I've decided to become the Dymaxion World of corn, specifically concerning the hazards of ramping up corn production for ethanol fuel to a hypothetical point which I will call "peak corn". (Yes, I admit I have mighty big shoes to fill.... I may also need to invest in a thesaurus.)
AFP: US corn biofuels will expand Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone'
Apparently, if corn production increases at projected rates, it raises the issue of nitrogen pollution in the Gulf of Mexico. The run-off from nitrogen fertilizers eventually cause oxygen depletion for marine species in the Gulf of Mexico.
Reuters: China halts ethanol growth on grain supply worries
On a more global scale, increased corn production displaces other crops such as wheat (in North America) or soybean (in Asia) which lowers their supply and increases grain prices. This leads to inflation of food prices... a problem which North Americans are experiencing a little of, and the Chinese are experiencing a lot of. Coupled with rising oil prices to increase transportation costs, this results in a huge inflationary pressure on food.
Reuters: Amazon deforestation surging again
In the above article: "...continued high world oil prices were likely to result in a surge in demand for Amazon land to produce ethanol, the alternative transport fuel for which global demand is already booming." While biofuels are viewed as an environmentally friendlier option than oil, it raises the dark spectre of deforestation to provide space for massive corn fields.
Are you still with me? I know it's a lot to absorb, and it seems that I'm painting a grim picture here. The truth is this: President Bush's new energy plan is focused on increasing US investment in alternative fuels, the vast majority of which will be in corn-based ethanol fuel. In essence, the United States is betting that corn-based ethanol fuel will be the successor to Arab oil. It's a big bet to say the least... one with severe consequences, if we don't do our research beforehand.
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2 comments:
I'm not sure how much research plays into ethanol fuel, and George the Younger isn't a noted environmentalist.
I'm in the camp that believes that funding for ethanol fuel projects are very little about environmentalism, a little bit about reduced dependency on foreign oil, and a lot about extra funding to farmers, a powerful lobby group in the USA.
My god! Is the Amazon still being deforested? I thought it would be extinct by now what with all those statistics like "An acre of the rainforest is burned every minute".
It's not that I want the Amazon to disappear. Rather, the idea of the rainforest going extinct has caused me such stress that I resent the fearmongering that I am beginning to suspect has been spread by environmentalists for the past 20 years.
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