The Heathen's Guide: LUST (Part I)
LUST:abnormal necessity for humanly pleasures.
Wow, that was getting a little hot n' heavy on that last post. Can't go over the edge too soon though. Took a breather and now we can get back into the rhythm of things. Where was I again? Oh, yes. America's lust for the Golden Boy of crops. That luscious produce which drives us to crazy lengths is plotting to consume the consumers of our economy. But I won't allow us to jump in without a check up for those sticky STDs (Speciously Transmitted Data).
Article Five: Food and Fuel Compete for Land
What a great article to start part II of my guide to lust. Please, just read this article because it lays out the warnings and statistics that we should seriously consider before roaring forward full steam ahead.
From this article is a chart that shows you the recent affects we are beginning to feel even before the doubling of corn crops has been put into action:
To get the full value of this article to my post I would have to copy and paste the entirety of it, so please, please, please take the time to read what it has to say, especially if you plan on commenting because chances are I'll end up referring you to something this article points out.
Article Six: Economic woes hit American stomachs
The last article showed that grocery prices were out pacing natural inflation in our American economy. Is it as bad as all that? This news story from CNN.com shows this rising trend in groceries and how it is affecting the average family. Less eating out, less brand name foods, less food period.
Now traveling to the store is too expensive (no matter what type of fuel you choose to use) and to make matters worse once you've spend all your money to get to the store you find you can no longer afford the amount of food you are used too. I suppose that is good news for the obesity trend.
First, we discover ethanol uses are paying 80 cents more per gallon at the pump. Because of that corn increase now you are spending $80 more at the cashier stand. I don't know about your pocket book, but mine feels like a cheated on wife right about now. Our love affair is finally being discovered and what we don't know can still hurt us.
Article Seven: Don't blame ethanol
Alright, I like to be fair to both sides of the argument, but very little has sprung up on the positive side of excess ethanol production (except those offered by Congress and governmental agencies), except for this little snippet of an article on the USA Today website from April 11, 2008. It is only an opinion, but I hold a lot for people's opinions.
In this brief statement the writer tells us that oil costs are what should be blamed for rising corn prices, not ethanol production. I have to agree to an extent. As long as oil prices are high all prices will follow suit and stay high until oil drops or an effective form of alternative energy/fuel is found and implemented. I just do not believe ethanol, at least not corn based ethanol made exclusively (or predominantly) from American farmlands is the smartest way to go.
Article Eight: My conclusion
Oh, how do I love thee Corn?
Let me count the ways...
The energy you have brought
And the products you inspire
But alas! It was doomed from the start
Your unbeknown consequences on my paycheck
Strike my heart! My pocketbook cries....
Alright, I'll stop the theatrics, but I should sum up in a fitting style for the Heathen's Guide. Our love affair has betrayed us. While we were overwhelmed with attraction to the beauty of a promising future we blinded ourselves to the little things that have put us on a path of destruction. I say it is time for us to end this dastardly affair before we find ourselves 9 months pregnant and no child support in site. We still have time to invest our money in even better and smarter forms of alternate energy and yes, even other biofuels from a more sustainable source.
Corn, oh how we have loved
and yet now is the time to part.
EDIT: This article was published today (April 15, 2008). Please read it for more information.
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