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Science Forum Index » Energy Forum » Biofuels not to blame for high food costs
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| habshi |
 Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:16 pm |
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Corn in USA and sugar cane in Brazil were never export food
crops. Wheat and rice are not being turned into fuel and the USA is
exporting more than ever.
The problem is that oil is running out and so getting pricier
and that is what is driving up food costs. In fact if as some say
biofuels are energy positive they might even be lowering fuel prices
by providing more energy and so lowering relatively the food costs. |
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| Bob Eld |
| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:41 pm |
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"habshi" <habshi@anony.com> wrote in message
news:4818fcd2.6429859@news.clara.net...
Quote: Corn in USA and sugar cane in Brazil were never export food
crops. Wheat and rice are not being turned into fuel and the USA is
exporting more than ever.
The problem is that oil is running out and so getting pricier
and that is what is driving up food costs. In fact if as some say
biofuels are energy positive they might even be lowering fuel prices
by providing more energy and so lowering relatively the food costs.
Biofuels are a positive force and do help in a very small way to hold
petroleum speculation down, a very small way. Corn ethanol has been blamed
for all kinds of imagined ills from food price increases to starvation in
Africa and everything in between. Ninety nine per cent of that is crap.
Clearly corn has nothing to do with rice they are not grown on the same land
and rice is not used for fuel. The connection is tenuous at best.
However, food is heavily speculated on by investors these days. This
speculation has run prices higher than they would otherwise be and has
caused shortages in some sectors especially in poor importing countries. In
fact speculations is the biggest single reason for food, petroleum, metals
and other commodity increases in recent months. Of course the declining
value of the dollar makes these commodities ripe for speculation.
To the extent that speculation is driven by fear, massive negative press
about an imagined food to biofuel connection has exacerbated that fear and
fueled the speculation. It's sort of a self fulfilling prophesy. As with
most things, those that squawk the most about biofuels have the most to gain
either from speculation or from continuing our ruinous dependence on
petroleum. Follow the money. |
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