NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 4,000 internationalethanol industry professionals will gather at the 24th Annual InternationalFuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo (FEW), June 16 - 19, at the Gaylord OprylandResort in Nashville to improve and expand an industry on the defense,according to conference organizers BBI International, a service companyproviding worldwide renewable energy solutions and specializing in projectdevelopment, media, and events.
Despite the avalanche of negative media reports in recent months, those inthe industry maintain that ethanol is not the source of food inflation andworld hunger, and is still one of the most viable paths to a more sustainableworld.
'It is a mistake to somehow define food inflation as separate from otherinflation ... inflation is inflation ... so when you have fuel inflation youare going to have food inflation. We are part of the solution in that weprovide an alternative fuel that adds to the fuel supply,' says MickHenderson, General Manager of Commonwealth Agri-Energy LLC, in Hopkinsville,Kentucky. 'The smear campaign has already started ... the ball is alreadyrolling down the hill and we're trying to stop it. When we set the factsstraight people will realize that ethanol is good for this nation, good forthe consumer, and good for the planet.'
Dr. Robert Zubrin, Author of the book Energy Victory: Winning the War onTerror by Breaking Free of Oil, will deliver the keynote address during thegeneral session and offer a plan of how ethanol could help safeguard homelandsecurity and provide solutions for global warming and developing nations.
'We could be using fuel dollars that are now being sent to countries withties to terrorism to help farmers here and abroad, boosting our own economyand funding world development,' says Zubrin. 'By switching to alcohol fuels,which pollute less than gasoline and are made from plants that draw carbondioxide from the air, we will facilitate the worldwide economic growthrequired to eliminate global poverty without the fear of greenhouse warming.'
Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, willgive an industry update during the general session and provide hope to thosewho look to move the industry forward.
'Biofuels alone are not the silver bullet to the energy or environmentalchallenges our planet faces. But they do offer a pathway forward. By adoptingthe use of biofuels today and encouraging the development of next generationtechnologies, the road can be paved for the future fuels and technologies tocome,' says Dinneen. 'The alternative is to continue to exploit increasinglycostlier fossil fuels for which the environmental price tag will be great.'
The 23 technical workshops offered at the 2008 FEW will feature panels oncellulosic ethanol, non-food feedstocks, water utilization and conservation,non-fossil fuel power, lifecycle analysis, training the biofuels workforce oftomorrow; and more traditional topics including improving productionefficiencies, plant management, and plant safety.
Other conference attractions include an industry expo featuring more than600 exhibiting companies, two networking receptions, and an internationalnetworking pavilion; an Ethanol 101 Pre-conference Seminar: First and SecondGeneration Ethanol Production; the Annual FEW Golf Tournament at HermitageGolf Course; an industry tour of Commonwealth Agri-Energy LLC, a 100 percentfarmer owned ethanol plant located in Hopkinsville, Kentucky; and a 'NashvilleStyle Get-together' at Smiley Hollow featuring the world renowned Nitty GrittyDirt Band.
The 24th Annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo begins Monday,June 16 at 5:30 p.m. with the opening of the Industry Expo in the RymanExhibit Hall at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. Onsite registration beginsSunday, June 15 at 7:30 a.m. and will be available throughout the conference.For more information on conference activities and registration visithttp://www.fuelethanolworkshop.com.
SOURCE BBI International
