Jude 2

Gore Ducks, as a Backlash Builds Against Biofuels
http://www.nysun.com/news/food-crisis-e ... ate-change

One factor being blamed for the price hikes is the use of government subsidies to promote the use of corn for ethanol production. An estimated 30% of America’s corn crop now goes to fuel, not food.

“I don’t think anybody knows precisely how much ethanol contributes to the run-up in food prices, but the contribution is clearly substantial,” a professor of applied economics and law at the University of Minnesota, C. Ford Runge, said. A study by a Washington think tank, the International Food Policy Research Institute, indicated that between a quarter and a third of the recent hike in commodities prices is attributable to biofuels.

...climate change advocates, such as Vice President Gore, need to distance themselves from ethanol to avoid tarnishing the effort against global warming. “Crop-based biofuels are not part of the solution. They, in fact, add to the problem. Whether Al Gore has caught up with that, somebody ought to ask him,” the professor said. “There are lots of solutions, real solutions to climate change. We need to get to those.”

Mr. Gore was not available for an interview yesterday on the food crisis, according to his spokeswoman.

Biofuel advocates say they are being made a bogeyman for a food crisis that has much more to do with record oil prices, surging demand in the developing world, and unusual weather patterns.

Mr. Hartwig said oil companies and food manufacturers are behind the attempt to undercut ethanol. “There is a concerted misinformation campaign being put out there by those people who are threatened by ethanol’s growing prominence in the marketplace,” he said.

The world's food insecurity

Image: Rigues, Flickr
The severity of today's world food crisis resembles that of the early 1970s. But the role of the financial sector and of global climate change are key differences, writes Paul Rogers for openDemocracy.

By Paul Rogers for openDemocracy 25/04/08

The food crisis is now affecting many countries across the world. Millions of people in dozens of countries are unable to afford the food they need, and malnutrition is on the rise. From Egypt to Indonesia, Haiti to Thailand, and across many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, increasingly vociferous public protests over food prices or shortages have exploded; some governments even fear for their survival (see Marc Lacey, "Across globe, hunger brings rising anger," International Herald Tribune, 18 April 2008).

It could potentially be one of the biggest energy breakthroughs in history – genetically manipulating bacteria to quickly convert anything that grows out of the Earth into oil. But the biggest names in the national media have thus far not provided any coverage of this possible solution to skyrocketing gas prices and America's long-term energy security.

A WND story last month introduced to the nation a new technique where altered bacteria "rapidly digest" everything from grass clippings and wood chips, turning them into hydrocarbons for fuels such as gasoline and diesel. If done on a large scale, it could provide billions of barrels of renewable oil every year.


Naturally occurring bacteria used to convert biomass into hydrocarbons.


One reader, Joe Russo of Fairbanks, Alaska, called it "the biggest story we've seen in a decade, yet the cable and mainstream news networks haven't even picked up on it."

The apparent inattention comes as a big surprise to the agricultural researcher pioneering the process, J.C. Bell, the CEO of Bell Bio-Energy, Inc.

"We've been on several radio stations, but nothing really national," he said. "We haven't talked to anybody. Nobody's called us – nobody from the Associated Press or CNN or Fox News Channel, which kind of surprised us. We thought it would generate something."

Bell gave an overview of his plans today at the U.S. Defense Department's Worldwide Energy Conference & Trade Show in Arlington, Va., where more than 750 Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine, Coast Guard and federal organizations were represented.

"He was very well-received there," said Wesley Cox, owner of WCGA Radio, a news/talk station in St. Simons Island, Ga.

Cox complains, "The mainstream media has been ignoring systematically the facts about energy creation and use, and they've been doing it for years."

one love wrote:Karen I like it you posted a article with some thoughts, much more easier to digest

Karen wrote:It looks like this food shortage is spreading world wide. Does anyone think that this could possible be the beginning of the ride of the 3rd horse in the book of Revelation?