Using food for fuel

It is very short-sighted for Americans to let our agricultural commodities become used for fuel. Not only is our food — rice, corn — seeing incredible price inflation, but it takes our most precious commodity, water.

People talk about going to war for oil, but you take away people’s water to grow food and it will be very serious situation indeed.

Josh Hill
Kansas City

To paraphrase, the modern-day Marie Antoinette would have said regarding the plight of the poor masses due to high price of corn and other staples, “Let them drink ethanol”

Paul W. Stark
Shawnee

Comments

[Engineer]

Woman for Change
One important thing to remember about the current version of corn ethanol is that it requires more energy to deliver it to the pump than it supplies. Also its handling and use creates extra costs and raises the price of fuel. In addition its production is subsidized by the government so it's costing each and every tax payer something beyond the cost at the gas pump.

[creighton]

Food IS fuel. Whether you put corn products in your mouth or in your car, it is fuel to move you from one point to another.

Hysterically shouting "no food for fuel!" misses the point completely and doesn't help the overall issue.

I read articles every week of improved ethanol processes from corn, cellulose, and any number of otherwise unusable byproducts of agriculture. We're just in the infancy of the production of this energy source. Let's encourage this better science before we take to the streets with our cutesy slogans.

[Stifled Freedom]

The former Sec of Agriculture was in CNN yesterday and said that shortage of food are tied to shortages of rice and wheat. Those commodities are not used for fuel. Corn is used for fuel.

Before we condemn using corn for fuel, we need to understand the fundementals instead of reacting with media-style hysterics.

[Marctnts]

"Let them drink ethanol"

Great line, I'll have to remember that...

[T. Hanson]

Pretty stupid concept of burning our food for fuel. Even more stupid is when the effectantcy of that fuel is lower than what we had to begin with.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Again, uneducated, misinformed and unwilling to face the facts. The liberals that believe all fossil fuels are bad and the ONLY and BIGGEST pollutants, are again wrong. This same concern with corn ethanol cranking up the price not only gas but on food, will also be the case with wind and solar power as they are inconsistant. When People's electric bills doble or triple, the crowd that continues to think the Obama can somehow mandate pricing of commodities will again complain. No matter what is doone, this group will complain. WHat they want is something for nothing.