The great biofuel fraud

[Revelator]

I'm not very conspiracy minded but this is an interesting article about how bio-ethanol and other biofuels will displace food grains, dramatically increase food prices and profit big oil.

Reserve stocks [the measure of food security in event of drought or harvest failure] of all grains fell at the end of 2006 to 57 days of consumption, the lowest level since 1972.

Perhaps this will help "fuel" the famines of the last days...

Page 1 (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/IH01Dj01.html)

page 2 (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/IH01Dj02.html)

[Galoutofdixie]

Bio-fuels concern me. I like the idea of bio-fuels but I do beleive it will cause the cost of food to rise.. quite a bit.

Also, the fresh water to irrigate these crops. Just saw a disturbing News slot last night about the water levels of the Great Lakes falling dramatically the last few yrs, do to extra hot Summers and unusually low snow and ice.

They were showing a marina on Lk. Superior, where they were having to dredge to keep the boats from being high and dry. The water on the shoreline had receeded a lot, and the big ships were not able to dock and unload there cargo in many of the usual places because of low water. The fact that the US gets most of it's fresh water from the Great Lakes, and they are dropping is a great cause for concern.

The problem of crops being grown for bio-fuels is that I beleive fresh, sweet water is too precious to be used for irrigation for fuel. It will not only cause the price of food to rise, but will cause much ground water contamination due to the pollution of the fertilizer and pesticides used to grow these fuel crops.

And, unless they plan on putting more land into cultivation for these bio-fuels, they will have to decide whether to grow crops for food, or for fuel.

I'm not particularly a hard core envriomentalist, but these are just some of my thoughts. :scratch

[JoyGirl]

I know there has been a lot of talk about all of this, however my parents farm over 3,000 acres of corn and soybeans and use no irrigation. They just pray for rain. No rain= no crops. Lucky for them we have had rain when we need it and dry spells as well. And another thing most of the corn they raise is called waxy corn and really not used in food products. A lot of people do not understand that field corn is not sweet corn that you eat. It can be ground for meal but it is not the same thing that comes in a can.

[HSmomto4]

All I know is that food prices are jumping and they say the corn is to blame.

[humblebleu]

I have a friend that is a Chemical Engineer and his specific area of study is alternative fuels. He claims that Bio-fuels and alternative fuels are a lost cause. He doesn't think it will get off the ground.

[icebear]

yeah, there's sweet corn, dent corn and some other types...

what exactly is used for fuel making? i just assumed it was kind of the field corn by-product- unfit for human consumption and the stuff that purina , ol'roy and science diet won't even use for pet food.

i havn't looked into it much (obviously)

[HeXp£Øi±]

The government is supported by big business. Therefor any fuel the government subsidizes is going to be expensive. The government will always subsidize these fuels over nuclear, solar and other forms of cheap energy because there is more money to be made.
It's no more complicated then that.

[Brick]

I don't know any farmers personally, but I have been lead to believe that it is increasingly more difficult to make a living as a farmer. I've also heard that the increasing prices we pay at the grocery store don't necessarily trickle down to the farmer. If stuff like that is true then I can easily see how a farmer would swap to a crop where he can finally make some money after all that's why he farms, he wants to make money. The unfortunate side effect of a decrease in the food supply isn't the individual farmer's concern he's making money.

Stuff like this and the looming shadow over the Dollar are making me wonder if we're not starting to see the dark side of capitalism. Does this mean that we ought to look to socialism, communism or some other sort of ism? Not in my opinion. I don't think they're gonna work any better cause I'll bet good money that they all overlook the fundamental problem that man is fallen and sinful and thus the weak link.

[ddg1263]

I know I would MUCH rather be able to eat then be able to drive my SUV!!!

[frodo82801]

ADM is a huge player in this market. The really push the biofuel.

Gasoline is a very, very efficient fuel source. Nothing we've come up with comes close. But we're still trying.

Garbage into gas, anyone?
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/873aae7bf86c0110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html