The Congressional Research Service's March 2007 report on biofuels (http://collinpeterson.house.gov/PDF/ethanol.pdf) and the Clean Cities, August 2007 Fact Sheet (http://www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/pdfs/41834.pdf) reveal some alarming facts and a lot of good information.

Clean Cities is a program of the Department of Energy, which was launched in 1993 in response to the Energy Policy Act of 1992. This program's primary mission is to "displace petroleum" and they are avidly promoting corn ethanol. Our tax dollars are being distributed through this program. There are almost 90 groups across the country who have become Clean Cities Coalitions including Clean Fuels Ohio. They are granted a 501 (3) c nonprofit status making donations to the organization tax deductable. This program was never set up as a response to either peak oil/gas or global warming - there was little awareness in Washington in 1992 of either problem.

According to the Congressional Research Service report, the "total annual U.S. ethanol production capacity in existence or under construction as of February 2, 2007, was 11.7 billion gallons. This production capacity is well in excess of the 7.5 billion gallon supply required in 2012 by the Renewable Fuel Standard (Energy Policy Act of 2005 [P.L. 109-58])." That is 4.2 billion gallons annually MORE than Congress mandated.

And according to the Clean Cities Fact Sheet, their goal is to displace 2.5 billion gallons of petroleum annually by 2020. That goal has already been exceeded by 368% - 13 years before their target.

Last year we subsidized the corn industry (and related government programs and trade organizations) with $6 billion. The Congressional Research Service found that corn ethanol for most of 2006 was profitable, making these subsidies unnecessary. We are depleting our soil and contaminating our water for this corn frenzy and there is no end in sight as long as subsidies are available. When you realize that the Ohio Corn Marketing Program gets $$$ from each bushel sold (check-off program), you begin to realize the more corn sold the more $$$ they receive to promote corn ethanol.

There is no mechanism in place, as the above figures reveal, to put the brakes on corn ethanol production.

If we want to reduce food miles and move toward sustainable agriculture, we have to STOP Congress from the continuation of corn subsidies. In Washington they are currently working on melding the House and the Senate's versions of what will become the 2007 Farm Bill. Now is the time to contact our Senators and Representatives and request that they

* Discontinue corn subsidies and tax credits - biofuels are not the answer and corn ethanol is bankruptring the soil for our children's future
* Allocate monies to reestablish our passenger rail system - Amtrak
* As we are currently engaged in deficit spending, we should ask that they stop funding programs that have achieved their goals, such as the Clean Cities Program (who has exceeded their goal by 368%)
* Remind them that they represent the interests of Ohio citizens - not corporations like ADM or any other corn industry lobbyist

They are more apt to listen to a polite and respectfully expressed message, I have been told. Contact information:

Senator George Voinovich
Phone: 202-224-3353
Fax: 202-228-1382

Senator Sherrod Brown
Phone: 202-224-2315
Fax: 202-228-6321

Representative Patrick J. Tiberi
Phone: 202-225-5355
Fax: 202-226-4523

Representative Deborah Pryce
Phone: 202-225-2015
Fax: 202-225-3529

If your representative is not listed, you can locate his/hers contact information at: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

This could be a really important call, as groups like 25x25 are currently lobbying very hard to expand federal subsidies and corn ethanol production. The current rise in the cost of food is one of the many "unintended" but predicted consequences of the rapid expansion of corn ethanol production. And, the Greek Islands are a good example of crop subsidies contributing to soil depletion.
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100010_04/02/2006...

Anita Laurin, Coordinator
Central Ohio Relocalization Effort