benefit created in the world.

Growing up, I thought my dad was really tough on us kids (my brother, my sister and me). He was oldschool, a disciplinarian and really, really loud, at least whenever we

14

VITALBYPOET.COM

MECHANICS CORNER

What Makes Our Engines Ethanol Friendly?

Automotive advice from The Under The Hood radio show “What makes our engines ethanol friendly?”

Modern cars — those built after 2001 and many before

This is the one question we are asked more than any other

that — have electronic fuel injection and timing controls.

on our radio show and in our shop when we talk about the

Most small engines do not. Those electronic fuel controls

use of ethanol. Every day we have to make choices about

take instant, real-time measurements of the oxygen content

our vehicles, and we make those choices based on today’s

coming out of the engine’s exhaust and instantly correct

cost and our future costs incurred by how we take care of

the fuel mixture, allowing for the optimal fuel burn and

them over the long-term. It’s a valid question, and one we

efficiency. If that mixture ratio needs to be changed, the

want to address, especially given all the negative press that

computer has a wide range of adjustment, and if it has

ethanol has received around small engine use, regardless

reached its limit, the check-engine light will come on to

of truth. Let’s start with some truth about small engines

alert you.

and ethanol use:

Ethanol runs cleaner and cooler than regular gasoline; it provides less heat energy than gasoline, so it takes a

Question one: Can too much ethanol damage a small

different fuel ratio. Today’s cars are ready to use ethanol

engine?

without missing a beat. Check your manual for the

A. It is possible to damage any engine when it is misfueled.

allowable amounts.

Just like your car engine, which requires a certain range of

So, there is the difference between a small engine

fuel, so does that small engine. All engines are engineered

and your 2001 and newer vehicle using electronically

for a specific fuel or blend. Most small engines have fixed,

controlled fuel injection, but there is much more. Cars

non-electronic adjustable fuel systems so they can only run

are being engineered for more performance every year,

set amounts of fuel content. Just like your car, you want to

and performance requires good fuel with higher octane.

run what the manufacturer designed it for.

Ethanol can provide that higher octane at a lower cost than regular fuel of a higher-octane content. Just look at the

Question two: Can I use ethanol in the correct amount in my

pump price.

small engine without damage?

So, what’s the advantage of that higher octane? When an

A. Yes, check out the owner’s manuals on today’s small

engine is not running at its most efficient level due to an

engines, and you will find they tell you how much ethanol

octane level that’s too low, it loses performance and that

is safe for the engine. Since ethanol is in almost every pump

means less fuel mileage. This is just one more reason for

in America, they are being designed to run on it.

ethanol fuel: performance at a lower cost.

Question three: Ethanol makes my small engine run hotter,

The Under The Hood radio show is America’s Favorite Car-

so it will burn itself out, right?

talk show heard on over 230 stations and podcast. The Motor

A. Ethanol does not make a small engine run hotter.

Medics, Russ Chris

Incorrect use of a fuel by using higher than recommended

and

blends, which cause the engine to run very lean, makes an

three great friends

engine run hotter. Misfueling will cause a lean condition

having

and a hotter engine.

offering a wide range

Shannon fun

are and

of automotive advice Now that we’ve given a little insight into small engines

without the aid of in-

and how they run hotter when using a higher blend of

studio computers or

ethanol above what’s allowed by their manufacturer and

reference guides.

why, let’s look at your car.

16

VITALBYPOET.COM

opportunity is everywhere if you know where to look

POET.COM

At POET, the workday ends, but the work never does.

We’re using renewable resources and our endless passion to create biofuels, nutrient-rich protein and oil alternatives.

18

VITALBYPOET.COM

mission 2019 hope POET Team Members Experience Lifechanging Joy that Comes from Service

by Miranda Broin, Co-Founder and Secretary of the Board, Seeds of Change Foundation In May 2019, 23 individuals left

Kakuswi Special School for the Deaf

and keeps us coming back for more.

the Midwest behind and embarked

in the village of Tawa, the very place

It is unwavering even in the face of

on the seventh annual Mission Hope

where Seeds of Change sprouted from

unthinkable hardship, overflowing

trip to Kenya, Africa. Most were first-

an unforgettable week my family

from the Kenyan people and seizing

time participants traveling several

spent there in 2012.

the hearts of everyone they meet. It is

thousand miles outside their comfort

The team went in expecting to work

abundant even when necessities are

zones; some were veterans returning

hard and have some fun. What they

lacking, steadfast even in the midst of

for a second, third or even fourth stay

didn’t expect — something that seems

loss and abandonment and grief.

in the place that has laid claim to their

to ring true each year — was that the

That joy is truly life-changing, and

hearts; many of them were coworkers,

most important structures built that

it is why we continue to do what we

and yet were essentially strangers to

week would be their relationships.

do through Seeds of Change. There is

one another.

In the following pages, you’ll get to

no greater joy than that which comes

But after ten days spent working,

read a few of their stories — stories

from serving others, from seeing real

playing,

and

of love, hope, revelation, humility

change grow from one simple act

experiencing every high and low

loving,

laughing

and heartache. You’ll see how just

of kindness to transform an entire

together, they emerged as a family.

ten short days can impact so many

school or farm or community. We are

Every summer since 2013, POET

individuals in so many different

so blessed to be a part of it.

has provided team members with the

ways. And although no two stories are

The

opportunity to take a service trip to

the same, you’ll likely notice that one

managed to put an indescribable

Kenya through its nonprofit, Seeds of

theme is overwhelmingly prevalent in

experience into words. Read on to get

Change. This year’s project involved

all of them: joy.

a glimpse into what they felt and how

building a staff housing facility at

That joy is what hooks so many of us

it changed them.

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

2019

Mission

Hope

team

19

20

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wherever you go, look for the good Cole Fricke, Wellness Program Coordinator, POET I can’t say I didn’t know what I was getting into as I headed out on the 2019 Mission Hope trip.

I’d had countless conversations and asked numerous questions from any past trip member that would stand to speak with me. They’d all given me some good insight, plus I’m a gowith-the-flow kind of guy, so I felt pretty prepared. And I was, from a technical standpoint. I was ready for the physical work; I was ready for the foreign conditions.

But God is pretty good at keeping us humble.

What I wasn’t ready for were the human connections and emotions we’d share with the people we served.

I’m not the most emotional guy, so I was grossly unprepared for that.

Simon Kiendi (AKA Number 22, to those in the know), a longtime Mission Hope host in Kenya, set the tone for the trip on the first morning when he said, “Wherever you go, look for the good and you’ll never be lost.”

It would be pretty easy to go on a service trip and get caught up in pity and sorrow when you see some of the conditions and misfortunes your fellow humans are living with. But if you let that happen, you’ll miss out on the strength, beauty, resilience and humanness of those you came to serve.

You have to look for the good and help it grow.

Mission Hope is a two-way street.

The children at Kakuswi School for the Deaf and the people of Kenya are going to teach you and serve you just as much as you will them — if not more. They are friendly, they are resourceful, they are proud, and they want to share it with you.

We had three main goals for Mission Hope 2019: work hard, play hard, and grow. We definitely worked pretty hard with the fundis (Swahili for “craftsmen”), hauling bricks and blocks and cement and sand, helping to build new living quarters for the teachers and staff at Kakuswi. We played even harder with the students, from arts and crafts to jump-rope to bubbles and even pickleball. The joy they shared from even the simplest things made my heart grow three sizes that day.

It seemed, though, that the most joy the students displayed came from teaching us, however slow learners we may have been. You could tell they

lot of youth in the U.S. Kakuswi is a very special school in Kenya, serving children from all around the country and giving hope and opportunities to the under-served deaf population, and these children make the most of it. There’s no doubt in my mind that they will grow up to do great things in their country, and all it took was for some people to share the resources to give them a chance.

Finally, we all experienced growth in one form or another. We forged relationships, learned about ourselves and others, and came out with a better perspective on life.

It was inspiring to see Mission Hope and Mission Grow in action firsthand. They are the true epitome of teaching a man to fish, instilling ownership and pride in everyone they touch and I can’t wait to continue to support them. The fruits of their labor with the children of Kakuswi and the farmers in the surrounding area were evident — all we had to do was look for the good.

were eager and proud learners in school, which is tough to say about a

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

21

just go! why not?

