But Bob Moffitt disagrees — vehemently. On March 31, the media relations director for the American Lung Association of Minnesota (ALAMN) penned an opinion piece for the Minnesota Daily characterizing Jacobson’s research as “more fiction than science” and questioning Jacobson’s methodology:

Jacobson repeated some outlandish claims he published last year, that air pollution from E85 would kill people – in the Los Angeles of the future. Sound like science fiction? To me, it sounds like more fiction than science, and I was astounded that a visiting professor with such impressive-sounding credentials would offer cherry-picked, tortured data to support his study on E85 and mortality rates.

In his studies, which are entirely based on computer modeling using data he selected – no actual vehicle emissions were measured or tested – Jacobson “writes the rules” even as he plays the game. He first selected the emissions studies that best fit his hypothesis, then told the computer to convert every gasoline vehicle in Los Angeles to cars using only E85 fuel, plugged in predicted weather/climate patterns 14 years in the future (14 years? – predicting tomorrow’s weather is tough enough) and predicted how many people will die or become ill in 2020, based on direct causation ties to ground-level pollution based on today’s emergency room visits/mortality rates.

Moffitt also sought to connect Jacobson’s anti-ethanol message into greater University-wide effort to discredit corn-based ethanol and other biofuels and pushes a line that University president Robert Bruininks has responded to before.

No doubt some people will view Jacobson’s guest lecture as part of an intentional effort by the University to discredit alternative fuels made from crops like corn and soybeans. I hope this is not true, but there is no debate that a number of controversial studies criticizing biofuels have been coming out of the University of lately – a trend that is raising eyebrows and ire across the state and nation. At least one major farm group has already threatened to withhold more than $1 million dollars in research funding because they feel that these data and research are not being presented fairly.

Some may wonder why the communications director of ALAMN is taking such a strong position against an academic researcher combating air pollution. The American Lung Association of Minnestoa has a public/private partnership called Clean Air Choice Team, which has been a leading advocate of ethanol and other biofuels in Minnesota and throughout the nation. Moffitt says the team currently consists of the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities, Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Division, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, General Motors Corporation and the American Lung Association of Minnesota with assistance over the years by Flint Hills Resources, Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company, the AgStar Foundation, Ford Motor Company and the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance (now part of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency).

Prof. Jacobson responded to Moffitt with his own opinion piece in Monday’s Daily and obviously understands the connection. Jacobson accused Moffitt of making inaccurate statements about his published research and subsequently takes ALAMN’s Clean Air Choice program to task:

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Although it has been about a year since the paper was published, no peer-reviewed paper has challenged the results. The only challenges have come from advocates, such as Moffitt, and those with a financial interest in ethanol, such as the Renewable Fuels Association and venture capitalists, but not scientists. It should also be noted that the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest, who Moffitt represents, does not represent other American Lung Association branches, who have not acted as advocates of E85 to nearly the same extent. The ALAUM Web site in fact misinforms the public about E85. It states, for example, that “E85 can reduce tailpipe emissions such as ozone-forming pollutants by about 20 percent.” This is incorrect, as E85 increases organic gas emissions in nearly all known studies to date and the nitrogen oxide reductions due to E85 increase ozone in most polluted cities of the United States.

Further, the study I did is still the only published study worldwide to date to examine the effects of E85 on outdoor ozone in the United States, and the results of my study do not draw this conclusion. As such, ALAUM is making estimates it has no ability to make. Finally, it states that “a typical FFV driver can prevent 4 tons of lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions … with E85 …” All of the latest scientific studies on the lifecycle of E85 versus gasoline show that there is no carbon benefit of most forms of ethanol. A detailed explanation of the recent research is summarized for the general audience in a cover story in Time Magazine. It is time Moffitt and other advocates provide the public with accurate information about the air they should be protecting.

