American Bird Conservancy * Center for Biological Diversity * Clean Air Task Force Clean Water Action * Defenders of Wildlife * Environment America * Environmental Working Group * Environmental Defense Fund * Earthjustice * Ecology Center * Friends of the Earth * League of Conservation Voters * National Audubon Society * National Wildlife Federation * Natural Resources Defense Council * The Nature Conservancy * Pew Environment Group * Southern Alliance for Clean Energy * Southern Environmental Law Center * The Wilderness Society * Union of Concerned Scientists
Representative David R. Obey
2314 House Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
Representative Jerry Lewis
2112 House Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
June 18, 2009
Dear Representative,
On behalf of our millions of members and activists, we strongly urge you to oppose the Emerson Amendment (#019) and any other attempts to sidestep the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) process to assess the full lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels (including emissions from indirect land-use change). The Emerson Amendment is a backdoor attempt to prevent EPA from conducting this analysis and would stop the use of solid scientific analysis to guide biofuels policy. The Emerson Amendment undermines sound science. We urge you to oppose this amendment and allow EPA to move forward with its peer-reviewed scientific process.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) mandated a massive ramp up in the production of biofuels and required that these biofuels perform better than gasoline on a full lifecycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions. This analysis included emissions from indirect land-use change. Scientific research continues to demonstrate that biofuel policies, like the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), would accelerate global warming if the policy shifts farmland or forests from food and fiber production to biofuels feedstock production.
While agriculture and forestry are poised to be leaders in sustainable climate solutions, to realize this opportunity we need policies built on sound science. Science supports the inclusion of indirect land-use change in the assessment of biofuels. The Emerson Amendment would prevent EPA from completing its ongoing scientific review process on indirect land-use emissions from biofuels. Instead of blocking sound science, rigorous analysis is needed to encourage the production of biofuels that reduce global warming pollution on a full lifecycle basis. This amendment prejudges the science and ignores greenhouse gas emissions that result from clearing native grasslands and forests due to biofuels production. This could undermine the nation’s efforts to reduce global warming pollution, since biofuels with higher emissions than petroleum would still qualify for the RFS.
Our organizations strongly oppose any provision that would prevent EPA from conducting a full lifecycle assessment of the greenhouse gas emission standards from biofuels in the Renewable Fuels Standard. The EPA is currently using the best available science to implement the RFS and is evaluating the impacts of biofuels in an open and transparent way. That process should be respected and allowed to proceed to completion. Stopping this process weakens the global warming standards and is an affront to the best and most recent science available. We ask that you oppose the Emerson Amendment and any other provision that would block EPA from implementing a full greenhouse gas lifecycle analysis of biofuels.
Sincerely,
| Darin C. Schroeder Vice President of Conservation Advocacy American Bird Conservancy |
Tiernen Sittenfeld Legislative Director League of Conservation Voters |
| Bill Snape Senior Counsel Center for Biological Diversity |
Mike Daulton Legislative Director National Audubon Society |
| Jonathan Lewis Attorney Clean Air Task Force |
Julie M. Sibbing Director, Global Warming, Agriculture & Wildlife National Wildlife Federation |
| Lynn Thorp National Campaigns Coordinator Clean Water Action |
Franz Matzner Acting Legislative Director Natural Resources Defense Council |
| Mary Beth Beetham Director of Legislative Affairs Defenders of Wildlife |
Robert Bendick Director of US Government Relations The Nature Conservancy |
| Anna Aurilio Washington DC Office Director Environment America |
Karen Steuer Director, Government Operations Pew Environment Group |
| Elizabeth Thompson Legislative Director Environmental Defense Fund |
Anne Blair Program Manager, Clean Diesel & Bioenergy Southern Alliance for Clean Energy |
| Sandra Schubert, JD, MA Director of Government Affairs Environmental Working Group |
Nat Mund Legislative Director Southern Environmental Law Center |
| Martin Hayden Vice President of Policy and Legislation Earthjustice | Michelle Robinson Director, Clean Vehicles Program Union of Concerned Scientists |
| Charles Griffith Clean Car Campaign Director Ecology Center |
David Moulton Director, Climate Policy & Conservation Funding The Wilderness Society |
| Erich Pica Director of Domestic Programs Friends of the Earth |
Individuals Michael O'Hare, Prof. of Public Policy Goldman School of Public Policy Affiliate, Energy & Resources Group University of California - Berkeley |
CC: House Appropriations Committee