Canadian Renewable Fuels Association

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The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) is a non-profit organization in Canada, created in 1993. Its purpose is to "promote renewable fuels for transportation through consumer awareness and government liaison activities", and its membership includes "representatives from all levels of the ethanol and biodiesel industry".[1]

The CRFA is led by Kory Teneycke, a former activist with the Reform Party of Canada, and a veteran of the Conservative Party of Canada's war room for the 2006 federal election. One of the CRFA's registered lobbyists is Ken Boessenkool, a confidant of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

In 2007, the CRFA began running television advertisements promoting a Conservative Party pledge on renewable fuels, and featuring an appearance from Conservative Party candidate Peter Kent. A 2007 newspaper article described the CRFA as having "a vital interest in Conservative tax and environmental policies".[1]

The television advertisements have been derided as having marginally accurate, and somewhat misleading information. For example, the advertisements suggest that Canada is a net importer of oil, when, in fact, Canada is a significant exporter of oil and gas. The advertisements further suggest that a SUV driver who uses ethanol is being environmentally friendly, despite the growing criticisms of ethanol's energy balance, and the unavailability of ethanol in the Canadian marketplace (thus making an ethanol fuelled SUV impossible for Canadian drivers to obtain).[citation needed]

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[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Bruce Cheadle, "Harper slammed as 'hypocrite' over lawyer lobbyist", Canadian Press, 8 March 2007, accessed 24 March 2007.