In an interview with the Minnesota Monitor, Moffitt stated that ALAMN “has never suggested that these fuels were perfect, or that E85 or biodiesel were the sole solution to air pollution, or a ‘magic bullet’ that might make Minnesota independent of imported petroleum overnight. We do say that these fuels are cleaner-burning and less polluting than traditional petroleum fuels, and we strongly recommend that Minnesotans who drive one of the estimated 175,000 flex-fuel vehicles already on the state roads use E85 instead of gasoline.”

When asked why individuals should believe ALAMN and its business alliance over the University of Minnesota or a Stanford professor, Moffitt noted that ALAMN is not alone in questioning recently publicized studies and reports critical of biofuels, including some published by the University of Minnesota. “Others include the U.S. Department of Energy, Argonne National Lab, National Renewable Energy Lab, Oak Ridge National Lab, Pacific National Lab and the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” according to Moffit.

A video of Jacobson’s presentation and a copy of his handouts are available online.

The Back Pages is a weekly roundup of editorial opinions on issues that face Minnesota.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press tips its hat to persistent citizens who read the fine print and demand to know the truth.

So here’s to the little old lady who insists on seeing the fine print in the bus contract the school district signs. Here’s to the grumpy old man who demands a clear answer when he asks the city council why it’s getting up to go behind closed doors. Here’s to the fed-up taxpayer who wants to see official e-mail to understand better why so-and-so got a tax break. Here’s to the cranky partisans who scour the campaign contributions of political candidates and who raise hell when the reports thereof are late. Here’s to the ornery bloggers who mine the Web for source documents and more.

Here’s also to the many public officials and employees who understand that public information belongs to the people, not to the government, and here’s to librarians, attorneys, reporters and civic groups who walk the beat for openness.

The St. Cloud Times devoted two editorials to the topic this week. The first editorial calls for openness at the state and local level while the second called for a federal shield law.

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Look no further than this board’s recent effort to push the St. Cloud City Council from its desire to conduct monthly study sessions with, well, less-than-optimal sunshine. Last summer, rather than use the technology taxpayers bought for them to broadcast such meetings, a majority of the council voted to not televise these sessions.

Several editorials, recording efforts by this board and an election in the fall finally forced a majority of the council to agree to let the sun shine in.

Unfortunately, such sunshine has yet to reach all corners of St. Cloud government. Based on minutes posted on its Web site and confirmed by executive director Bruce Thielman, the St. Cloud Housing & Redevelopment Authority’s board since at least 2006 has routinely held an untelevised special meeting immediately preceding its televised monthly meetings.

So what’s the thinking of HRA board members? Let all the sun shine in only after they’ve had a chance to discuss issues with the cameras off?

But such actions are nothing compared to what Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s administration wants to do regarding the contact information of people who volunteer to serve on public bodies that conduct the public’s business. The state wants to keep those addresses and contact
information private.

The Worthington Daily Globe cites a recent study showing that “three quarters of American adults view the federal government as secretive” and looks to newspapers to take the lead.

Of course, it should be noted that it’s almost natural to possess a distrust of government. From the Watergate scandal of the Richard Nixon years to the various controversies that encompassed Bill Clinton’s presidency – and now, the recent fall from grace of New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer – it’s easy to feel that we’re not getting told the whole story.

That’s where newspapers come in. It’s their job – whether it’s the Daily Globe or a small community weekly – to be a trusted, objective source of information. It’s their job to keep a measure of the pulse of their coverage areas – reporting the successes, the failures and, yes, the stories that some are sometimes too eager to hide.

The aforementioned survey, which included 1,012 adults, was commissioned by the American Society of Newspaper Editors for Sunshine Week, a national initiative that encourages discussions about the importance of freedom of information. We at the Globe aim to do our part to continuously spark this discussion, for the benefit of our readers and the
communities we serve.

The Back Pages is a recurring roundup of editorial opinions on issues that face Minnesota.

Star Tribune:

This state needs a presidential primary.

Minnesota’s political parties have a legitimate interest in building membership and volunteer rolls, but the caucus system is the wrong way to go about it. For many, caucuses like those held around the state Tuesday night turn the democratic process into an exercise in frustration and inconvenience.

