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Kennedy Links World Food Shortages to U.S. Ethanol Policy
CNSNEWS.com ^ | May 1, 2008 | Josiah Ryan

Posted on 05/01/2008 2:14:41 PM PDT by PROCON

On the Spot. (CNSNews.com) - Senators Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) told Cybercast News Service on Wednesday that they believe there is a connection between federally mandated consumption of ethanol, a gasoline additive made from corn, and world food shortages.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 mandates that increasing amounts of ethanol be used in the United States to dilute gasoline. The law called for 4 billion gallons of ethanol to be used in 2006, 6.1 billion gallons in 2009, and 7.5 billion gallons by 2012.

As the demand for corn has increased because of increased ethanol consumption, the Washington Post reported this week, the number of acres used to grow wheat in the U.S. has contracted, contributing to a shortage of wheat on the world market and an overall increase in world grain prices.

"I think very definitely there is a clear connection between our ethanol use and world hunger," Kennedy told Cybercast News Service . "The connection is becoming more evident and understood more every day by the American people. And they understand that there is very little that's being done to address the problem."

Lieberman, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, told Cybercast News Service that he is going to hold a hearing on the topic on May 7. "I am very concerned about this issue," said Lieberman. "There are a lot of serious questions that have been raised."

When Cybercast News Service asked Lieberman if he thinks federal laws that mandate escalating domestic ethanol consumption ought to be repealed, he said such a solution ought to be considered.

"I think that that may need to be reflected as part of the solution to the problem," he said.

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) expressed a different view.

"I don't see the link between hunger and our requirements that ethanol be mixed into our gasoline," Craig told Cybercast News Service . "We are still exporting food to the world. The world hunger movement is also tied to the environmental movement. Environmentalists have decided that ethanol is bad and so liberals are arguing that it's connected with food and therefore it is all bad. There has to be a balance."

"Ethanol today has brought the price of gas down by 20 cents," Craig said. "American consumers may be paying a little more for food but they are also paying a little less for gas because of ethanol in the market. It's a worthwhile trade. The market is a little distorted at the moment. Let's lower the subsidy on ethanol, and let the market stabilize, but our country is better off today because we are producing ethanol."


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To: Petronski

You might want to check wheat prices.


41 posted on 05/01/2008 2:47:33 PM PDT by Mr. Lucky
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To: pgkdan
You’re right. If corn for ethanol is fetching top dollar than more farmers will plant corn. There’ll be fewer acres of wheat and sweet corn and feed corn. The cost of corn based foods will rise. The costs of corn fed livestock will rise and the costs of displaced food crops, like wheat, are going to rise too. All to produce an inefficient, costly and unnecessary government mandated fuel additive.

BTTT

42 posted on 05/01/2008 2:47:58 PM PDT by org.whodat (What's the difference between a Democrat and a republican????)
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To: org.whodat
Once they learn to process Switch grass or Prairie Grass all the wheat and corn farmers will stop growing corn or wheat and grow grass. If we're lucky maybe a few will grow some grass we can smoke because we will need it.
43 posted on 05/01/2008 2:48:16 PM PDT by tobyhill (The media lies so much the truth is the exception)
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To: buffyt
We at DOW CHEMICAL are making ETHANOL from SUGAR CANE in BRAZIL! Not all ethanol is made from corn, not all ethanol is used as automobile fuel. Our ethanol will be used in PLASTICS, polyurethane. This will NOT upset food production, no one ever ever ever NEEDS to eat sugar cane period!

So who are you, the Marketing guy?You're not the only plant on the block dude............

Great Lakes Ethanol

"Welcome to Great Lakes Ethanol

Great Lakes Ethanol, LLC (GLE) was organized as a Michigan limited liability company on May 29, 2003 for the purpose of developing, building, and operating a dry mill ethanol plant in southeastern Michigan. "Delivering high quality corn products and customer service from the Great Lakes Region"

Buffyt, where do you suppose Great Lakes Ethanol is getting its products? Certainly not Brazil.............

44 posted on 05/01/2008 2:49:41 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (Who plugged the hole in the ozone layer?)
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To: Mr. Lucky

Why? What do you think they will tell me?


45 posted on 05/01/2008 2:50:01 PM PDT by Petronski (When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth, voting for Hillary.)
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To: pgkdan

it comes from Brazil, which has always grown sugar cane for it’s own ethanol needs...as an energy independent country now, they can also export the raw material needed to make it here.