Jim Eliason, Materials Manager, POET Biorefining – North Manchester Where do I start? Four years ago, I

challenging,

asked my wife, Jan, if she would like

we always seem to

to take a service trip to Africa. She

get the job done.

said yes, but since our granddaughter

Constructing

graduated during that time we had to

staff housing was

wait. So, the next year rolled around

a lot of hard work,

and I asked again. This time it worked

but it was also a

out, and we’ve gone to Kenya every

lot of fun. At the

year since 2017.

end of each day

We always say we are going to take

and the trip as a

a break, but it hasn’t happened yet! I’d

whole, we were

like to encourage POET team members

able to see what

to take the trip — if you are on the

Timothy is trying

fence about going, just talk to the folks

to

who have. Listen to the excitement in

for the teachers

their voice and watch for the twinkle

through

this

in their eyes as they explain what a

project.

The

wonderful and rewarding experience

new

it was emotionally, spiritually and

will help improve the teachers’ lives

physically.

and, therefore, the students’ lives.

I can tell how much Jan enjoys

Having stability is so important for

interacting with the students and

the students at Kakuswi; they have

teachers at Kakuswi; she is definitely

already been through so much change,

in her element there. At home she is

challenge and heartache. Many are

a preschool special needs teacher and

not even able to communicate with

works with kids that have the same

their families when they’re at home,

types of needs as those at Kakuswi, so

so having the same people to talk

she is great at seeing what they might

with and understand them every day

be lacking.

at school is crucial. Everyone needs

During the most recent trip we

someone to understand and love

spoke with Timothy, the headmaster

them, and the teachers can hopefully

at Kakuswi, and learned that there

fill that void.

is so much that he still needs for the

This year we also visited some

classrooms. I could see Jan thinking,

Mission Grow farms. It was very

“If only I could get some of my

interesting to see how much of an

classroom supplies to them, it would

impact the program has had on

help them out so much.” Can you

the lives of those farmers and their

imagine students not having paints,

families. The effects have begun to

Play-Doh or Legos? That is certainly

spread throughout their villages and

something we take for granted here.

will improve entire communities in

Working

the long run.

with

the

mkandarasi

(Swahili for “contractor”) can be

22

but

the

accomplish

housing

The time spent with fellow team

VITALBYPOET.COM

members and

our

“Kenyan

family”

is

another wonderful reward that comes with the trip. Every day you learn more about each other and grow to care about every single person in the group. You make friends that you will stay in contact with, who ultimately become “family” despite being spread across the world. Many of us only see each other during these trips, but we’re able to pick up right where we left off at the end of the last one. In fact, many end the trip by saying, “See you next year!”

I would never have believed that we would be part of an annual trip such as this, but I can honestly say it has changed our lives more than we could have ever imagined. And we could not be more grateful to be a part of an organization like POET that provides and supports these opportunities for us and our “Kenyan family.”

2019 mission grow team

Isaac Morin

Dan Kelley

POET Biorefining – Lake Crystal, Minn.

POET Biorefining – Lake Crystal, Minn.

Jamie Quiring

Shannon Pals

POET Biorefining – Bingham Lake, Minn. (son Mark Quiring)

POET LLC, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Jim Eliason

Andrew Williams

POET Biorefining – North Manchester, Ind. (wife Jan Eliason)

Project LIBERTY, Emmetsburg, Iowa

Rod Pierson

Joel Schwichtenberg

POET Design & Construction, Sioux Falls, S.D.

POET Biorefining – Hanlontown, Iowa

Lexie Pierson

Cole Fricke

POET LLC, Sioux Falls, S.D.

POET LLC, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Terry Freier

Courtney Collen Sebesta

POET Research Center, Scotland, S.D. (daughter Sarah Freier)

Seed of Change Development Coordinator (husband Jeff Sebesta)

Tara Still

Roger and Sara Macy

POET Biorefining – North Manchester, Ind. (daughter Abby Still)

H2O Innovation

Laura Laible

Lisa Hilder

POET Biorefining – Mitchell, S.D.

POET Biorefining – Corning, Iowa

Nicole Dueker Project LIBERTY, Emmetsburg, Iowa

connect with seeds of change

seedsofchange.org facebook.com/SeedsofChangeFoundation twitter.com/SOC_foundation instagram.com/seedsofchangefoundation

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

23

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VITALBYPOET.COM

overflowing joy, unforgettable memories Courtney Collen Sebesta, Development Coordinator, Seeds of Change Every day I spent in Kenya I thought

uniforms, other operational expenses

a great addition to the school and,

to myself, “If only I could bottle up this

and large-scale capital projects. It was

more importantly, will significantly

joy.”

easy to see why the Broin family fell in

improve the students’ nutrition with

Joy exuded from everyone we

love with the students and staff at this

some protein added into their meals

passed on our bus each morning, from

school.

each week.

the women walking miles to the river

The property is incredible. The

The

for water to the students and staff at

school has come a long way through

brilliance, their yearning for education

Kakuswi Special School for the Deaf.

support from Seeds of Change and

and desire to communicate despite

I’m sure the other Mission Hope

other service groups over the years.

any obstacles with their hearing — all

2019 travelers share that sentiment;

It was evident that those who visited

of it is remarkable. One student I met,

my husband, Jeff, was one of them.

poured their heart and soul into the

a first grader, nearly brought me to

Happiness

was

Their

buildings standing tall and strong

tears. Her teacher explained that she

at

dormitories,

is an orphan, much like many of her

little, Kenyans living in the most

classrooms, dining hall and soon-to-

classmates. When the girl’s mother

impoverished of communities beam

be new staff housing.

learned of her daughter’s hearing

with pride.

We also saw exciting crossover

impairment, she left and never came

As a new face to the Seeds of Change

between Mission Hope and Mission

back. Heartbreaking. How could a

staff, I got a unique perspective of

Grow, a collaboration that is a first

mother do that to her child?

the

young

for Seeds of Change. Kakuswi now has

These students do not let obstacles

organization has already had on

a large chicken coop and is raising

in communicating or life without

communities thousands of miles away

around 200 chickens for eggs and

hearing hinder anything they do,

through education and agriculture.

meat. It was incredible to see all the

living each day to its happiest. It

Since my first day at work, I had heard

eggs produced within a few days —

saddens me that this mother will

about Kakuswi and the students

more than 1,050 in May alone! It is

never see her little girl’s big smile. I

impact

this

we

though.

went in Africa. Despite having so

profound

everywhere

students,

Kakuswi

—

the

we support through scholarships,

am so grateful I did.

I am still processing the entire experience

but

will

be

forever

grateful for it. I miss those smiles, that laughter and the sincere gratitude for a simple afternoon of jumping rope and blowing bubbles. Kenya is a beautiful place with truly the most beautiful people. The moments captured through photos and videos don’t do it justice.

We met a longtime friend of Seeds of Change in Kenya, Simon Kiendi, who shared some words of advice at the beginning of our trip: “Plant goodness wherever you go.” I can’t promise it will happen everywhere… but during those ten days in Kenya, I did my best. The people of Kenya and Kakuswi deserve nothing less.

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

25

one little boy, one big impact Lexie Pierson, IT Business Analyst I, POET

26

How does one begin to describe a

surprises. Each day he would make

each day, I never would have guessed

life-changing experience?

his way over to us while we worked

that the little boy was observing and

When other Mission Hope travelers

on the construction site, and every

learning the processes. I think he

returned in previous years — my dad

time somebody would have to lead

taught many of us a life lesson that

and sister included — I always asked

him back to the school so he wouldn’t

day. He might have seemed a little

how the trip went. Their answers

get hurt.

different and had a harder time

were all very similar: “It’s hard to put

Earlier

had

communicating than most students,

in words,” or “It changed my life.” I

been given jobs to help with the

but he is certainly one of the brightest

wondered what made a week-long

construction

housing,

and most extraordinary children at

trip so special that it could change

including

moving

the school. We are all familiar with

your life.

blocks, mixing mortar, washing walls,

the saying, “Never judge a book by its

Now I understand.

cutting rebar and so on. Some tasks

cover,” and he was a living example.

I sit here wanting to share my

needed to be done every day, like

I will never forget that little boy

experience

but

mixing the mortar so the crew could

and the impact he made on my life.

struggling to find the right words to

continue building the walls. The

The trip was full of joy, sadness,

describe the many emotions I feel.

process included making a large pile

excitement,

But one story comes to mind. There

of sand one wheelbarrow at a time

importantly — little blessings like

was one little boy at the school named

and adding bags of cement before

Boniface.

