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Parachute Drops, Cheerleaders, and Giant Flags: How the Pentagon Paid Pro Sports for PR

Mother Jones

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If you’ve been to a pro sports game recently, you’ve almost certainly seen tributes to the military, from unraveling giant American flags showing to photos and videos of servicemen and women on the Jumbotron. A new senate report by Arizona Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, released yesterday, finds that many of these seemingly voluntary displays were in fact paid for by the Department of Defense. Between 2012 and 2015, the Pentagon paid sports teams $53 million for marketing and advertising, including at least $6.8 million for what the report dubs “paid patriotism.”

The senators obtained 122 Pentagon contracts with sports leagues and teams for what they described as “marketing gimmicks.” Among the top recipients of military money were NASCAR ($1.6 million over four years), the Atlanta Falcons ($879,000), the New England Patriots ($700,000), and the Buffallo Bills ($650,000).

Last year, the Pentagon spent millions on advertising with sports teams as it was simultaneously requesting funding from Congress to cover a $100 million budget shortfall to pay its troops, according to the report.

Here are a few team-specific promotional deals that stuck out in the 150-page report:

Charlotte Hornets: “One parachute drop-in” by an Air Force member at each home game
Dallas Mavericks: Letting the Texas Army National Guard “bring out their mechanical bull and/or rock wall for fans to enjoy”
Minnesota Wild: A color guard ceremony and letting a National Guard soldier “rappel from the catwalk to deliver the game puck”
Indianapolis Colts: “For use of a luxury suite, autographed items, pregame field visits and cheerleader appearances.”
Milwaukee Brewers: $49,000 to recognize the Wisconsin Army National Guard during performances of “God Bless America” at each Sunday home game
Atlanta Falcons: Recognition of the Army National Guard “birthday,” the opportunity for a National Guard soldier to perform the national anthem, and the opportunity for soldiers to “hold a large American flag on the field during a military appreciation game.”
Green Bay Packers: A “party deck” for 200 National Guard soldiers and their families
Minnesota Lynx: A military night featuring a “soldier rappelling from the arena catwalk while another soldier performed the national anthem”
NASCAR: A ride-along with Richard Petty and appearances with Petty and Aric Almirola.
Iron Dog: VIP passes to the Alaskan snowmobile race
Alamo City Comic Con: Admission for 20 soldiers and their family members. (We know, comic book conventions aren’t sporting events, but this is too weird not to include.)

The issue of paid patriotism first emerged this spring, when Sen. Flake questioned the military tributes at New York Jets games. Since then, the Pentagon has banned paying for these salutes to the troops, and the NFL has called on its teams to stop accepting payments for them.

According to a Pentagon memo included in the report, the department maintains that the advertising helped with recruiting, especially since youth “have grown less positive about the associations they make with military service.” Senators Flake and McCain counter that “If the most compelling message about military service we can deliver to prospective recruits and influencers is the promise of game tickets, gifts, and player appearances, we need to rethink our approach to how we are inspiring qualified men and women to military service.”

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Parachute Drops, Cheerleaders, and Giant Flags: How the Pentagon Paid Pro Sports for PR

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The Week in News: Farmer Adaptation, Advancements in Algae, and More

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The Week in News: Farmer Adaptation, Advancements in Algae, and More

Posted 15 April 2013 in

National

Last week was full of news and activity in the world of renewable fuel. Now that the weekend has come and gone, here are a few of last week’s notable stories for you to dig into:

· CNN.com wrote about Fred Yoder, a renewable fuel champion who was honored by President Obama last week for leading agricultural innovation in response to climate change.

· USA Today covers NASCAR’s environmental initiatives, discussing their use of E15 gasoline.

· Solazyme rolls out new technology that allows faster and more prolific production of oil from microalgae.

· National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson, RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen and Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis hit home the benefits of renewable fuel for rural America in this op-ed that ran in the Daily Yonder.

· E85 use is up 13% from 2010 to 2011 according to an analysis by the Energy Information Administration, showing that people are using more and more of the high ethanol blend.

· Earth Techling covered a National Research Council report that says we can reduce GHG emissions by 80% by 2050, if we use more biofuel.

That’s all for now. Enjoy the your week!

