For thirty years, Congress has subsidized the production of corn ethanol. Biofuel producers have already received $5.4 billion in tax credits this year. Now Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) introduced a bill that would extend these credits for five years and cost taxpayers $31 billion.

The 2007 energy bill mandated that biofuels would have a market for 15 billion gallons. With this guaranteed market, biofuel producers don't need additional tax credits.

Despite what the industry says, biofuels are dirty and unsustainable. The production of corn ethanol requires petroleum-based fertilizer and pesticides, leads to the destruction of forests and topsoil and raises the cost of food.

The United States can't afford to pay polluters. Tell your members of Congress to vote against the ethanol tax credit extension.

Dear [Decision Maker],

I am writing today to encourage you to vote against Rep. Earl Pomeroy's (D-N.D.) bill to extend subsidies to corn ethanol producers.

[Your comment will be inserted here]

While I would welcome the development of a biofuel that is sustainable and energy efficient, large scale agro-fuels that are currently in use, including corn ethanol, have proven to be ecologically unsustainable and inefficient.

Biofuels are not a fledgling industry: last fall the biofuel industry celebrated 30 years of subsidization. Yet, the industry continues to receive significant taxpayer funds from the Renewable Fuel Standards Mandate that created a fixed demand for biofuel and tax credits for ethanol producers. Now, Rep. Pomeroy wants to extend unnecessary tax credits another five years.

The cost of extending the tax credits for corn ethanol would be more than $31 billion dollars, with practically no impact on ethanol production. The subsidy is incredibly wasteful: we're paying the oil industry to do what they're already required to do by law resulting in billions in wasted taxpayer dollars.

Moreover, these tax credits are not tied to any sort of environmental performance standards. This means that even the most ecologically destructive biofuels, such as corn ethanol, are receiving immense funding despite their poor ecological performance. Meanwhile, precious dollars that could be devoted to truly sustainable energy production and transportation solutions are wasted on these outdated and ecologically harmful technologies.

Please, vote NO on extending the corn ethanol tax credits.

Sincerely,
[Your name here]