Boniface that I think any person on

mixing in water. After a few days

the trip would remember and have

spent around us working, Boniface

their own story about, and I’d like to

came over, picked up a shovel, made

share mine.

a small pile of sand, mixed in some

Boniface was very curious, almost

rock, and then added some water.

mischievous at times, and full of

In the short time he spent with us

with

everyone

in

the of

cleaning

week staff

we

and

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fear

and

—

most

PRIME THE PUMP

Retailers Were ‘Face of Fight’ in Securing Yearround E15

Ten years ago, no one knew what E15 was.

But today, when a consumer pulls up to a gas station and has the option of fueling up with E15 — a federally approved fuel with 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline — chances are, it’s because of Prime the Pump.

Prime the Pump began in 2013 and

targets

high-volume,

high-

profile retailers to assist with initial investments

in

infrastructure

to

support E15. The biofuels industry

Prime the Pump Partners Have Contributed to Growth of E15

has invested nearly $70 million in this initiative.

But it was the forward-thinking retailers — like Sheetz, Casey’s, Kum & Go, Minnoco — that were willing to be ahead of the curve that have contributed to the great success of Prime the Pump and E15 fuel, which has been branded in many markets as

by Janna Farley

Unleaded 88.

“Our retail partners, who like us support consumer choice, have been

28

VITALBYPOET.COM

PRIME THE PUMP

instrumental in getting E15 year-

commitments of more than 2,800

round across the finish line,” said

retail sites that will offer E15 by

Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy.

2021 generating approximately 350

“They were the face of the fight —

million new ethanol gallons annually,

joining us in Hill after Hill meeting,

said

penning

Communications for Growth Energy.

op-eds

countless

and

media

conducting

interviews

—

That

Majda

Olson,

growth

is

Director

only

going

of to

telling their story convincingly and

continue. In May, the Environmental

repeatedly. Growth Energy and the

Protection Agency lifted the nearly

industry as a whole are forever

decades-old

grateful for their commitment to this

round E15 sales, sending ripples of

limitation

on

year-

fight alongside us.”

Sheetz, a chain of family-owned convenience stores based in Altoona, Pa.,

has

been

selling

E15

since

2015. Offering E15 was a way for Sheetz to differentiate itself from its competition, said Mike Lorenz, Executive Vice President of Petroleum Supply. Today, E15 is available in 40 percent of the chain’s stores across six states.

“It’s a great fit with our brand promise.

We

customers

a

want

to

choice

offer of

our

Growth Energy and the industry as a whole are forever grateful for their commitment to this fight alongside us.

quality

products,” Lorenz said. “E15 is cleaner burning and American made, which

excitement among farmers, ethanol

can help us reduce our dependence

producers and retailers across the

on foreign oil. And we can offer it for

country. Previously, E15 sales were

less.”

restricted in most markets from June

Casey’s, headquartered in Ankeny,

1 to Sept. 15.

Iowa, has plans to expand its offering

Year-round

of E15 to 500 locations over the next

take this product to the next level,”

few years. The goal is to be the nation’s

Doddridge said. “Maybe it won’t be

largest E15 retailer, said Nathaniel

enough to have E15 available in 500

Doddridge, Director of Fuels.

stores. Maybe we’ll need to have E15

“Some of our competitors had the

available in 1,000 stores.”

product before we did, so consumers

Nationwide adoption of E15 is

saw it in the marketplace and were

anticipated to drive the production of

asking

for

it,”

Doddridge

sales

“will

really

said.

7 billion gallons of biofuels, creating

“Consumers like the value. They can

an additional demand for 2 billion

get a premium product at a lower

bushels of corn each year, and

price. It’s an easy selling point for us.”

unlocking new domestic demand for

The spectator growth of E15 is

homegrown fuels at a critical time for

a testament to the value it brings

America’s farmers.

to retailers and consumers. Prime the

Pump

efforts

have

secured

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

29

Ethanol, Ag Industry Groups Call on EPA to Stop Giving RFS Waivers to Big Oil American farmers won’t sit still when oil refiners are receiving

Under the Trump administration, refinery waivers have more

special exemptions from the Environmental Protection Agency

than quadrupled through 2017 from the 2013 levels.

(EPA).

And America’s heartland is paying the price. University of

That’s the message biofuels and ag industry groups are carrying loud and clear to the EPA. In June the National Corn Growers Association

(NCGA)

launched

an

advertising campaign to put pressure on the administration. The ad, which aired on Fox News in Washington, called on the EPA to halt “special favors to oil companies” and “stop betraying President Trump’s commitment to farmers.”

“These

waivers

negatively

impact

farmers by undercutting the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and reducing corn demand,” the NCGA said in a statement.

The Wall Street Journal even took notice, reporting that President Trump sent EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler

Illinois professor of agricultural economics

These waivers negatively impact farmers by undercutting the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and reducing corn demand.

and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to come up with a plan to make further changes to ethanol policies that would benefit farmers. “American farmers are a force to be reckoned with,” wrote Lauren Silva Laughlin in “On Ethanol, Big Corn Beats Big Oil.”

30

VITALBYPOET.COM

Scott Irwin estimated in a March 2019 study that refinery waivers decreased demand for biodiesel by 2.5 billion gallons from 2016 to 2019, causing a $7.7 billion loss in the demand for biofuels.

That decrease is translating to even more financial strain for rural Americans, who are facing tough times. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the amount of debt currently held by America’s farmers reflects a level of stress not seen since the ag crisis of the 1980s.

Read from Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor about how Growth Energy, the biofuels industry’s largest trade industry association, is working closely with our Congressional leaders to halt the process.

Hardship or Handout?

The Facts are Clear

by Emily Skor, CEO, Growth Energy A recent report from the Department of Energy’s Energy

“This unprecedented rate of granting waivers is a betrayal of

Information Administration shows that net income for oil and

our rural communities, detrimental to our energy security, and

gas companies hit a five-year high last year — in stark contrast

threatens our entire agricultural sector at a time of declining

to claims of “hardship” oil giants have used to skirt America’s

incomes and rising debts for our producers. EPA must halt this

biofuel laws.

process and reallocate waived gallons as the law intends,” the

According to the report, “2018 was the most profitable year

representatives wrote.

for these U.S. oil producers since 2013, despite crude oil prices

Shortly after the letter, press reports revealed that EPA had

that were lower in 2018 than in 2013 on an annual average

made it easier for well-connected refiners to claim special

basis.” On a cost per barrel of oil equivalent (BOE) basis, “expenses for these 43 companies averaged $48/BOE in 2018, the lowest amount from 2013 to 2018.”

So with costs down and profits up, it’s hard to imagine how multibillion-dollar oil corporations like Exxon Mobil and Chevron were able to claim “disproportionate economic hardship”— a prerequisite for their refineries to secure special exemptions from the U.S. Environmental

Protection

Agency

(EPA).

Exemptions in hand, these refiners were permitted to replace 2.6 billion gallons of

exemptions long before the court decisions

We will not allow these exemptions to get lost in the noise while rural communities suffer. Because the numbers are clear. The “economic hardship” is happening in America’s farm belt — not in oil company boardrooms.

homegrown biofuels with more petroleum.

agency leaders had used to justify their actions.

It was undeniable proof that the massive biofuel demand destruction undertaken by EPA had nothing to do with the law and everything to do with boosting profits for some of the world’s largest oil companies.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) immediately spoke up, announcing, “EPA repeatedly told Congress its hands were tied and blamed the courts. That appears to have been a lie.

EPA also said it was following Department of Energy recommendations. We also know that’s bunk. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”

And while media reports have uncovered the names of

He is not alone. On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Tammy

several recipients, most remain hidden behind a bureaucratic

Duckworth (D-Ill.) penned a letter to the EPA Office of Inspector

smokescreen, despite EPA promises to increase transparency.

General. “This deception by EPA political appointees may

Worse, it’s hard-pressed rural families who are paying the

indicate improper motives and conflicts of interest and it

price for these record profits. U.S. ethanol consumption recently

warrants a thorough review by the EPA OIG,” she wrote.

fell for the first time in 20 years. Across the heartland, many

And on May 23, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee

biofuel plants have shut their doors or idled production. Farm

on Agriculture Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) along with Reps.

income plummeted $11.8 billion over just the last three months,

Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa), Rodney Davis

the steepest drop since 2016.