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The Week in News: Farmer Adaptation, Advancements in Algae, and More

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Our statement in response to Rep. Sensenbrenner’s misguided legislation

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Our statement in response to Rep. Sensenbrenner’s misguided legislation

Posted 11 April 2013 in

National

The bill introduced by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) ignores the long track record of successful, rigorous testing that E15 has undergone. What the bill is clearly geared toward, however, is promoting the interest of oil companies looking to retain control over America’s fuel options.

E15 is the most tested renewable fuel in history and to suggest otherwise ignores a wealth of facts. In multiple tests, E15 has been put through the paces in more than 6 million miles of testing. The results of these tests were so satisfactory that E15 is used in NASCAR vehicles – high-performance racecars that can top 200 miles an hour – have opted to use E15.

The reality is that E15 provides options to Americans and the choice to power their cars with clean and renewable fuel. Unfortunately, Rep. Sensenbrenner’s legislation would limit that choice by favoring the oil industry over hardworking American families and businesses.

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Our statement in response to Rep. Sensenbrenner’s misguided legislation

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NPR’s E15 article doesn’t pass the laugh test

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NPR’s E15 article doesn’t pass the laugh test

Posted 1 April 2013 in

National

On April 1st, it’s usually a good idea to be skeptical of what you read in the news. After all, no one likes being taken for a fool. That’s why when we read this morning’s NPR story on renewable fuel, we thought they had to be joking. Here are some of our favorite laugh lines:

“Widespread support for ethanol, which is made from corn, appears to be eroding.”

To substantiate this claim, NPR quotes a single gas station owner, but unfortunately (for the oil companies), the plural of anecdote is not data. Instead, a recent poll of US adults found that 64 percent support the Renewable Fuel Standard, which calls for ethanol to be blended into the nation’s fuel supply.

“’The oil crisis is going away,’ Verleger says. ‘We have plenty of oil. We have too much oil.’”

If the oil crisis is going away, we imagine that consumers across the United States will take to the streets, rejoicing the end of high gas prices. Looking at recent trends, however, this does not seem to be the case.

“There is no guarantee that [E15] fuel will work properly in your vehicle.”

This quote comes directly from the Coordinating Research Council, an oil-funded group responsible for a series of “studies” purporting to show the dangers of E15. Here’s the reality: the EPA subjected E15 to over 6.5 million miles of testing, equivalent to 12 round trips to the moon, making it the most tested fuel, ever. By contrast, the CRC study doesn’t reflect a single mile driven, but rather, car components tested in isolation. Meanwhile, auto makers like Ford and GM have approved E15 for use in their new vehicles and some of the world’s most demanding cars and drivers at NASCAR use ethanol exclusively.

Here’s the lesson to be learned: as long as oil companies continue to rake in record profits, they’ll be able to keep distorting the news you read – even on days other than April 1st.

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NPR’s E15 article doesn’t pass the laugh test

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Our Response to API’s E15 Report

Our Response to API’s E15 Report

Posted 29 January 2013 in

National

Big Oil unveiled a new report today, filled with misleading claims and half-truths about one of our favorite renewable fuels: E15. Our response:

Today’s report from oil-lobby backed research group Coordinating Research Council displays clear bias and ignores millions of miles and years of testing that went into EPA’s approval of E15.

CRC’s bias is clear – API is a “sustaining member” of the group – and so it’s no surprise that the CRC is negative about E15. They’re playing right in to API’s misguided ploy to overturn the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Over 6.5 million miles of testing, equivalent to 12 round trips to the moon, makes E15 the most tested fuel, ever.

The CRC study by contrast doesn’t reflect a single mile driven, but rather, car components tested in isolation. By researchers’ own admission, testing also included an “aggressive” E15 blend that includes more water and acid than what consumers would use in their cars. Meanwhile, auto makers like Ford and GM have approved E15 for use in their new vehicles and some of the world’s most demanding cars and drivers at NASCAR use ethanol exclusively. This is a fuel that works and is already in use.

The oil industry is intent on maintaining its control over America’s fuel supply, and this kind of biased research is exactly why we must continue to protect the Renewable Fuel Standard and the investment it has supported. Luckily Congress had the foresight to create the Renewable Fuel Standard to ensure that drivers have access choices with renewable fuel at the pump.

 

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Our Response to API’s E15 Report

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