Wednesday, January 9. 2008

Consequences

Sometimes the policies that the US fosters and the public condones has unintended consequences.

Corn... fuel... fire!
U.S. corn subsidies promote Amazon de forestation

Amazon deforestation and fires are being aggravated by US farm subsidies, claims STRI’s staff scientist William Laurance.

According to Laurance, whose findings are reported this week in Science (December 14), a recent spike in Amazonian fires is being promoted by massive US subsidies that promote American corn production for ethanol. The ethanol is being blended with gasoline as an automobile fuel.

So, the mania for ethanol in this country is also driving rain forest destruction. Then by the same token, they blame everything Americans do for rain forest destruction. Interesting though that our subsidizing of corn and ethanol can have such an effect.

Let the consequences be what they will, I am determined to proceed. James Otis

Posted by

Sarpy Sam

in Agriculture, The World at 06:40 | Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0)

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I read an article sometime back that claimed when left to it's own devices, the rain forest by the rotting of the wood and underbrush, actually cause more of what they claim is causing global warming, than when they cut and burn it.

I suppose that's our fault also.

#1 rdennis on 2008-01-09 14:14 (Reply)

Could we just burn corn?

#2 Martha (Homepage) on 2008-01-09 19:59 (Reply)

Hmmm, I am not sure the US can legitimately be blamed for every single negative aspect of the global food economy and natural ecology. Sure, there are probably many factors affecting other factors in a convoluted chain of blame, but bashing crop subsidies in this country as responsible for everything that goes wrong in the world from African poverty (it is us and not their corrupt governments) is real popular. That being said, I think you are right in your opinion of the effects of ethanol production on the price of food and feed.

#3 threecollie (Homepage) on 2008-01-10 13:07 (Reply)

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