Thoughts from the Middle of Nowhere

Two years ago when the Montana Legislature was in session I wrote very often about the stupidity of the ethanol mandate they were trying to put in and how if consumers wanted ethanol the market would support them and their would be no need for a mandate. As usual, nobody listened and they voted in an ethanol mandate. They did decide that we had to produce enough ethanol in the state to support the mandate before it kicked into effect which was a slight victory. To date there is still no ethanol plant in the state, they are still talking about one in Hardin but nothing has ever come of it and there is a proposal for one in the Northern part of the state but nothing has come of it yet either so there still is no mandate.

Now this time around the Legislature wants to mandate the use of biodiesel in the state. Now I feel the same way about biodiesel mandate as I do about the ethanol mandate, it's wrong. Why can't the Legislature just let the consumer decide?

Biodiesel flopped when it was introduced to the Billings retail market last summer.

Town Pump offered biodiesel at its convenience store on 32nd Street West and King Avenue. The company discontinued sales by the end of the year because motorists wouldn't buy it.

"Sales were very poor so we had to make a decision, and when it got close to winter, we decided that we needed to offer another kind of product," said Jim Kaneally, supply and distribution manager for Town Pump.

Kaneally said the Billings station initially introduced biodiesel at a price slightly higher than conventional diesel. "Eventually, we had to drop it to the same price, but it still wouldn't sell," Kaneally said. "We tried it in Great Falls and we had the same result."

Oh, I see, the consumers aren't interested in biodiesel so the Legislature just decides the best solution is to SHOVE A MANDATE DOWN OUR DAMNED THROATS AND WE WILL LIKE IT OR BE DAMNED.

The Legislators again try to sugar coat this biodiesel proposal by saying the mandate won't go into effect until a certain number of gallons of biodiesel are produced in the state but that means nothing. Just like for ethanol Montana biodiesel will never be able to compete with the Midwest farmers and their capacity to grow crops. We are just to arid here and there are not the water sources for widespread irrigation to produce the necessary crops.

What I find interesting about the ethanol and the biodiesel mandate, at least to my understanding, is that once there is enough of either product produced in the state to kick the mandate in, there is no saying the local fuel companies need to use the Montana product in their blends. Once the mandate kicks in the oil companies can buy cheaper products from the Midwest for their blends and leave the Montana plants high and dry. Real helpful to Montana producers this shoving down out throats a mandate is going to be, isn't it? The politicians sugar coating is awful sour when looked at in this light.

I'm so tired of this shit, why can't they just let well enough alone instead of imposing their will on us. Biodiesel might be the next best thing to sliced bread but can't we as consumers decide that without the damned politicians and their lackeys shoving it down our throats? I guess not, us dumb consumers don't know what is good for us so we need to be told.

BULLSHIT WE NEED TO BE TOLD!!!! LEAVE US ALONE!

Perfect freedom is as necessary to the health and vigor of commerce as it is to the health and vigor of citizenship. Patrick Henry

Scientists urge research to aid in balancing food, energy needs

To ensure that there's enough corn to fuel humans as well as vehicles, scientists are urging more research into boosting corn yields and improving ethanol production.

Many key issues related to expanding the nation's ethanol industry aren't being studied under current government programs, said Kenneth G. Cassman, director of the Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

"It's the core issue to ensuring that we don't come up short in food supply, and don't have high consumer prices, and can still maintain expansion of the ethanol industry," he said.

This is an issue I am really concerned about. With the thoughts of growing our own energy via ethanol and biodiesel, what's going to happen to food production? Right now that thought is taking second place in most people's minds as they run around making energy of our food supply.

In a way, the cattle industry is on the fore front of this concern, which explains my concern, since such a large part of our production hinges on corn feed in the feedlots of the midwest. Price of corn goes up, cost of feeding cattle goes up, and the feeder needs more money to break even which causes the prices in the meat case for consumers to go up. This puts food further out of reach of poor people and causes more hunger. This is a concern for me. They claim the by product, distillers grain, of ethanol makes good cattle feed and will take up some of the slack for the loss of corn to ethanol. Fine, I buy this argument, but what's it going to do to the cattle industry as a whole in the long run with so much corn going to ethanol instead of feeding?

I've read quite a few articles on just this subject through out the summer and they all say the same thing, don't worry. The cattle feeding industry will be just fine with the addition of the distillers grains to feed formulas, don't raise a ruckus. I kind of question this, it seems like ostriches sticking their heads in the ground and not wanting to look the situation over. Talking to my banker, cattle buyer, and other professionals, they're like me, they have absolutely no idea how the cattle industry is going to be affected by the ethanol boom and they are concerned. So, in the long run for the cattle industry we get to sit and watch the roller coaster ride of ethanol and see were we are going to end up when it's done. How it will affect food prices for the consumer has yet to be seen.

A bigger picture shot than just corn and the cattle industry also includes considering how crops will be affected by ethanol and biodiesel. The more cropland that is taken out of production for food and put into production for energy is going to affect the prices that consumers pay for food at the store. In the long run, the money the United States might save consumers with the growing our own energy campaign, might be offset by the extra costs the same consumers to feed their families because of the higher prices for food. The only advantage would be the money is staying in the US instead of going over seas.

Looking at my whole rant here, you might think I am against growing our own energy. I'm not, just concerned how this technology is going to affect feeding the consumer.

My Darling Wife one time went on a spiel about how we, her and I, were unimportant in the world and that we didn't make a difference. I looked at her and told her that we make a big difference in the world. A human being has three basic needs to survive in this world, food, water, and shelter. Everything else done in this world for humans is an add on product that is important, but maybe not vital, to human existence. We provide one of the basic things that humans need, food. I am very proud that I raise food to feed people. It is a very important and necessary so to say we don't matter is false. We provide a vital service to humanity and should be proud.

When I say I am concerned about the price of food for the consumers, this is where I am coming from. Feeding people is important to me and to have some of the food supply siphoned off for another reason concerns me. As long as we have enough food to feed people at a reasonable cost then I have no problems with the diversions. We are stepping off into unknown territory here diverting our food supply to energy. We need to watch were we go so that it doesn't go to far and cause people to starve. I think it's a valid concern.

Corn is the leading food and feed crop of the United States in geographic range of production, acreage, and quantity of product. The vital importance of a large acreage of this crop, properly cared for, therefore, is obvious. David F. Houston