So I wrote my congresswoman about my issues with ethanol mandates and subsidies. Here is her response (what a joke!!). I have no idea what her position is:
I am pleased to learn your views on this issue and appreciate the opportunity to share mine.
Attempts to replace fossil fuels in our transportation system have been motivated by climate change, our dependence on foreign oil, and a desire to increase economic activity in the United States. Renewable biofuels provide an alternative to petroleum in the U.S. transportation sector, but they have historically been more expensive to produce. Starting in the late 1970s, Congress made biofuels, especially corn-based ethanol, more competitive through tax credits, import tariffs, and mandatory blending with petroleum fuels.
Environmental advocates, representatives of the livestock industry, and critics of farm subsidies in general were concerned about extending these provisions and continuing to promote non-cellulosic ethanol production. Critics argued that corn-based ethanol, which dominates U.S. biofuel production, drives up world food prices while distorting energy markets at great cost to American taxpayers. In 2009, direct federal support for biofuel production was estimated between $6 and $8 billion, raising concerns about its long-term financial sustainability. Some environmentalists also dispute corn-based ethanol's ecological benefits, arguing that producing fuel from corn may only slightly decrease, or even increase, lifecycle carbon emissions, while diverting research funding away from other renewable energy sources.
Certain ethanol provisions, including tax credits for non-cellulosic ethanol and an import duty on foreign fuel ethanol, expired at the end of 2011. In the 113th Congress, we must continue to confront our nation's fiscal challenges by eliminating unnecessary or ineffective government programs and working toward a simpler tax code. We also need a realistic framework for advancing America's long-term energy security and economic interests, similar to the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which I supported in the 111th Congress. That legislation would have promoted America's energy security, encouraged the creation of 21st century jobs, reduced global warming emissions by 83 percent by 2050, and created a renewable energy standard of 17 percent by 2020. We must pursue a wide range of actions to ease our dependence on foreign oil and reduce carbon emissions, but we must also balance the risks and hazards of each approach.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on this important issue, and know that I will keep your views in mind as Congress considers legislation related to ethanol and clean energy.
