Our reputation abroad is being ruined
By Joliphant Posted in Archived — Comments (23) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Yep and this time we really are at fault.
One of the great sources of pride for our country has been that our farmers fed the world. Almost all the significant advances in agriculture and mass production of food for the past two centuries were either made here or perfected here. The McCormack reaper, the combine harvester, advanced farm management techniques, advanced hybrids, genetic modified food all have made it possible for the world to support untold numbers of people and in general defy the doom predicted by Malthus.
If any one American earned this country goodwill abroad it was the American Farmer. The applicable word being was. Thanks to the greens in their infinite wisdom this work of centuries is now being undone
US responsible for global food crisis.
Data collected by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nation show that the consumption of cereals (wheat, rice, maize, corn and so on) is growing far more rapidly in the US than in India or China. According to a global food market report put out by the FAO, the consumption of cereals by India is projected to have grown 2.17 per cent from 193.1 million tonnes in 2006-07 to 197.3 million tonnes in 2007-08, while that in China has risen 1.8 per cent from 382.2 million tonnes to 389.1 million tonnes.
Now just what is driving increased demand in the U.S. ? Is everybody having an extra bun with their cheeseburger ? Nope it seems that extra 30 million tons of grain went to make biofuel.
With crude oil prices rising to over $115 a barrel, the US is learnt to have utilised 30 million tonnes of corn to make bio-fuel. The FAO data show that the usage of corn in the US to make bio-fuel increased two-and-a-half times between 2000 and 2006
That’s right we are burning grain so we can starve the world. And, Yes this time we are responsible. We are responsible because we let our politicians pander to a fringe of nutcases. Nutcases whose only qualification to argue for a policy is that they have too much time on their hands and a great resentment of our society.
Like most schemes of the greens biofuels has been a truly ill wind. It has done nothing to cut down on our use of conventional fuels, we have actually increased our environmental damage (Biofuels take over a century to become carbon neutral because of the land clearing to create them. In addition, there is the run off from fertilizers and decrease in species diversity from monoculture.). And we are starving out the world.
Good job GREENS good job.
If you don't see the down side of using fuel to turn corn into less fuel so you can spend more to fill up well I just don't know.
BTW I applaud your choice of the green car. Compared to a prius over its lifetime a Hummer does much less environmental damage.
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
http://www.redstate.com/blogs/joliphant/2007/mar/20/ive_decided_to_go_gr...
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
I got mine, and you can't have yours.
Spot on analysis, Joliphant.
www.fairtax.org
Sick of Government Expansion? libertarian-Minded Republican? Check This Out... Republican Liberty Caucus!!!
www.rlc.org http://www.republicanliberty.org/
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity
Add in the fact that all those extra center pivot systems are bleeding the aquifer that my family's farm sits on top of dry, and the situation gets that much worse. There is pasture land in Western Kansas that has never been anything but pastureland since time began that has been put under center pivot irrigation. It makes me sick!
Tim Schieferecke
When in doubt, blame America first. Just because the price of corn has gone up doesn't explain why so many other agriculture products have gone up so much too. The real answer is that india and china are consuming more of food, oil, and other resources. Each of those countries has a billion people. Hmmm, I wonder why there is a shortage.
but when farmers jump on the ethanol subsidy gravy train, the supplies of all the other grains and vegetables that they used to grow decreases. And, as in Tim Schieferecke's case, when they start farming on pastures, the supply of meat decreases as well. It was considered a major advance when we stopped running our vehicles on food about a hundred years ago.
I realize that when they switch to corn, the other supplies decrease. However I don't think that alone accounts for the ridiculous price increases in all the other grains and vegetables.
I seems that you are against the ethanol subsidy; I am also (I am against using corn for ethanol, I think switch grass is better). The way I see it is that we are treading one subsidy for another. When you say that we can't feed the world because of ethanol subsidy you may be on the something. But isn't USAID a subsidy also, it may be a more moral subsidy but it is still a subsidy?
They are all driving brand new pickups in Davenport Iowa, and I am paying $10 for a six pack of beer. Maybe I should plant some corn in my backyard?
__________________________________________________________
Molon Labe!
