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Title: The Terror of Ethanol
Source:
TCS Daily
URL Source: http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=081507B
Published: Aug 16, 2007
Author: John Baden
Post Date: 2007-08-16 13:44:04 by farmfriend
Ping List: *Agriculture-Environment* Subscribe to *Agriculture-Environment*
Keywords: None
Views: 80
Comments: 5
By John Baden : BIO| 16 Aug 2007 I write this while preparing for the Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment's second conference of the summer for federal judges. The first program focused on energy, while this one is on terrorism and civil society. The two seemingly distinct topics intersect as politicians opportunistically seek justifications to curry favors and further the interests of constituents and contributors. Exploiting fear of terrorism exemplifies political opportunism working in the drive to promote ethanol. U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) recently pronounced: His cure? Ethanol of course. And he has plenty of company, for successful politicians are ever alert to identify, exaggerate, and then capitalize on fears. U.S. Representative Jean Schmidt (R-OH) reported that she has struck her own blow in the war on terrorism: she bought an ethanol-powered vehicle. "I will be one of the first in line to buy ethanol this month," said Schmidt, the proud owner of a 2007 Chevy Tahoe that runs on either the E85 blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline or, normally, just gasoline. Her license plate reads, "E85 4 OH." Schmidt said she didn't buy the SUV because ethanol is better for the environment, but to reduce the amount of money being sent to the Persian Gulf. According to the Wall Street Journal, former CIA chief James Woolsey has been wooing corn growers with extravagant language. "American farmers, by making the commitment to grow more corn for ethanol, are at the tip of the spear on the war against terrorism," he told the annual meeting of the Virginia Soybean, Corn and Grain Association. This is ethically, ecologically, and economically perverse. Only in politics does it make sense -- and there it is a big winner. Publications as diverse as Foreign Affairs and Rolling Stone explain why the ethanol obsession is idiocy and immorality enshrined as law. In the June issue of Foreign Affairs, two agricultural economists at the University of Minnesota observed that, "...thanks to a combination of high oil prices and even more generous government subsidies, corn-based ethanol has become the rage." The politics of ethanol is creating an industry dependent on billions of dollars of taxpayer subsidies. An ever-larger share of corn production is going to ethanol factories, and, under current legislation, within a few years these factories will consume half of U.S. domestic corn supplies. In economics, as in ecology, things are interconnected. Thus, it's hard to do just one thing. The enormous volume of corn consumed by the ethanol industry has broad affect throughout the food system. Not only has the price of corn nearly doubled, the prices of substitutes like wheat and rice are also at decade highs. Further, farmers have planted more acres with corn and fewer acres with other crops
The Terror of Ethanol
"Countries such as Venezuela currently make a hefty profit from American consumers by forcing us to pay close to $70 a barrel or more for oil. The excessive oil profits enjoyed by these countries constitute a tax which all too often ends up fueling terrorist activities of radical extremists who hate America. It is imperative that our nation slash this terrorism tax and thus stymie petro-funded terrorism."
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#1. To: All, *Resource Warfare* (#0)
Mr. Baden has been reading my posts.
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition The American Corn Growers Association are all Democrats and have been pushing alternative fuels for some time. I wonder why?
I have no proof but I have suspected for some time that ethanol production could be a big water polluter. What do you know / think?
Hmmm, that's an interesting thought. I haven't seen anything discussing that end of it. We know MTBE is a big water polluter. Those pushing ethanol are doing so for the same reasons they pushed MTBE and they don't give a shit about the environment. They use environmental regulations to help them push things like ethanol. Follow the money, always.
#2. To: farmfriend (#0)
Corn for fuel.....This is ethically, ecologically, and economically perverse. The enormous volume of corn consumed by the ethanol industry has broad affect throughout the food system. Not only has the price of corn nearly doubled, the prices of substitutes like wheat and rice are also at decade highs. Further, farmers have planted more acres with corn and fewer acres with other crops
"There is no 'legitimate' Corporation by virtue of it's very legal definition and purpose."
-- IndieTx
#3. To: IndieTX (#2)
the price of corn nearly doubled
#4. To: farmfriend (#0)
This is ethically, ecologically, and economically perverse.
#5. To: catcher (#4)
I have no proof but I have suspected for some time that ethanol production could be a big water polluter.
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