This was predicted 2 years ago.
Posted on 04/21/2008 12:26:55 PM PDT by anymouse
Biofuels, once seen as a key factor in curbing greenhouse gas emissions, are behind the current global food crisis, major oil producers and consumers charged at an energy forum here on Monday.
"A conflict (is) emerging between foodstuffs and fuel ... with disastrous social conflicts and dubious environmental results," outgoing Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi told the International Energy Forum here as rising food prices worldwide raise the spectre of famine in some countries.
"We have to examine very closely subsidy policies so as to avoid distortions in the allocation of resources," Prodi insisted.
Agricultural prices were not only being driven by rising demand but also by increased cultivation of biofuels, "creating strong tensions in a number of countries," he said.
Biofuels were developed as part of plans to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, held responsible for global warming, but since they take up land that would otherwise be used for food production, they have been increasingly blamed for soaring food prices.
Qatari Energy Minister Abdullah bin Hamad al Attiyah said the world would have to choose "what its priority is going to be -- driving or eating."
He rejected suggestions that high oil prices were behind the food crisis.
"It's not oil that should be questioned, it's biofuels, which are at the root of the problem," al Attiyah said.
The food crisis was due to food shortages and not to high oil prices, he argued.
"Even the big rice exporters such as India, Bangladesh and Thailand are in the process of reducing their exports," he said. "
Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said that biofuels were having a negligible impact on the oil markets.
"But look at the impact (they have) had on food prices. It's madness," he said, adding: "All the countries of Latin America have been hit by the surge in food prices."
Lawrence Eagles, chief analyst at the International Energy Agency (IEA) which represents the interests of the oil consuming countries, said he believed biofuels were "part of the equation" but it would be "wrong to focus solely" on just one element.
Rising food prices were due primarily to "very strong demand" for agricultural products in emerging countries, he said.
The IEA supported the use of second-generation biofuels, which used non-food plants as their base, Eagles argued.
"The second generation has its place in the palette of energy products," he said.
Meanwhile the head of Royal Dutch Shell, Jeroen van der Veer, said that too much importance was being attached to biofuels. Biofuels "will play a role" but were only one of a number of energy components in the mix, he said.
Gosh, the Venezuela and Quatar Oil Ministers don’t like bio-fuels. Who coulda guessed.
This was predicted 2 years ago.
“creating strong tensions in a number of countries,”
Haha. Strong tensions = food riots
If this was not so serious this whold ethanol thing would be a real knee slapper.
The stupidity of the whole thing is so painfully obvious that it is almost as if the politicians like Bush, the democrats, etc. actually planned this whole thing for some plan for which we as yet have no clue.
Sorry, but before I continue I gotta go get my tin-foil hat...
The Rats and Pubs will have a hard time telling the Corn growers and eathanol plants that the game is over..especially in an election year.
The impact of this thing will be enormous.
They will try to blame it on higher costs..but the market for grain isn’t controled by the costs..it is demand and supply of grain.
This whole thing reminds me of the mini-famine in Germany a couple of centuries ago.
All the bread they produced was exported.
It was illegal to import bread.
You do the math. ;)
Governments crack me up. :)
Using food to make gasoline...has got to be the dumbest thing humans have ever done. I can understand waste being turned into fuels, but food?
Here’s an example of how the thoroughly Leftist mind works in a true experience I had a week ago. Following was posted by “Neverdem”. I sent copies to many on my email list, and welllllllll...see my post to Neverdem a day or two later below the link.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1998290/posts
“I forwarded this article the evening it was posted to many. Yesterday I was too busy to look at my email, but tonight I found the following response dated yesterday to the forwarded article from a babbling Leftist relative I had no intention of sending the article to, but inadvertantly did. The response should be enough to illustrate as to why I normally don’t bother.”
“I find it hard to believe that 90 plus percent of the scientists in our country and the rest of the world are a bunch on ninnys that haven’t considered everything this man is saying before coming to the conclusion that we humans are contributing way more of our share of greenhouse gasses and creating a situation that is moving faster than Mother Nature can remedy in a manner that won’t be very uncomfortable for quite a few folks. In our own studies over the years, John and I have seen many bird species totally wiped out because of human disregard. Yes, in hundreds or thousands of years “Mother” will be able to fix everything, but we humans will most likely not enjoy the fixes.....but, frankly, that’s ok by me. There are too many of us already.”
“The person writing this is a school teacher by the way.”
I might add at this time the “School Teacher” teaches various grades up to sixth grade children.
“If this was not so serious this whold ethanol thing would be a real knee slapper.”
Sure enough, and what a blessing that US policy is now FIRMLY pushing ethanol production.
Who cares about high food prices? Let them eat cake...
If this thing cannot turn around, and quick, I suspect we will see the greatest worldwide “unrest” in our lifetime - maybe in generations.
The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
Stop burning corn. It’s just a bad idea.
I nominate you for Sec. of Energy. ;)
Me Too! You have it right.
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