I really shouldn't find this funny, since it pains me as much as it pains everyone else. But here goes... The price of wheat has increased nearly 2.5x over the past 12 months. Why? Interesting question. It seems farmers are growing more corn these days. This is due to the rising demand of alternate fuels, namely Ethanol. Ethanol is viewed by some as a godsend. It's better for the environment (and it USED to be cheaper than gas).
It didn't take me long to find out that, as I had expected, Ethanol actually leaves a LARGER carbon footprint than gasoline. One of the largest carbon emissions in the world is due to deforestation. And yes, to grow more crops we'll need to cut down more trees. Obviously the rainforest is the first to go.
My main sense of joy comes from the ironic fact that the environmentalists against these big oil companies are completely misled. We need energy, that will never change. Isn't it better to get it from beneath the earth's surface, where you can gain access to a 10,000 acre field that's several meters thick just by drilling a 9-inch hole, rather than cutting down 10,000 acres of trees and planting on it for the next 100 years?
In the meantime, I'm stuck paying three bucks for a loaf of bread. Thanks guys, you're really helping the situation.
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4 comments:
Ahahahahahaha!
They have developed a new technology that uses corn husks to produce ethanol. This is supposed to reduce the demand on the food supply. It is a Canadian tech, though I am not sure where the first operational plant will be built.
Thats a good plan to help, but it could never really meet demand (obviously). Another good idea was capturing gas emitted by our decaying landfills, which they are currently doing in limited regions.
It's going toward reducing our WASTE. After all, 95% of the energy used in driving is used to move the vehicle itself. Ridiculous (but of course I want a Hummer).
One day, I was looking through pictures of Dexter in the 1800's, and it struck me how the use of horses, requiring hay, had deforested the town. Horses, and wood-burning stoves, were turning Maine into a desert, until petroleum came to the rescue! I was taught that the internal combustion engine was the great enemy of nature, but at that moment, I saw that the internal combustion engine was actually its savior!
Reality is always more complicated than the moralists say.
Dad
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