46 posted on 05/01/2008 2:51:47 PM PDT by Alright_on_the_LeftCoast
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To: stockpirate

Congress doesn’t pay for their own gas so they won’t care until we the people make them care. I would bet that if the MSM took a poll of the number of people who wants domestic drilling for oil, clean coal use, more refineries and use of nuclear power it would easily be 75% for.


47 posted on 05/01/2008 2:52:24 PM PDT by tobyhill (The media lies so much the truth is the exception)
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To: 21twelve

Most of the ethanol is used as E10 not as E85, much less than 25%. Besides you have to compare the energy produced not with gasoline but with MBTE and other clean air mandated additives.

Instead of 25% less mileage you are talking more like 3% less mileage so maybe it does work out to a net savings.


48 posted on 05/01/2008 2:52:29 PM PDT by Swiss
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To: tobyhill

“Congress doesn’t pay for their own gas so they won’t care until we the people make them care. I would bet that if the MSM took a poll of the number of people who wants domestic drilling for oil, clean coal use, more refineries and use of nuclear power it would easily be 75% for.”

Maybe everyone should start calling congress until they act.


49 posted on 05/01/2008 2:55:41 PM PDT by stockpirate (Be a MAVERICK in the GOP , go against the wishes of our nominee John McCain!)
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To: Petronski

The price of wheat is well off its prior highs. In fact, most contracts are now at their low.


50 posted on 05/01/2008 2:56:05 PM PDT by Mr. Lucky
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To: stockpirate

I think it would be too cool if some Senator or Rep proposed a bill for congress members to pay for their own gas. It would be very telling for the American people to see who would vote against that.


51 posted on 05/01/2008 2:58:42 PM PDT by tobyhill (The media lies so much the truth is the exception)
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To: Mr. Lucky
So the article is wrong to say this:

As the demand for corn has increased because of increased ethanol consumption, the Washington Post reported this week, the number of acres used to grow wheat in the U.S. has contracted, contributing to a shortage of wheat on the world market and an overall increase in world grain prices.

52 posted on 05/01/2008 2:58:57 PM PDT by Petronski (When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth, voting for Hillary.)
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To: Da Coyote
“...the old drunk felon finally lucks out and says something that’s actually correct...”

well, after hundreds of notables have publicly made the case, he finally gets the picture. Hallelujah!!!

53 posted on 05/01/2008 2:59:08 PM PDT by elpadre
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To: L98Fiero

And why is the price of commodities going up while the supply is increasing? If the World has a problem with the price of our corn then why are they buying more every year?


54 posted on 05/01/2008 2:59:26 PM PDT by Swiss
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To: Petronski
Imagine that. The Washington Post is not a credible source of farm news.
55 posted on 05/01/2008 3:01:21 PM PDT by Mr. Lucky
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To: Petronski

According to the USDA they planted about the same amount of Wheat acres last year as before.

http://www.cbot.com/cbot/pub/static/files/snd_cbt.pdf


56 posted on 05/01/2008 3:07:54 PM PDT by Swiss
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To: 21twelve

“American consumers may be paying a little more for food but they are also paying a little less for gas because of ethanol in the market.”

Is this idiot delusional or WHAT?


57 posted on 05/01/2008 3:08:26 PM PDT by Right Cal Gal (Abraham Lincoln would have let Berkeley leave the Union without a fight)
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To: Mr. Lucky; Swiss

Imagine that: another internet theory crushed.

Thanks for the data.


58 posted on 05/01/2008 3:10:05 PM PDT by Petronski (When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth, voting for Hillary.)
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To: elpadre

Plus, just how many of the cars currently on the road in America can actually USE ethanol anyway? I live in Northern California, and I have yet to see a pump dispensing ethanol in my state (I do not argue they don’t exist, but I travel a pretty hefty portion of major interstates, yet I’ve never, ever seen ethanol for sale).


59 posted on 05/01/2008 3:11:46 PM PDT by Right Cal Gal (Abraham Lincoln would have let Berkeley leave the Union without a fight)
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To: PROCON
Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) expressed a different view.

In fact, one might say he takes an entirely different stance.

60 posted on 05/01/2008 3:13:23 PM PDT by Alas Babylon!
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