(R-Ill.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) introduced the bipartisan

That’s why Growth Energy is working closely with our rural

Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act of 2019, which would

champions in Congress to restore integrity to the process. In

bring much-needed transparency to the secretive exemption

fact, Growth Energy members recently returned home from our

process.

second fly-in of the year, after meeting with over 80 lawmakers

It’s clear that leaders in Washington are taking notice. We

and their staffs on Capitol Hill.

will not allow these exemptions to get lost in the noise while

With our support, U.S. Reps. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa) and Adrian

rural communities suffer. Because the numbers are clear. The

Smith (R-Neb.) led a group of 35 members of the U.S. House

“economic hardship” is happening in America’s farm belt —

of Representatives who sent a letter to EPA requesting the

not in oil company boardrooms. It’s time for EPA to fulfill the

agency end the practice of granting small refinery exemptions

president’s promises to rural America and restore the market

for large or unqualified refineries and uphold the Renewable

promised to America’s biofuel producers.

Fuel Standard.

This column originally ran in the July issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine.

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

31

G N I T U P OOLURLNATIONAL S K R A P The most popular national parks in the United States have seen a significant spike in visitors over the last 10 years. People are coming to experience the beautiful scenery but at the same time are taxing the very environment they have come to enjoy.

We have been told to pack in and pack out our food and debris to reduce our impact, but we can’t pack out our toxic vehicle emissions. A simple solution to reduce pollutants in our national parks is to use more biofuels in our vehicles.

Protect our air. Reduce our toxic emissions.

Use biofuels instead.

MORE = MORE = MORE VISITORS CARS EMISSIONS Leave your toxic emissions at the pump.

Choose higher biofuel blends.

Air pollution levels in some of our most iconic national parks are comparable to, and at times even higher than, levels in densely populated cities such as Los Angeles and Houston.

VISITOR NUMBERS T O P T E N N AT I O N A L PA R K V I S I T O R I N C R E A S E S

2 0 0 9 & 2 0 1 8 C O M PA R I S O N 2M

4M

6M

Grand Canyon - 32% Yellowstone - 20% Rocky Mountain - 39%

A 2019 study found that 96 percent of the 417 National Parks assessed are plagued by significant air pollution problems in at least one of these categories.

85%

Zion - 37%

Unhealthy Air

Grand Teton - 26%

N AT I O N A L PA R K S T H AT H AV E A I R T H AT I S U N H E A LT H Y T O B R E AT H E AT T I M E S .

Acadia - 37% Glacier - 31%

88%

Joshua Tree - 56%

Harm to Nature

Bryce Canyon - 55% Arches - 40%

N AT I O N A L PA R K S W H E R E AIR POLLUTION IS DAMAGING S E N S I T I V E S P E C I E S A N D H A B I TAT

HIGHEST INCREASE IN VISITORS

89%

JOSHUA TREE 1,637,911

56%

HIGHEST NUMBER OF ANNIUAL VISITORS IN 2018

G R E AT S M O K Y M O U N TA I N S 11,421,200 S TAT E W I T H T H E M O S T N AT I O N A L PA R K S

CALIFORNIA: 9

Hazy Skies

N AT I O N A L PA R K S T H AT SUFFER FROM HAZE POLLUTION

80%

Climate Change N AT I O N A L PA R K S W H E R E C L I M AT E C H A N G E I S A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN

SOURCES Park statistics: nps.gov Pollution statistics: National Parks Conservation Association

THE HAZE OF OUR FUTURE Air pollution is a growing worldwide concern. Using more biofuels can help mitigate the effects.

by Matt Merritt

34

VITALBYPOET.COM

n the Instagram page

million people since last year’s report.

for San Francisco-

• Climate change is a big part of the

based Vogmask, a

problem: the three years covered

model relaxes in

ranked as the hottest years on record

a forest beneath an umbrella. She’s wearing

globally.

According

to

Robert

Moffitt,

an air-filtering mask that features

Communications

Director

alternating shades of green in a

Clean Fuel & Vehicle Technology

pattern of pine trees.

program for the American Lung

This is fashion in the modern world,

Association of the Upper Midwest,

where rising levels of air pollution

the Clean Air Act has had a positive

are now matched by a rising public

impact on our air quality. “We’d be

awareness of its devastating effects.

in real trouble without it,” he says.

Vogmask, maker of the “original

However, vehicle exhaust is now one

stylish filtering respirator,” fills a sad

of the biggest culprits in air pollution.

for

the

but important need in our world: protection from the very air we breathe.

Air

pollution

is

a

growing

problem across the world, and new research shows that its effects are both larger and broader than we’ve ever known. But while we cope with the world as it is today, there is hope for a better future by replacing more toxic chemicals in our fuel with cleaner-burning biofuel.

AIR POLLUTION ON THE RISE The State of the Air report, released

in

American reveals

an

April

Lung

by

the

Association,

increase

in

air

pollution, particularly in the number of high days of ozone and particle pollution in US cities.

“It’s the fact that we have

This is an about-face from a three-

more and more vehicles on the road,

year trend of improvement.

and in many cases it’s the congestion,

According to the report:

they’re sitting there idling on the

• More than four in 10 Americans

road,” Moffitt says.

live in counties that have monitored

These problems are not limited to

unhealthy

cities. People who think a rural life

ozone

and/or

particle

pollution.

• 141

million

makes them safe from the effects of air in

pollution can take note of a new study

counties that received at least one

Americans

live

from the National Parks Conservation

“F” for unhealthy air, an increase of 7

Association (NPCA).

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

35

According to their research, 96

they would be shocked to know that

has estimated that air pollution leads

percent of our National Parks are

these are actually some of our most

to 4.2 million premature deaths per

“plagued” by air pollution. The effects

polluted national parks,” she says.

year.

are varied, from unhealthy air to haze

“Air pollution is also posing a health

But researchers with the European

pollution to soil and water impacts

risk to some of the 330 million people

Society

that hurt sensitive species and habitat.

who visit our parks each year, as well

effects of air pollution have been

Theresa Pierno, President and CEO

as the communities who surround

underestimated. In fact, air pollution

for NPCA, says the public is unaware

them.”

causes twice as many deaths from

of the pollution issues facing nearly EFFECTS ARE WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT

parks. people

think

of

Cardiology

say

attacks and strokes as it does from respiratory diseases.

iconic

“The link between air pollution

parks like Joshua Tree or the Grand

Previous estimates of the effects of

and

cardiovascular

disease,

Canyon, they think of unspoiled

air pollution have been startling. The

well as respiratory diseases, is well

landscapes and scenic views. I think

World Health Organization (WHO)

established,” says Professor Thomas

REDUCTION IN GASOLINE-RELATED CANCER CAUSES BY BLENDING ETHANOL INTO GASOLINE IN FIVE GLOBAL CITIES E10 Bejing

Delhi

Mexico City

E20 Seoul

Tokyo

Bejing

Delhi

Mexico City

Seoul

Tokyo

0%

-10%

-20%

-30%

-40%

-50%

-60%

-70% Benzene

“Health Impact of Blending Ethanol into Gasoline in Five Global Cities” University of Illinois at Chicago, Energy Resources Center

Benzo[a]pyrene

1,3-Butadiene

Formaldehyde

Dr. Steffen Mueller, PhD, and others at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Energy Resources Center looked at the effect of biofuel in reducing cancers connected to chemicals such as benzene, benzopyrene, butadiene and formaldehyde in five cities: Beijing, Delhi, Mexico City, Seoul and Tokyo.

“Avoiding these cancers will save several thousand years of potential life lost in each city and an additional tens of millions of dollars of direct health care costs for cancer treatment,” he reports in a summary of the study. “The impact of cancer, however, is much greater than these metrics, as cancer adversely impacts the quality of life, can lead to loss of income

36

the

cardiovascular diseases such as heart

every one of America’s 417 national “When

of

and devastates families.”

as

When people think of iconic parks like Joshua Tree or the Grand Canyon, they think of unspoiled landscapes and scenic views. I think they would be shocked to know that these are actually some of our most polluted national parks.

Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for NPCA

Münzel,

attacks and heart failure.”

emotional cost of pollution, with

Cardiology of the University Medical

of

the

Department

of

According to their modelling, air

people

Centre Mainz in Mainz, Germany. “It

pollution causes 8.8 million deaths

emotions when pollution levels were

causes damage to the blood vessels

each year worldwide, more than

high.

through increased oxidative stress,

double the previous estimates.

which then leads to increases in

“To put this into perspective, this

blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, heart

means

The choice we make at the pump can really make a dramatic difference. If we get more people doing that, that will have a dramatic impact on our air quality and our health.

that

air

pollution

expressing

more

negative

BIOFUELS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

causes

more extra deaths a year than tobacco smoking, which the World

Moffitt, with the American Lung

Health Organization estimates was

Association, says he regularly gets the

responsible for an extra 7.2 million

question “How can one person make a

deaths in 2015. Smoking is avoidable

difference?”

but air pollution is not,” Münzel says.

His answer: Use more biofuel.

Outside of the more clear-cut health

“The choice we make at the pump

effects, the air you breath might also

can really make a dramatic difference.

be affecting your mood. Experts at

If we get more people doing that, that

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

will have a dramatic impact on our air

say

quality and our health,” he says.

they’ve

seen

a

correlation

between levels of air pollution and

Recent work at the University

happiness. Researchers tracked the

of

daily levels of air pollution in Chinese

for

cities and compared it to the real-time

Technology demonstrates the value of

mood expressed by those residents

biofuels in combatting air pollution.

on social media. Results showed the

That

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

California

–

Riverside

Environmental

study

tested

Center

Research

five

and

vehicles

37

CONCENTRATION OF PARTICULATE MATTER PM2.5 or less

Annual mean PM2.5 (ug/m3) • < 10 • 10 – 19 • 20 – 39 • 40 – 59 • 60 – 99 • >_ 100

*The mean annual concentration of fine suspended particles of less than 2.5 microns in diameters is a common measure of air pollution.

Source: World Health Organization ©WHO 2016 All rights reserved.

University of California – Riverside study A study by the University of California –

role in the formation of pollutant emissions than

Riverside Center for Environmental Research and

ethanol content. He also highlights the fact that

Technology studied eight fuels in five vehicles

there was no increase in NOx observed for the

with gasoline direct injection engines to determine

vehicles and fuels tested in this study, despite

the impact of ethanol and aromatics on tailpipe

previous studies that have reported increased

emissions. The fuels tested included E0, E10, E15

ethanol blends would increase NOx, a component

and E20 at various levels of aromatics as well as

in ozone formation and a key area of focus in

splash-blended fuel (adding ethanol to a finished

California.

fuel) versus match-blended fuel.

“When we increase the ethanol content to E15

This research is notable in that it used actual

or E20, we don’t see any appreciable NOx increase,

real-world fuels and real-world engines to test

which is a huge deal for the ethanol industry and

emissions.

is very important for California environmental

According to Tom Darlington, President at Air

agencies.”

Improvement Resource, Inc., results indicate that an increase in ethanol reduces carbon monoxide and has no effects on NOx emissions.

Splash blended fuels in particular showed some important PM benefits, Darlington says. “You dilute other components that create a lot of particulate matter, like aromatics.”

Georgios Karavalakis, PhD, with UC-Riverside notes that higher ethanol/low aromatic fuels and the splash blended fuels showed some reductions in secondary aerosol formation, which is known to affect human health and climate. Karavalakis says that aromatics played a much more dominant

38

VITALBYPOET.COM

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE UCR STUDY IN A VITAL FOLLOW UP AT VITALBYPOET.COM

equipped

with

gasoline

direct

significantly

well understood to be carcinogenic,”

injection engines with eight fuels

exceed, by orders of magnitude,

Mueller said. “This is for people to

containing different levels of ethanol

primary PM,” Karavalakis says.

understand that ethanol can really

and aromatics, the petroleum-based

Tom Darlington, President of Air

help reduce cancers and therefore

octane enhancer that ethanol typically

Improvement Resource, Inc. based in

should be adopted internationally.”

replaces.

Chelsea, Mich., also helped with the

Georgios Karavalakis, PhD, at UC-

study. He noted that the data showed

THE PROBLEM IS NOW;

Riverside was the lead investigator

ethanol reduces carbon monoxide

THE SOLUTION IS HERE

for this study. He said one of the most

and does not raise levels of NOx,

compelling results was the impact

which contribute to ozone formation.

The

of ethanol on secondary aerosols/

“Overall PMs will come down, and

where you live, you are affected by

secondary particulate matter (PM).

carbon monoxide will come down,

air pollution, both physically and

“In general, when you add more

and that will help lower ozone levels,”

mentally. By using more biofuels, you

he said.

can lessen those effects.

Air pollution causes more extra deaths a year than tobacco smoking, which the World Health Organization estimates was responsible for an extra 7.2 million deaths in 2015.

Smoking is avoidable but air pollution is not.

“Secondary

Steffen

aerosol

Mueller,

PhD,

data

is

clear:

No

matter

Principle

Moffitt is based in St. Paul, Minn. He

Economist with the Energy Resources

says the American Lung Association

Center at the University of Illinois

there has been working 20 years to

at Chicago, looked at the impact of

help get the word out about ethanol

biofuels on the cancer rates of citizens

and biodiesel blends. He’s proud of

in five cities: Beijing, Delhi, Mexico

the more than 400 E85 stations in

City, Seoul and Tokyo. He found that

the state as well as the growth in

by reducing the toxic chemicals in

E15, which is now in more than 300

gasoline, ethanol can reduce the

stations in Minnesota.

number of cancers caused by those

“The E15 fuel, 88 octane fuel, has

chemicals. For instance, E10 fuel

really taken off,” he says. “Once

reduced benzene-related cancers by

people try it, they usually come back

20 percent or more. E20 reduced it by

to it.”

more than 30 percent.

That growth must continue, both

“Within aromatics there are a lot of

in the U.S. and abroad, to reverse the

toxic compounds, and a lot of them are

dreadful impacts of air pollution.

ethanol, we observed a drop in secondary aerosol formation, and with an increase in aromatics, higher secondary aerosol formation,” he says.

This

is

significant

because

secondary aerosols could have a greater impact on public health than primary PM emissions, Karavalakis says. Secondary aerosols are created through photochemical reactions in the atmosphere.

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

39

NASCAR UPDATE

The NASCAR Superfan Next Door Longtime NASCAR Fan Counts Jeff Gordon as Favorite Driver

by Ryan Welsh NASCAR is known for having the most loyal fans. Walking

Q: How long have you been a NASCAR fan?

through POET’s headquarters in Sioux Falls, S.D., you will find a

A: I’ve been a NASCAR fan since the late 80s, early 90s. I

superfan. Just look for the die-cast model race cars lined up on

remember watching the No. 5 Levi Garrett Monte Carlo and the

his desk and cubicle. Justin Beek, Milling & Material Handling

1990 Daytona 500, watching Dale Earnhardt run out of gas going

Drafter II at POET, has been a NASCAR fan since the late 1990s

into turn four, and watching Derrike Cope No. 10 Purolator

and remembers the 1990 Daytona 500’s surprising upset when

Chevy pass and win the Daytona 500.

Derrike Cope took the lead over Dale Earnhardt. He counts among his favorite NASCAR memories the opportunity to wave

Q: How did you get introduced to the sport?

the green and white qualification flag at the Kansas Speedway

A: Watching the Daytona 500 on TV. When the “Days of Thunder”

for his favorite driver, Jeff Gordon. Here’s a look into how

movie came out, I was too young to go it in the movie theater,

Beek got interested in NASCAR, stats on his die-cast model car

but I had to collect all the matchbox racecars that were out,

collection, and his thoughts on how NASCAR has changed over

especially the No. 18 Hardees Chevy.

the years.

Q: How has it changed since you began following? For the Q: Tell me about your family. Do you all enjoy NASCAR together?

better?

A: I have been married to my wonderful wife, Melissa, for nine

A: NASCAR has gotten bigger: more racetracks to race at; more

years and have two great kids: Tavyn is 5 and Kyra is 2. Our

presence on TV. Has it gotten better? Yes and no. Not sure about

family loves racing. They enjoy going to the racetrack, specifically

the stage racing. I do like that they changed like the points

Kansas Speedway. Tavyn loves seeing all the different race cars

systems. It has gotten better. I do like how they do the points

in the pits. She talks about Jeff Gordon, even though he’s been

now.

done racing for a few years. Kyra was upset that we left the racetrack early this last May during the Kansas races. The very

Q: Favorite drivers?

first time Melissa got to see a race up-close was when we went to

A: Jeff Gordon, Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon, Jimmie Johnson and

Kansas Speedway and we took a tram ride through the tunnel to

Jack Sprague. Any driver that’s part of the Chevy Bowtie Brigade

the infield and watched the cars come off pit road and got up to

(Team Chevy).

speed and heard the roar of the cars and felt the ground shake.