Minnesota Daily:

Two DFL legislators proposed a bill Wednesday that would change the Minnesota caucus into a primary for the next election cycle. The primary would allow citizens to vote throughout the entire day, with an organized and fair voting system providing more accurate and trustworthy results. The GOP wants nothing to do with the bill. Instead, they prefer to have a minority choose a candidate for the majority at the convention.

We support moving Minnesota, one of only 14 states that still caucuses, to a more manageable style of choosing the presidential candidate. For all other purposes, caucusing represents an excellent model of citizen involvement in the political process. Throw a quarter of a million voters into the mix and it just becomes incoherent chaos. We hope the bill gains bipartisan support, making our voting system a cleaner, more respectable process.

Rosemount Town Pages:

It’s hard to say exactly why so many decided to turn out Tuesday. Maybe it was the fact Minnesota was part of the so-called Super Tuesday elections, a date that had been hyped as the make-or-break moment for many Presidential candidates. Maybe it was the fact there are contested races on both sides of the ballot for the first time in a long time. Or maybe people are just more passionate about politics this year.

Whatever the reasons, the at times overwhelming turnout is encouraging. It shows that, for all the concern about people disengaging from the political process, people still care.

Hastings Star-Gazette:

Too many times, voters wait too long to get involved, and we let a select few determine who will be on the ballot in November. This year, residents in Hastings made sure that wasn’t the case.

They got out and had their voices heard. They helped select the candidates that we will be voting for this fall. They turned out in record numbers and they were young, old and middle-aged.

Red Wing Repulican Eagle:

Three cheers for young people in particular, who find themselves engaged, energized and excited about politics. This bodes well for their future and our nation’s.

St. Cloud Times:

In a political era dominated by big money and even bigger voter apathy at the national level, Central Minnesotans helped the state retain its reputation for stellar civic participation by flooding countless caucus sites.

In 2004, the News Tribune ran columns from party nominees Sen. John Kerry and Pres. George Bush. Editor & Publisher delved into the unlikely exclusive and interviewed News Tribune Editorial Page Editor Robin Washington, who said American voters “want to hear from the persons themselves why they should be elected.”

“I’m encouraged that in both cases they didn’t talk about snowmobiling and hunting, which is what Kerry and Bush hit on,” Washington told E&P. Adding, “not that we don’t do those things, but snowmobile and hunting rights just don’t seem like the main issues the next leader of the Free World should be concerned with.”

The campaigns of Gov. Mike Huckabee and Rep. Ron Paul chose not to participate.

Continue reading for excerpts from the candidate’s columns.

Barack Obama: It’s time to stand up for change in Washington

As a Great Lakes senator, I understand the challenges that our region faces. We cannot wait any longer for universal health care, or good jobs, or living wages and pensions we can count on. We cannot wait to fix our schools, reinvest in our infrastructure, halt global warming, or end this war in Iraq.

…

In this election, it is time to stand for change.

This has been our message since the beginning of this campaign. It was our message when we were down and our message when we were up. Because we know that the only way to change this country is from the bottom up. It’s a lesson that is the legacy of a great Minnesotan, Paul Wellstone, who brought new people into the process; pushed back against special interests; stood for principle ahead of politics; and spread a sense of purpose across this country.

…

This election is too important to settle for what we know. That’s why I’m asking you in Northern Minnesota to reach for what we know is possible; to choose the future over the past.

If you vote for me on Tuesday, then you can send the cynics who say we can’t do this a message that we are one people, we are one nation, and our time for change has come; if you stand for change, then together we will begin the next chapter in America’s story with three words that will ring from sea to shining sea: Yes we can.

Hillary Clinton: Experience matters in meeting region’s needs

The fact is, this election isn’t about choosing change over experience. Change comes only with experience. And I’ll bring my experience to make change happen starting on day one.

…

For Minnesotans it is important for you to know that after the Interstate 35W bridge collapse, I unveiled my Rebuild America Plan, which includes establishing a $10 billion Emergency Repair Fund to address the backlog of critical infrastructure repairs and provides $250 million in Emergency Assessments Grants to states to conduct safety reviews of their infrastructure.

