The Website AgricultureOnline is reporting that House Ag Committee Chair Collin Peterson is angry that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a framework for assessing the greenhouse-gas footprint of ethanol. The Minnesota Democrat (left)…

They say that politics makes strange bedfellows and that is definitely the case with the “American Clean Energy and Security Act” passed last week by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Both agricultural and environmental groups, Democrats and Republicans, have all lined up to criticize the legislation that claims it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 83 percent over the next 40 years.

A coalition of environmental groups that includes Greenpeace USA and Friends of the Earth, issued a statement that reads, in part, “the decision-making process was co-opted by oil and coal lobbyists determined to sustain our addiction to dirty fossil fuels, even as the country stands ready to rebuild our economy and clean up the environment with real clean energy. The resulting bill reflects the triumph of politics over science, and the triumph of industry influence over the public interest.”

Agricultural groups voicing opposition include the American Farm Bureau, National Corn Growers, National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, United Egg Producers and the Fertilizer Institute.

House Agriculture Committee Chair Collin Peterson (D-MN) has voiced his strong opposition to the bill and indicated last week that he has enough votes, both Democrat and Republican, to defeat the legislation. Republican lawmakers are also opposed to the bill. Congressman Joe Barton of Texas, top Republican on the House committee, threatened to have the 1000-plus page bill read in full to slow action on the legislation. He backed down on that threat, but committee chairman Henry Waxman – the bill’s co-author – hired a speed reader just in case. (Funny video of that on YouTube is worth watching.)

So, the question is, does anyone besides the bill’s authors actually like this piece of legislation?

Our friends at Farm Foundation are always looking for answers to the challenges facing farmers around the world. And part of that search includes bringing in diverse points of view to make sure that real solutions are found. That’s why the Foundation has issued its 30-Year Challenge Competition.

Farm Foundation officials are handing out $20,000 in cash prizes for the best ideas to address the challenges agriculture may face in providing food, feed, fiber and fuel over the next 30 years. But you need to get your ideas in by close of business Monday, June 1:

The competition is open to anyone with an interest in the public policy issues outlined in the Foundation’s report, The 30-Year Challenge: Agriculture’s Strategic Role in Feeding and Fueling a Growing World. That report discusses challenges in six areas: global financial markets and recession; global food security; global energy security; climate change; competition for natural resources; and global economic development.

“We encourage all segments of the food system–from producers to consumers–to contribute entries with their ideas and proposals,” says Farm Foundation President Neil Conklin. “Agriculture and the food system today face diverse and complex issues. Farm Foundation believes that without a civil and broad-reaching discussion respectful of all stakeholders opinions, we will be unable to develop the policies that agriculture and the food system need to deal with the challenges before us.”

Entries can be submitted that address issues in one of the six challenge areas, or multiple areas. For each of the six challenge areas, judging will be done by an independent three-member panel selected by Farm Foundation. Prize winners will be announced in September 2009.

More details about the 30-Year Challenge is available on the Farm Foundation Web site.

The 30-Year Challenge project is directed and led by Farm Foundation. Contributing financial assistance to the project are: the Alliance for Abundant Food and Energy, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Corn Growers Association, the National Pork Producers Council, and the United Egg Producers.