BIO Justin Beek: Milling & Material Handling Drafter II at POET Family: Wife Melissa; daughters Tavyn (5) and Kyra (2) History with POET: I’ve been with POET for almost ten years. I started at POET when it was still Broin &

Justin Beek’s personal collection

Associates and have worked with the Milling & Material Handling group since then.

40

VITALBYPOET.COM

Justin Beek and his family with Austin Dillon at the Kansas Spring Race in May 2019.

Justin Beek waving the qualification flag at the Kansas Speedway.

Q: American Ethanol is one of the top ten recognized brands in NASCAR. How does it make you feel that you are a part of it?

A: It makes me very proud to see the American Ethanol badge alongside the NASCAR name.

Q: Tell me about your NASCAR collection.

A: As of today, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just shy of 190 1/24th scale die-cast and 125 1/64th scale die-cast. I have every American Ethanol die-cast that Lionel Racing has produced.

Q: Best NASCAR memory?

A: Knowing how big of a NASCAR fan I am, I was invited by Coors to wave the green and white flag for qualifying. And by chance I got to do it for my all-time favorite driver, Jeff Gordon, at Kansas Speedway.

Q: Anything else to add?

A: I would like to see the authentic American Ethanol ring on the POET fleet cars around the gas doors and the American Ethanol on the backdeck lid. I also would like to see a POET-American Ethanol race car again. I just enjoy NASCAR and collecting the die-casts.

Justin Beekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal collection

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

41

ENERGY FOR LIFE

SET YOUR INTENTIONS ON HAVING A FULFILLING PRAYER LIFE

1. DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS PRAYER CHALLENGE ALONE OR WITH SOMEONE ELSE. Having a prayer partner can bring deeper meaning

by Melissa Fletcher, Spiritual Care Advisor, POET Prayer: It is a daily essential for those who want to grow closer in their relationship with God. But how do you balance it with everything else that is going on in

to your times of prayer and can be beneficial when staying accountable to what you set out to do.

your life?

2. MAKE A LIST OF YOUR TOP THREE PRAYER REQUESTS.

We don’t need to be overwhelmed by prayer or

These requests may change from day to day, but try to

worry that we are not following the “right” formula.

pick three that you will be intentional about praying

When we set our mind and our intentions on having

for during the next 30 days. If you cannot come up with

a deep and meaningful prayer life, we will find that

three things, don’t worry about it. The true purpose of

our relationship with God grows and our spiritual

prayer is to simply have a conversation with God and

health flourishes. Prayer can become as natural as

allow Him to move so He can move your heart and

breathing and can bring spiritual vitality, joy, peace

develop your spiritual vision.

and refreshment to our souls.

3. SET A SPECIFIC PRAYER TIME.

How do you have an effective prayer life? Follow these

This should be a consistent prayer time, one that you

simple tips for the next 30 days to start your own prayer

can stick to and that has the least likelihood to be filled

challenge:

with distractions. We consistently have calendars that are filled up with appointments, yet there are times we fail to make an appointment with God.

4. SET A SPECIFIC PLACE TO PRAY. This is your “go-to spot.” It is a place that you will enter in for the specific purpose of prayer. It could be a room in your house, the front porch, your car — the place doesn’t matter. What matters is that you have the ability to use this place as a private sanctuary for you to meet one on one with God each day.

5. JOURNAL YOUR PRAYERS. This is important so that you have a tool to see where God has moved in your life. It’s easy to forget what we have prayed for and how our prayer was answered.

However, when you journal, you have a physical copy to record the answers you received. After 30 days, reevaluate your prayer focus. Do you need to change anything? What prayers have been answered? What things could be added? Modify as needed and continue on your prayer journey.

42

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FOUR WEEKS OF WELLNESS: FAMILY WELLNESS CHALLENGE

by Cole Fricke, Wellness Coordinator, POET

ambitious), ask the kids to help you prep and cook!

Choose some fairly easy meals to get them started, share an old family recipe or get creative with your dinner presentation. When you’re done, sit down together with a “no-screens” supper and talk about the meal you’ve prepared together.

Wellness Challenge a try. This challenge will address

WEEK 4: 20-30 MINUTE WALK AND WATER CHALLENGE AND TOP CHEF JUNIOR(S) AND RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

mind, body and spirit! Each week you’ll focus on one to

Let’s top off the challenge with an exercise in spiritual

two wellness-oriented tasks. The goal is to add to them

and emotional well-being. Be intentional about making

each week for the 30 days to build some good habits for

plans ahead of time with your kids to perform several

you and your family. By the end of the 30 days, you’ll

random acts of kindness this week. These activities will

have some skills you can practice all year long, or you

work to grow servant hearts in your family. Choose an

can begin the challenge again. The choice is yours!

act together and allow your kids to have ownership

Are you looking for some direction and accountability when it comes to implementing some family wellness?

Round up the family and give this 30-day Family

and engagement. Focus on the service reward of

WEEK 1: 20-30 MINUTE WALK Pick a time that works for all of you to go for a 20-30 minute walk (after supper is great for a lot of reasons, but I’ll leave that choice up to you). Adjust to your family’s needs. Make it fun, see the neighborhood and just enjoy being outside!

performing the act over any recognition or repayment.

As John Bunyan said, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”

Check in with each other at the end of the month to reflect on how the challenge went. Lather, rinse, repeat

WEEK 2: 20-30 MINUTE WALK AND WATER CHALLENGE

and you’ve got a recipe for fun and to improve your family’s health!

Keep your evening walks going and add a focus on increasing water intake this week. Substitute water for juice, sports drinks and pop. Aim for 40-64 ounces of water each day for each person.

WEEK 3: 20-30 MINUTE WALK AND WATER CHALLENGE AND TOP CHEF JUNIOR(S) Now bring your kids into the kitchen each night to get them excited about where their food comes from!

Once or twice this week (or all seven days, if you’re

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

43

RENEW POET Biorefining – Hanlontown Selected as Winner in ‘Give Back Iowa’ Challenge POET Biorefining – Hanlontown has been selected as a winner of the fifth annual Give Back Iowa Challenge. As part of this campaign, businesses encourage their employees to volunteer and log hours as part of an eight-week challenge across the state of Iowa. The winners will receive a visit from Iowa’s Governor or Lt. Governor in the future and also be presented with a trophy.

Winners were selected by the highest average number of volunteer hours per employee. POET won in the small business category.

POET Partners With EmBe to Host Robotics Camp In June POET partnered with EmBe Sioux Falls to host a Mini Robotics Camp. We truly hope the kids’ enthusiasm for science, math and technology continues to grow, and perhaps one day they find themselves using that same passion to help change the world at POET!

44

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POET Biorefining — Alexandria Hosts Plant Tour POET Biorefining – Alexandria hosted a tour in June for participants at the FEW (Fuel Ethanol Workshop) conference in Indianapolis, Ind. This was a great opportunity for attendees to learn firsthand about POET!

photos by Tim Portz

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

45

RENEW POET Research Center Works with Scotland Elementary School for Earth Day POET Research Center (PRC) partnered with the Scotland Elementary School, grades kindergarten to fifth, to work on coloring pages that were compiled as part of a POET Earth Day video. Then team members from PRC went back to the school on Earth Day to share the video with the children and served â&#x20AC;&#x153;dirt cupsâ&#x20AC;? (chocolate pudding with crushed cookies and gummy worms). The children were excited to see their artwork and names in the video.

POET at 2019 STEM inCYte Camp POET sponsored 19 middleschool-aged individuals to attend the 2019 STEM InCYte camp at Iowa State University, which exposes middle schoolers to a variety of STEM fields. Several POET engineers also taught a session and performed experiments on biofuels.

The students learned about ethanol and CO2 production.

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POET Biorefining Jewell Character Award Nominee POET Biorefining â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jewell was nominated for the Iowa Character Award, which recognizes organizations that demonstrate commitment to the six pillars of character. Nominees were invited to attend the 2019 Iowa Character Awards banquet in July.

Congratulations to POET team members in Jewell!

POET Maintenance Managers and Maintenance Clerks Visit Sioux Falls The 2019 POET Reliability and Maintenance Leadership Summit in June was a huge success thanks to the teams of maintenance managers and maintenance clerks from POETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bioprocessing facilities.

