As this week's topic comes to a close on Tuesday. I felt it important to provide some interesting facts to a debate of which I am sure will continue. The BLUEPRINT is dedicated to raising one's intelligence on issues that have an impact on the poor.
Here are some facts regarding our GROCERY bills relationship to GAS Prices :
Fact#1
Ethanol is commonly made from sugar, but it can also be fermented from starch in crops like corn, wheat, canola and sorghum and then blended with existing oil-based fuel. It's one of the key alternatives being introduced around the world to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Fact #2
By 2028, world demand for oil is expected to increase by a whopping 70 per cent. The price, supply and climate change implications are enormous. But the scramble for solutions is creating new concerns as more and more food is diverted into the fuel chain. In the United States, up to a third of the corn crop is now being used to make fuel.
My Commentary:
The food-vs-fuel argument shows no signs of going away. The latest contribution to this debate comes from Oil World, the global oilseed analyst. “A downward adjustment or a postponement of higher biofuel targets appears indispensable. If this does not happen, more social unrest due to escalating food prices is to be expected,” it asserts. It is, therefore, high time for governments promoting the use of crops for energy purposes to rethink their policies. If such a process starts, it could indeed trigger a sharp setback in prices of vegetable oils and oilseeds. But as long as the targets are maintained, there will be little downward scope for prices, it has pointed out. “When millions of people are going hungry, it’s a crime against humanity that food should be diverted to biofuel,” said finance minister Palaniappan Chidambaram in an interview in Washington recently. While many are worrying about filling their gas tanks, many are struggling to fill their stomachs, and it is getting more and more difficult every day. Food or GROCERIES. the BLUEPRINT.
Linking food and energy is a misnomered relationship. The US raises a surplus of Corn to supplement the small ethanol industry that exists in the country. That being said, corn is NOT an ethanol solution. Hemp, Switchgrass, and Sugar Cane are far better choices due to their higher cellulose content. Ethanol is by the net, a negative source for energy since it requires more energy to create than it produces. It is also very corrosive for today's car, and requires much further infrastructure changes to be reliable. What really shows promise is ethanol produced by bacteria, or giving up and switching to Hydrogen - another alternative that is seeing scientific advancements every year for ease of extraction of hydrogen.
ReplyDeleteDebating food vs. fuel is wasting time. What is needed, is to change the hegemony of oil-based energy by ending the comparisons to oil and choosing alternative energies that do not have a direct impact on consumer prices. The day of oil for mass transit is over. Let's move on.
Today.- I had to choose Food over Fuel. As a reward for my choice, I recieved on the back of my Von's grocery receipt a coupon for 10% off my next oil change.... and this is the Truth.....
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