While corn-based ethanol is looking ever more like an energy-wasting boondoggle, the opposition to it is coming from some mixed groups. Take Food B4 Fuel, the new website being shilled by the Republican Party of Texas. It has this handy-dandy form letter set up to allow visitors to send an email to their senators and to the EPA in support Gov. Rick Perry‘s request for a 50% waiver on federal ethanol mandates. Just tick the right boxes and it will even compose the letter for you.

And who makes up the “broad-based coalition” behind Food B4 Fuel? Along with some nominally bipartisan and ‘radical center’ groups like Third Way, it’s some well-known environmentalists like the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Chicken Council, National Milk Producers Federation, (Meat, poultry AND dairy? That’s scarcely even a load-bearing level of the food pyramid), and the American Conservative Association.

This article appears in June 20 • 2008.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.