We know that investing in our nation’s infrastructure is vital for our safety and our economy. Mining and timber operations require that roads and rails are safe and efficient and that our Great Lakes freighters have clear ports and locks.

I have pledged that as president I will protect and restore the Great Lakes. We need to do this not simply because it is the right thing to do for the environment, but because the economy of this region depends upon our doing so.

But I can’t do these things without you. I need your support. So I am asking you to think about the big challenges ahead. I am asking you to choose the candidate best-prepared to make change happen starting on day one. And I am asking you to caucus for me. Together, we’ll make history.”

John McCain: The nation’s defense requires a strong leader

Special interests have too much influence in Washington, D.C. That will end. Pork-barrel projects have real consequences. Many of our failures in ensuring proper investment in our transportation infrastructure arise because of Congress’ failure to ensure that it is prioritized appropriately. Unfortunately, too often, needed funding is squandered on low-priority projects as a result of wasteful earmarks and pork-barrel spending.

I have also had the honor and privilege of working on a wide range of vital environmental issues, such as global warming, the protection of our national parks and the preservation of natural areas. I believe that the Great Lakes are a national treasure and should be treated accordingly.

…

I am running for president to protect our country from harm and defeat its enemies. I am running for president to restore trust in our government and to ensure it remains worthy of that honor. I am not running to leave our biggest problems to an unluckier generation of leaders, but to fix them now, and fix them well. I am running for president to make sure America maintains its place as the political and economic leader of the world; the country that doesn’t fear change, but makes change work for us; the country that does not look longingly to the past, but aspires to even better days. I am running for president of the United States, a blessed country, a proud country, a hopeful country, the most powerful and prosperous country and the greatest force for good on Earth.

Mitt Romney: Americans deserve a business leader’s experience

Washington is broken. And given the challenges we face, we must act to fix it.

We must start by strengthening our economy because as the national economy changes, it affects every state in the nation.

In January, Minnesotans received some of the worst employment numbers they’ve seen since 2001. This winter, families across Minnesota are facing soaring heating bills and too many are struggling to pay their mortgages. It is time for Washington to act, because Minnesotans cannot afford a recession. Minnesota jobs and homes are at stake if we do not act quickly to stimulate the economy, reduce energy costs, and encourage innovation to help American companies compete with the new economies on the rise in Asia.

…

My promise to the people of Minnesota and to every American across the country is that we will overcome these challenges, fix our economy, protect our shores and our families and remain the hope of the world.

Minnesota Daily: The Case For Sen. John McCain

While we believe the war in Iraq has been a colossal mistake, McCain’s criticism of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s strategy was early and correct, and McCain acknowledges the hard truth
that it isn’t in the United States’ or Iraq’s best interest to withdraw precipitously, leaving the country to chaos and likely genocide.

We are confident that if elected, McCain would be a president for all Americans and, though we do not agree with all his policies, he would be a great deal better than our current president.

Minnesota Daily: A real voice for change

For the past 20 years, two dynasties have controlled American politics. There were good years and years that have tested our national pride and faith in our leaders. Often, we tend to lean toward the familiar. However, we must remember it is in the unfamiliar that we find a fresh perspective of ourselves. The promise of seeing our
country and American politics in a new light is just what Obama brings, and it is just what we need.

Up on the range, The Mesabi Daily News declines to pick a favorite in either of the one-on-one contests in favor of eulogizing the recently suspended candidacy of John Edwards.

Mesabi Daily News: Edwards was an interesting candidate

Edwards was sincere, eloquent and fiery in his new more liberal persona. The 2008 Edwards seemed more real than the 2004 Edwards. And he connected well with a segment of the party that rightfully saw him as someone wanting to fight in public service for the little guy against big corporations – even though his contradictory nature again showed as he is someone who also has benefited quite well from corporate America. In the end, timing – which is so important in politics – was not a friend of Edwards.