You're absolutely spot on morbie, but around here, bashing ethanol is more of a passion than, well, several comparators come to mind, none of them printable in the family office. The whole world is going through some very serious growing pains, from animal feed to zinc. Everything is in new demand in a very big way.
But never mind any of that. It's all ethanol's fault.
(Did you hear, we evil ones in the industry just inked a contract for the 2009 hurricane season. That's our fault now too!!!!)
When is the Ethanol industry going wean itsel from food crops and federal subsidies? Glad to hear about your big contract. How much is that costing us? The US taxpayers, I mean.
FTR, I made a passing nod to growing world demand in my comment. Since that demand is growing, shouldn't your industry be able to name your price and stand on your own?
And no, I don't think you're evil...just using a bad business model
Other ag products- cattle, hogs, chickens, sheep, goats, all eat corn. When acreage is taken out of wheat, hay, oats, barley whatever production, the price of these commodities goes up too. That's simple suppy and demand. If it weren't for the artificial subsidy that the gov't gives to the production of ethanol, this food problem would not occur. Joliphant did not "blame America first". Joliphant pointed out a truth. The actions of our elected officials resulted in this shortage. They can be blamed. I sure hope farmers thinking of investing in irrigation systems will reconsider. This fairy tale will not last. I don't want to see them lose their shirts and farms because of some artificial pollyannish fantasy that this will last.
Tim Schieferecke
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
The government subsidies that make Ethanol marketable are NOT just the result of a few finge Greenies. They've been enthusiastically aided and abetted by an unholy alliance of farmers, argibusinesses, and processors ("This famine is brought to you by Cargil and ADM")
I live in the heartland, and let me tell you, corn is king around here. Any politician who hasn't completely imbibed the biofuel koolaid might as well stay home. Having a running mate who didn't know what E86 was basically cost the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota the election, and the winner of that race, who's being talked about as a possible running mate for McCain, has gone completely around the bend on green energy. Anyone who wants to be more than a statistical blip in the Iowa caucuses had better treat ethanol as gift from God.
Corn farmers have seen thier profits double in the last two years and STILL want a big farm subsidy bill. So if they end up going belly up because they were knowing accomplises to a worldwide fraud, I won't shed a tear for them
_______________________________________________
"You can't save the Earth unless you're willing to make other people sacrifice" - Scott Adams (speaking through Dogbert)
HTML Help for Red Staters
"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
Perhaps we can trade food for oil. Maybe the oil cartel is profiting from the rapid increase in demand for oil, but maybe the unintended consequence is that their people will have to pay more for food?
Of course we really don't need any more ethanol than we can safety drink,
Both the oil price and the food price will eventually work themselves out, especially if the government/big agriculture stops trying to force a certain outcome.
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity
I can't lay this entirely on the fringe environmentalists. Originally many pushed for increased ethanol usage, but the tide has turned within the environmental movement against ethanol. Most environmentalists are very much against the use of corn-based ethanol these days. Farmers and agribusiness have played a large role pushing for large ethanol subsidies. The incessant pandering to corn producers by politicians is what's hurting us.
"Originally many pushed for increased ethanol usage"
Yep there are also environmentalists changing their attitudes on nuclear power. It hardly matters they are still nothing but a stalking horse for those with real agendas. Give a call when they stop being against drilling for oil.
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
Apparently, the Dept of Agriculture not only expect more of our corn crop to be diverted from food to fuel, but they expect a smaller corn crop this year. A 7% drop in corn production seems to be the plan of farmers.
Supposedly, they're switching to Soybeans. Why are they switching to soybeans?
http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/47750/story.htm
"Always be honest with yourself. Even if you are honest with no one else."
--me
...especially when demand is artificially induced by governmental meddling. However, this "we are starving the world" argument is specious. We don't owe the world our grain crop. We sell it because there's a market for it. Less supply, equal or greater demand = higher prices. I don't see the world blasting on OPEC for jacking up oil prices - they're more responsible for the situation than we are - there would be no demand for biofuels if the commodity they are selling wasn't skyrocketing.
But actually, we could peg the whole thing back on the Democrytes, since they won't permit more drilling and exploration because a few gulls might get oily...
The Unofficial RedState FAQ
“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say. ” - Martin Luther
and the only downside is starving some third world poor people who don't contribute anything anyway.
I think I missed what the problem is...
____
CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.