A TWOCENTURY BATTLE FOR BIOFUELS The fuel of the future is shaped by its storied past

by Austin Broin and Miranda Broin

48

VITALBYPOET.COM

“The fuel of the future is going to come from fruit like that sumac out by the road, or from apples, weeds, sawdust — almost anything. There is fuel in every bit of vegetable matter that can be fermented. There’s enough alcohol in one year’s yield of an acre of potatoes to drive the machinery necessary to cultivate the fields for a hundred years.”

HENRY FORD, 1925

In order to envision the future of an

kerosene likely could have dominated

industry, one must first understand its

that market on its own, it was slightly

past, and biofuels might just have one

less economical than camphene.

of the most illustrious — but under-

In 1862, however, a $2.08 per

recognized — stories in recent history.

gallon sales tax was placed on alcohol

With year-round E15 finally past the

in order to help pay for the Civil

finish line and a long road ahead for

War. While it was meant to be a tax

biofuels, it is critical to remember

on drinking alcohol, it led to the

how the industry got this far — from

destruction of the entire camphene

the triumphs to the setbacks and

market, despite the alcohol industry’s

everything in between.

resistance to the legislation. Many

The long history of energy in

distilleries were closed down, which

the U.S. is riddled with myths and

consequently

misconceptions.

instance,

of farmers who supplied them the

contrary to popular belief, ethanol has

feedstock to produce millions of

been used as fuel in the United States

gallons of alcohol for lighting fuel.

for nearly two centuries. Its usage

This, it just so happened, was rather

dates back to the early 1800s, when

convenient for America’s burgeoning

Lard Oil

the most commonly used fuel was

oil industry.

- 90 cents per gallon - low quality, smelly

For

- $1.30 to $2.50 per gallon

The

of Renewable Fuels,” the internal

happen to ethanol in the early 1900s,

combustion engine had not yet been

when the 18th Amendment — better

invented, but there was a massive

known as Prohibition — was put in

Coal Oil

market for fuel to power lights, and

place. A common misconception is

camphene was used to power lamps

that Prohibition was about Christian

and lights throughout the young

values and putting an end to the

- 50 cents per gallon - sooty, smelly, low quality - the original “kerosene”

nation. Then Edwin Drake struck oil

national

in 1859, and while the textbooks claim

which, as we all know, it failed to

that it was just in time to prevent the

accomplish. It did, however, succeed

mass slaughtering of whales for lamp

in stopping fuel ethanol in its tracks.

oil, kerosene made from oil actually

Charles

showed up in an already established

analysis of the documentary “Pump”

lighting

that Henry Ford and Charles Kettering,

Although

Mudede

of

camphene

Whale Oil

market foreshadowed what would

epidemic

the

thousands

- or “burning fluid” - 50 cents per gallon - combinations of alcohol, turpentine and camphor oil - bright, sweet smelling

turpentine. According to the “History

market.

of

the

Camphene

camphene, a mixture of alcohol and

fuel

demise

hurt

BY 1850 A CONSUMER HAD A CHOICE OF:

alcoholism,

writes

in

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

an

Kerosene from Petroleum - 60 cents per gallon - introduced in early 1860s

49

The Trump Administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s yearround E15 rule is a huge win for farmers, clean fuels and consumer choice.

the faces of the auto industry at the

It

time, avidly promoted the use of

especially given the economic climate

plant-based alcohol for fuel; in fact,

of that time; experts say an emerging

the Ford Model T was designed to run

alcohol fuel industry could have been

on either gasoline or ethanol. But in

conducive in saving farmers and

the meantime, Standard Oil founder

distilleries from bankruptcy in the

John D. Rockefeller was working

midst of the Great Depression, even

hard behind the scenes to ensure that

possibly helping to bring it to an end.

market would not grow. He funded

Alcohol-gasoline

millions to the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christian

used on a small scale in subsequent

Temperance Fund, the main driver

years until 1973, when a 10 percent

in pushing Congress to vote in favor

blend of ethanol was allowed into

of the 18th Amendment. According

the fuel supply. Although its octane

to

and

Hemmings.com,

of

the

an

unfortunate

economic

outcome,

blends

advantages

were

gained

theory insist that this is nothing but a

recognition, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until the late

conspiracy theory and that Rockefeller

1980s

really was a large supporter of

industry would emerge once again.

Prohibition for temperance, but the

This was largely due to the agricultural

truth may be lost to history.

crisis, when grain crops like corn

Either

50

critics

was

way,

Prohibition

that

a

legitimate

ethanol

took

were oversupplied, land values were

ethanol down with it even though

depressed, and farm bankruptcies

the bill did allow for the sale and

became increasingly common. By

experimentation of alcohol for fuel.

1986 corn prices were so low that

VITALBYPOET.COM

ethanol production became the only

automotive

fuel

supply,

viable outlet for the surplus, and by

increase to 7.5 billion gallons by

counting on the RFS “phasing out”

1987 four percent of the U.S. corn crop

2012. Lawmakers quickly saw the

after 2022; however, that is ignorant

was being used for just that, creating

positive impact it had on air pollution,

on

an upturn for rural America.

national security, and the Midwest

and

While the biofuels industry was

economy and expanded the program

the RFS, at that point the EPA will

quickly gaining traction in the ag

through the Energy Independence

select subsequent RVOs based on

sector, it wasn’t long before it was also

and Security Act of 2007, now referred

the success of the current program,

touted for its environmental benefits.

to as RFS2. Under RFS2, 36 billion

which has been undoubtable so

The Clean Air Act, established in 1963,

gallons of renewable domestic fuel

far. The RFS has supported more

was amended in 1990 amid increasing

are to be blended into the fuel supply

than 360,000 American jobs, greatly

concerns about tailpipe emissions,

by 2022, about half of which is to be

lowered our dependence on foreign

acid rain and urban smog. The

advanced or cellulosic biofuel.

oil, significantly reduced greenhouse

revisions encouraged the use of fuel

Each summer the EPA issues a

gases and airborne toxins, and, in the

made from both grain and natural

proposal governing how many gallons

words of Henry Ford, caused a “rural

gas to reduce dependence on foreign

of biofuel must be blended with the

renaissance” in America’s heartland.

fuel and help curb America’s ever-

fuel supply in the year ahead. The

After RFS2 was passed in 2007,

worsening air pollution. According to

agency then accepts comments for

farmers

the Environment Protection Agency

a period before issuing a final rule

started pushing for relief from an

(EPA), in 2005, the Energy Policy Act

under the RFS. These targets, called

outdated regulation known as Reid

was in the final stages of development

Renewable

Obligations

Vapor Pressure (RVP). The original

to amend the Clean Air Act. Inside

(RVOs), set the annual pace to reach

Clean Air Act limited the amount of

that bill was an addendum called

36 billion gallons by 2022. In 2018,

emissions as measured by a fuel’s

the Renewable Fuel Standard, now

for example, RVOs were set at 19.29

RVP, or how quickly it evaporates. It

known as RFS1.

billion gallons, including 15 billion

also helps to determine how much air

RFS1 called for 4 billion gallons

gallons of starch-based and 4.29

pollution a fuel causes in urban areas.

of renewable fuel in the nation’s

billion gallons of advanced biofuel.

Congress specified that E10 would

Volume

set

to

Most

an

ethanol

opponents

economic,

political

and

level.

are

environmental According

ethanol

to

producers

IOWA LAND VALUE CHANGE CLEAN AIR ACT

1980s FARM CRISIS

ETHANOL INDUSTRY EMERGES

RFS1

RFS2

RVP

E10 BLEND WALL

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018

THE ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

51

receive a one pound per square

a monumental victory for farmers,

inch (psi) RVP waiver because

ethanol producers and consumers

of its ability to reduce tailpipe

alike.

emissions.

