cheapseats

True enough.

But there is NO REASON to use corn for biofuel, on the contrary. Because corn requires a starch-to-sugar conversion that isn't necessary with sugar beets and sugar cane...read that, using corn is less efficient and more expensive...SOMEONE must be driving use of corn.

Which is ABSOLUTELY fucking with the price of food.

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Refuge51

We have one of the largest ethanol plants in the country, and hardly anyone here buys gas with ethanol. Mostly because it fucks up your carburetor. I buy reg. unleaded for a higher price along with just about everyone else.

As for corn being used for food, how long has America been consuming corn syrups and high fructose corn syrup?

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I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.
~George McGovern~

cheapseats

World consumption of corn is hardly restricted to syrups. Tortilla chips, anyone?

Corn is a basic grain for feeding the world.

Corn is a basic grain for feeding the animals that feed the world.

If you triple the price of corn, world food prices are dramatically impacted.

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Refuge51

High fructose corn syrup is in everything; catsup, packaged goods, breads, drinks, even some processed meats, it's not just exclusively in syrup.Accidental Hedonist - Foods and Products Containing High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
So you're right, world food prices are dramatically impacted when the price of corn triples.

And to add...potatoes are being considered the food to feed the people of the world due to its nutritional value, whereas many people and especially children are at risk of allergens due to corn.

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I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.
~George McGovern~

Jonesy

Growing your own food is more of a long-term solution. Shrinking our bodies is definitely long-term.

I have 15 vision in one of my eyes and i'm far-sighted.

Refuge51

Forgot the link:Potatoes to Feed a Hungry World
excerpt:As food prices continue to soar in the wake of bio fuels and increasing gas prices, potatoes have taken their place in offsetting this economic strain.

Rice, wheat, and corn have all gone up in price, causing poor countries to flinch at the rising costs and pull back from purchasing as much as before. So many have begun to think up a new way to handle the situation by switching over to a much more economically and environmentally friendly substitute—the potato.

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I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.
~George McGovern~

Refuge51

Just reading about the potato famine in Ireland and this one paragraph really sounded so familiar to me especially now during this administration.
"The Extension Act of 1847 indicated that the government believed that the famine was over, and this view was not reversed in the light of the crop failure of 1848. This premature decision no doubt contributed to the deaths that continued to occur in both the winters of 1847-48 and 1848-49. During the famine, total relief expenditure was £8 million by the government, £7 million from Irish taxes and well over £1 million from landlords [1]. This still only amounted to 2 to 3% of the total government expenditure during those years, and academics argue over whether, given the UK's poor financial state at the time, any more could have been spent. Nevertheless, this value of 2-3% does seem anomalous given that the government found £100 million to spend on a war with Turkey."
link:The Great Famine in Ireland

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I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.
~George McGovern~

Marie

The best source of energy is the sun. With the proper technology it can be used for almost everything if not everything - even cars.

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Richterscale

This isn't just about world hunger anymore. Rationing is happening right here in the good 'ole U.S.A.

Noted Here

And Here

And if in the effort to solve one problem, we create an even bigger one, don't you think it might be a good idea to reevaluate and look for another solution?

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Google Sibel Edmonds

"How many people died from the Kama Sutra as opposed to the Bible? Who wins?" - Frank Zappa

Ptech

XAV

I understand what you're saying. I thought exactly the same thing until recently.

Now it seems counterproductive to do this ethanol thing from living plants.

Edible plants.

Making corn more valuable has increased the costs of many of the foods we commonly eat.

What's the big deal about saving a wee tiny bit on the gas thing, while having the necessities of life become more expensive?