One of the more interesting non-endorsements came from the Winona Daily News. Taking plenty of shots at the choices of Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney without mentioning any other candidates, the editorial manages to work Donald Rumsfeld, President Bush, and Sen. John Kerry into the mix.

Winona Daily News: Known knowns and known unknowns

Bless Donald Rumsfeld’s soul. We finally think we know what he’s talking about.

The former U.S. Secretary of Defense’s quotation perfectly summarizes the field of presidential contenders.

As we approach the caucuses and primaries of the Midwest states, we would urge both Democrats and Republicans to look closely at the candidates, do their own research and disregard the amount of cash any candidate has raised.

For example, there’s Democrat Hillary Clinton, who
seems quite willing to say whatever it is she thinks people want to hear. Her voting record is erratic and her campaign tactics seem to get more desperate as races get closer. What we mean is that Hillary Clinton is a politician first and foremost; principles come in a distant second.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune continues to give voice to the inner-conflicted moderate. The state’s largest paper defers its endorsement until October and instead delivers an optimistic–some would say panglossian–assessment that this is shaping up as the best of all possible elections.

Star Tribune: Super Tuesday too important to miss

This newspaper will not declare its preference for president until October, after the intraparty contests are settled and the interparty contest is well underway.

But it’s not too early to voice admiration for much of what has unfolded to date in the presidential sweepstakes. Early-state voters have narrowed both the GOP and Democratic fields to produce two lively contests that bode well for positive change in Washington.

On the Republican side, the comeback of John McCain signals that many GOP voters have grown weary of the wedge issues that George W. Bush and Karl Rove employed for divide-and-conquer politics.

McCain’s reasonable views on immigration and his lack of zealotry on social issues may still hurt him, as Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee come at him from the right. But the Arizona senator’s appeal seems to transcend those hot buttons, drawing instead from more enduring
American notions of what constitutes character and leadership.

For Minnesotans, Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s association with McCain adds to the stakes of the GOP contest. A national role for Pawlenty, long the stuff of political gossip, will begin to seem a realistic possibility
if McCain wins on Tuesday.

The winnowing of the Democratic field to the history-making twosome of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has produced riveting and revealing political theater. Both remaining Democrats offer this nation a welcome departure from both the policies of the last eight years, and the unwritten rule that only a white male can contend for the presidency.

The Back Pages is a weekly roundup of editorial opinions on issues that face Minnesota. Look for it every Monday.

Mankato Free Press: Tax rebates come with a fiscal cost
Its success to bolster the economy will depend on consumers willing to go out and buy a big screen television while knowing their neighbor may be still looking for work. It can be an iffy proposition in an economy that has created at least some uncertainty. But as Sen. Norm Coleman recently told The Free Press, with the low savings rate in the country, he thinks most people will likely spend the money. It’s a needed hope, but one we’re not sure is something to be proud of.

St. Cloud Times: Rebates should help ease debt not be spent
Their plan to put $100 billion into the hands of about 117 million families by June with the overt goal of getting recipients to spend it seems to be an untimely enabler given everything from the nation’s subprime-induced housing crunch to credit-card debts that some card companies say average $6,000 per household.

Continue reading…

Minnesota Daily: Economic stimulus misses the point
The whole premise of the tax rebate method relies on consumers to spend their rebate money, but there is no guarantee that individuals will rush to their nearest retailer. As economic conditions worsen, some will exhibit the type of fiscal responsibility that is lacking in Washington, and they will save their money. Even if every dime is spent, there is no guarantee that it will reverse our economic trend.

If our politicians truly believe that increasing government spending is the best option, then we would be better served with direct investments in public works projects. Needed investments in infrastructure would create jobs and infuse money more directly into the economy.

Star Tribune: Don’t expect miracles from stimulus deal
Prudent economic policy would have built a budgetary cushion during the past six “fat” years. Instead, we built up debt, and any economic stimulus package will heap more of it onto the backs of future taxpayers.

The Back Pages is a weekly roundup of editorial opinions on issues that face Minnesota. Look for it every Monday.