“The Trump Administration’s year-

However, E15 was not yet

round E15 rule is a huge win for

on the market at the time

farmers, clean fuels and consumer

these regulations were put in

choice,” said POET CEO and Founder

effect, so the language used in

Jeff Broin. “Millions of drivers will now

the waiver meant that it only

have the freedom to choose cleaner-

applied to ethanol blends up

burning E15 and enjoy greater savings

to 10 percent. In reality, higher

at the pump when they need it most

blends lower a fuel’s RVP, but

— during the summer driving season

the legislation was outdated

when fuel prices peak. Nationwide

and therefore barred the sale

adoption of E15 is expected to drive

of cleaner-burning, more cost-

the production of 7 billion gallons

effective E15 in the

of biofuels, creating an additional

summer months,

demand for 2 billion bushels of corn

when smog and

each year.”

fuel prices tend to

Year-round E15 will play a crucial

peak.

role in unlocking domestic demand

Over

last

the

for farmers in the midst of an ag

decade,

crisis, creating Midwest jobs, reducing

ethanol producers

air pollution, and providing a better,

and

cheaper fuel choice at the pump 365

industry

supporters

have

days a year. Ethanol exports will

put immeasurable

continue to increase as well, and

funding,

time

expansion of corn markets will help

and effort toward

diminish the 20-billion-bushel global

securing

RVP

surplus and drive commodity prices

relief

E15.

to help bring worldwide agriculture

for

U n f o r t u n a t e l y,

to prosperity once again.

ethanol has been

True, the biofuels industry has

at

mercy

long suffered at the hands of Big Oil’s

political

political games and undoubtedly will

the

of

corruption

and

again. But if ethanol’s history has

attacks from Big

shown us anything, it’s that we’re

Oil since long before that, creating

never down for long.

a field of bureaucratic landmines

In a time when the effects of global

in the way of what should have

climate change continue to worsen

been a simple change to the

and fossil fuel supplies are dwindling,

mandate.

biofuels like ethanol are proving to be

But on May 31, 2019 — just

the only readily available, economical

in time for the summer driving

way to reverse the ever-worsening

season — David landed a hit

effects of human energy consumption.

against Goliath. The EPA fulfilled

Henry Ford called ethanol the “fuel

a commitment made by President

of the future.” That future is now.

Trump and issued a final rule for RVP relief, allowing access to E15 all year round. This was

52

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the best ideas

are the ones you haven’t thought of yet POET.COM

At POET, we’re not looking for easy fixes for obvious problems. We’re looking for the next generation of problem solvers, who can identify challenges we don’t even know exist yet. So if you’re more interested in unanswerable questions than answers that can’t be questioned, you’ll probably fit right in.

DOWN 1. Billing abbr.

2. Thunder god of myth 3. Draped dress 4. German one 5. Perennial plant of the buttercup

family with colorful flowers

6. Fan sounds 7. Time segment 8. Salon jobs 9. Capri, e.g.

10. Cold dessert 11. Ship’s merchandise manager 12. Autocrats of old 13. Prominent parts of Mickey’s silhouette 18. Goodies 23. Prefix for “trillion” 24. ‘’’Taint’’ comeback 26. Reason for postponement 27. Do__ others...

28. Torso part 29. Final degree 41. Thin margin of victory

30. Make fun of

43. Coastal flier

34. Is under the weather

1. Tahiti-bound, perhaps

46. Space invaders, for short

35. 1969 World Series hero

6. Hook up again

48. The world’s most abundant

38. “Braveheart” actor, first name

11. Fem. religious title

39. Deli offering

14. Connected links

49. Word seen at gasoline pumps

42. Bluesy James

15. Surface

44. Girl’s name from the Greek

16. Springsteen’s birthplace

product

51. Comes before beauty

45. Beverage that may be blonde

17. POET is the world’s leading

52. Northern Spain resident

53. Madame, for short

47. Pico de gallo and

19. Links goal

54. Where Nigeria is, abbr.

20. Part of TNT

57. “Unaccustomed ___ am...”

48. Bleep out

21. Title box choice

58. POET’s fuel is ____

49. Area of fertility in a desert

22. Roofers or critics

61. Brazilian grand prix town

50. Formerly Pleasant Island

24. Nail’s home

62. Loud, as a crowd

52. Railway units

25. Cafeteria-goers

63. Like some ancient ruins

53. Steed

26. Modified DDGS is

64. Common ID

54. Alphabet start

65. Energy rush

55. Off-key

66. Build on

56. Spot for slots

ACROSS

of song producer of ____ ____

recommended for _____

31. Tolkien creature

organic compound but never on any ethanol

or pale guacamole, e.g.

32. Liquorice flavored liquor

59. Game of pursuit

33. Tiny battery size

60. Together with

36. “___ be my pleasure!”

37. They’re not to be believed

FOR ANSWERS, VISIT vitalmagazineonline.com/answers

40. Semi-tractor trailer

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for nobility

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OUT OF LEFT FIELD

Age Is Relative

by Scott Johnson, Data Systems Administrator, POET Age is just a number. A big, stupid number. The perspectives

Maybe I’m just bitter because I’m literally growing shorter.

we have about being a certain age change when we hit that age.

I barely exceed the height requirement to ride the really cool

When I was a kid, I thought 30 was old. When I turned 30, I

waterslides as it is. Maybe I’m bitter because my hairline is

thought 40 was old. When I turned 40, I thought a 9:30 bedtime

behaving more like a car insurance policy: I used to have “full

sounded delightful. Complaining about my own age in this

coverage,” but now I’ve involuntarily downgraded to “liability

commentary is a delicate venture: I risk alienating and offending

only.” Maybe I’m bitter because I recently pulled a hamstring

anyone older than me by referring to myself as “old.” I also risk

sneezing. But my whining seems somewhat justified considering

losing interest of anyone younger than me by not communicating

this realization — I’ll likely never be faster, stronger or have

this message via memes and emojis. Nonetheless, please allow

more hair than I do today.

me to vent.

Getting older indeed has its challenges. One of the hardest

In my younger days, I used to be an amazing athlete. Well,

parts of aging is that feeling of a promising future, already

perhaps “amazing” is a overstating it a little.

I used to be an athlete. OK, maybe “athlete” is bit of an ambitious description. Let’s leave it at: I used to not get picked last for kickball games ... sometimes. These days, I’ve lost a half-step of speed and quickness in my athletic endeavors. I only had a quarter-step of speed and quickness to begin with, so I’m not really sure how that math works out. I can’t bench press as much weight now as compared to my glory days. Some might argue the bench press isn’t a functional, relevant movement for most adults anyway. However, I might someday need to hoist a slightly soggy foam pool noodle off my chest. I can’t afford to lose much more strength.

Nowadays, I often wake in the morning with aching joints and muscles and immediately try to recall what I did yesterday. I flail my arms and legs in various wonky motions attempting to stumble across the activity that caused the trauma. I finally gather it was from stirring a batch of muffin batter by hand

spent. It’s a nagging sense that opportunities

Our age simply represents the number of years we’ve existed on this planet.

It’s just a big stupid number.

It tells us very little about the adventures we are yet to have and feats we are yet to accomplish.

instead of using the automatic stand mixer. I

56

have come and gone. When we grow older, we no longer look forward to our very first kiss, our first job, the birth of our first child.

Thankfully, that depleting perception is somewhat of an illusion. The illusion that as we reach certain milestones in life, we are supposed to stop moving forward. Stop planning. Stop dreaming. My fast-twitch muscle fibers may not be as twitchy as they once were. But my future is as bright now as it ever has been. I still look forward to sending my first child to college. Writing my first novel. Celebrating the Minnesota Vikings first Super Bowl win. (Please stop laughing; I’m trying to deliver a serious, inspirational message here.)

None of us are guaranteed tomorrow.

Our future might contain only more day.

And it might contain thousands. Our age simply represents the number of years we’ve existed on this planet. It’s just a big, stupid number. It tells us very little about the adventures we are yet to have and feats

guess I have to stretch sufficiently before baking from now on.

we are yet to accomplish. Somewhere along the way, society

My flexibility has deteriorated as the years have passed. Can

concocted the idea that the future is reserved for the young. But

I still touch my toes? Maybe if you cut off my foot and hand it to

the future belongs to all of us, regardless our age. We are all in

me. I can barely reach the backspace key on the keyboard with

the same boat, rowing toward tomorrow. Although technically,

my pinky finger any more. Soon readers might have to tolerate

the younger generations might have to man the oars while the

more typos in this column.

rest of us go fishing and then take a nap.

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4615 N. Lewis Ave. Sioux Falls, SD 57104

imagination

is an endless resource

POET.COM

At POET, we understand that when it comes to energy solutions, the earth provides everything we need, no drilling required. Right here in South Dakota, we use renewable resources to create biofuels, nutrient-rich proteins and oil alternatives. Even after three decades, brand new innovations keep sprouting.