http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5561/t/3969/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2359

Iran, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela - empowered by oil, but finally we can make a difference‏

Oil and gas provide Iran with 80% of its export earnings and more than half of its the government revenue. The situation is identical in Iran's ally Venezuela.  And, it is even more extreme in Saudi Arabia where oil provides 90% of export earnings and 70% of government revenues.  It is oil that empowers these and many other repressive regimes.

But now there finally is an opportunity for the U.S. to reduce our dependence on imported oil:  If you read my last email, you know that EPA reported in May that there will be a surplus of biofuels in the U.S. beginning in 2012.  Now U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has proposed that those biofuels be put to good use, by requiring that every new car sold in the future be able to use a blend of fuel containing 85% ethanol ("E85").  These cars, so-called  "flexible fuel vehicles," or "FFV's" are already being sold in limited quantity and there are more than a million on the road.  They are so similar to regular cars which use a blend of fuel containing no moe than 10% ethanol ("E10") that FFV's cost only $100 more to build, and they are so indistinguishable, that you may already be driving one and don't even know it.  The climate bill that the U.S. House of Representatives just passed contains a provision permitting Secretary Chu to impose such a requirement on auto makers.  So, if the Senate takes a similar stand, we could make real progress ending America's dependence on foreign oil.

Here's how you can make a difference:

Senator Sam Brownback (R-OK), supported by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), and John Thune (R-SD), has introduced S835, The Open Fuel Standards bill, which would mandate that beginning in 2012, 50% of new cars be able use E85, M85 or biodiesel and that 80% of new cars have this capability beginning in 2015.   We need to build sufficient support from other Senators so that the Senate Commerce Committee and Senate leadership will take action on this issue, joining with Secretary Chu and the House of Representatives to support this essential tool for getting the U.S. off of foreign oil.

Please take action by writing your Senators today, to urge them to cosponsor S835.  To do so conveniently, just click on the blue button below.

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 http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5561/t/3969/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2359

P.S.:  If you need to know more about S835, you can find the full text at www.thomas.gov.

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It’s time that we organize to end the bickering and finger-pointing on energy in Washington and demand that our elected representatives get together behind America’s Energy Freedom Plan​ (just click on the link at the left to read about the Plan). Sign up here to make your voice heard and add your name to the roster of members of Americans United for Energy Independence (membership is free of charge for founding members). We will automatically send this message (feel free to add your own words) to Congress on your behalf.

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