“The American people deserve to know more about the gasoline they purchase every day – where it comes from and where their hard-earned dollars ultimately go every time they fill up their cars and trucks.
“Most Americans don’t want their paychecks going to Venezuela and other regimes that don’t agree with and support the U.S. Requiring country of origin labeling of our fuel supply will empower consumers with the knowledge and ability to make informed decisions.”
– General Wesley Clark
DECATUR, Ill – General Wesley Clark, Co-Chairman of Growth Energy, today called on the United States Congress and the White House to take action to dramatically enhance the market transparency of the nation’s fuel supply by requiring a national standard of country of origin labeling (COOL) for fuel.
The Label My Fuel initiative would create a COOL standard similar to requirements already in place for common consumer items, including apples, beef, cars and coffee. The goal is to help create consumer awareness of the costs and national security implications of the nation’s addiction to foreign oil.
Clark also unveiled Growth Energy’s labelmyfuel.com, which showcases the costs of American dependence on foreign oil, and serves to rally grassroots support for Congressional action on COOL for fuel legislation.
Clark said:
“America’s dependence on foreign oil has a staggering impact on both our national and economic security. Supply disruptions and sudden price hikes have shocked the wallets and pocketbooks of everyday Americans one too many times.
“The American people deserve to know the truth about the hidden costs of oil: The neighborhood filling station doesn’t pump neighborhood gas – it pumps a product of foreign origin that costs consumers and taxpayers billions of dollars every year. It’s past time for the American people to understand what our dependence on foreign oil costs our country and what they can do to help stop it.”
The economic implications of America’s dependence on foreign oil are astounding:
* The U.S. Department of Energy found that America’s dependence on foreign oil has cost our country more than $7 trillion dollars over the last 30 years.
* The United States has sent as much as $500 billion a year overseas for oil – a massive transfer of wealth.
* The Center for Forensic Economic Studies estimates that for every dollar spent on foreign crude oil, an additional $1.55 is removed from the U.S. economy.
* According to the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, American taxpayers foot a $50 billion-a-year bill to secure petroleum shipping lanes.
“American ethanol is the only existing alternative to gasoline today that is creating jobs, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing our dependence on foreign oil,” said Tom Buis, Growth Energy CEO. “Country of origin labeling for fuel will let consumers know if they are pumping a domestic-made fuel, like ethanol, or fuel from a foreign source.”
Clark made today’s announcement at the 2009 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill., the nation’s leading exhibition of advanced technology, business practices and manufacturing for today’s agricultural producers.
“The American people deserve to know more about the gasoline they purchase every day – where it comes from and where their hard-earned dollars ultimately go every time they fill up their cars and trucks,” Clark said. “Most Americans don’t want their paychecks going to Venezuela and other regimes that don’t agree with and support the U.S. Requiring country of origin labeling of our fuel supply will empower consumers with the knowledge and ability to make informed decisions.”