Corn rationed in 2008?

Alisha came to my door yesterday asking me to sign a petition to promote the use of alternative fuels in California. I declined because most alternative fuel schemes only prolong the damage inflicted by our fundamentally unsustainable transportation system.

Yes, I’m a participant of that system, and any change will be very painful for everybody, even those who are car-free.

And now I read the news that there may be real, honest to God food shortages in the United States this year. Analysts say that corn may be rationed in 2008 because of insufficient supply and increased demand. In part this is a backlash from overplanting in 2007, which caused corn prices to fall and bean prices to rise. U.S. farmers are expected to plan 8% less corn from 2007 while demand for ethanol production remains high.

I’m not against all forms of motorized transportation: they certainly make life easy and convenient, and I’m for ease and convenience. But we’re now at the point of choosing between food and fuel, and I’d much rather eat than drive.

Here’s another petition, except I support this one. Via.

2 Comments

  1. Never burn food. Eat it.

    I think that future generations will look at using corn for fuel as an absurdity on par with bloodletting as a means of healing the plague.

    I also think that if we really, really want to piss off the developing world this is the way to go about it. Parts of the world still have starvation, and we wonder why North America is thought of as arrogant. ]

  2. Never burn food. Eat it.I think that future generations will look at using corn for fuel as an absurdity on par with bloodletting as a means of healing the plague.I also think that if we really, really want to piss off the developing world this is the way to go about it. Parts of the world still have starvation, and we wonder why North America is thought of as arrogant. ]

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