Ethanol Demand Is Boosting Food Prices Worldwide

hereisnowhy writes "The rising demand for corn as a source of ethanol-blended fuel is largely to blame for increasing food costs around the world, the CBC reports. Increased prices for ethanol have already led to bigger grocery bills for the average American — an increase of $47 US compared to July 2006. In Mexico last year, corn tortillas, a crucial source of calories for 50 million poor people, doubled in price; the increase forced the government to introduce price controls. The move to ethanol-blended fuel is based in part on widespread belief that it produces cleaner emissions than regular gasoline. But a recent Environment Canada study found no statistical difference between the greenhouse gas emissions of regular unleaded fuel and 10 per cent ethanol-blended fuel. Environmental groups have argued that producing ethanol — whether from corn, beets, wheat, or other crops — requires more energy than can be derived from the product."

Use Other Foods

[Hoi Polloi]

They should make ethanol from unhealthy foods instead, like Twinkies, eclairs, or Jolly Ranchers. I find my car runs on the watermelon flavor the best.

Re:A common misperception

[Gizzmonic]

The big donors to US political parties are not corporations. They are unions.

The US is controlled by UNIONS! Unions demanded the war in Iraq in order to produce more jobs with living wages! Unions required that we borrow trillions from China as a display of worker solidarity! Those in unions want to see jobs outsourced to India so we can have time to spend with our family during the week!

That's right folks, our country is run by a bunch of unions.

Re:Illegal aliens.. by the gallon?

[Distan]

Are you saying there is some way to use illegal aliens as fuel? Please elaborate.

I was well aware of using them as tires, but they keep puncturing a lung and going flat.

Re:cane coke

[Anonymous Coward]

Screw "cane coke" - I want mine with "coke cane" like in the old days.

Re:Arguably, this article has it backwards.

[Farmer Tim]

Can anyone produce an economically sound argument to the contrary?

Yes. My doomsday machine, which I guarantee will kill 90% of the world's population, would need the entire output of the US electricity grid for three years to charge (What can I say? If it was economic to run, I would have used it already). Add the methane released from 5,400,000,000 decaying corpses and it won't be carbon-neutral until at least 2147...

Re:Corn Syrup

[myowntrueself]

However, they were looking into other, more synthetic ways of creating sugar.

They will probably start to use a method to synthesise sugar from crude oil...

Re:hydrogen

[Anonymous Coward]

And I've got a way to produce methane gas.....now if I could only find a way to bottle it.