June 29, 2007
Corn Crops on the Rise
Due to the increasing popularity of corn as a base for the fuel ethanol, as well as its continuing demand as food, corn crop plantings are being increased by 19%, according to this AP article.
[It's a] boom has been fueled by sky high corn prices, a result largely attributed to rising production of corn-based ethanol. Corn futures in electronic trading on the Chicago Board of Trade was trending higher, with corn for July delivery up 8 cents to $3.48 a bushel.
Obviously there's a lot of money to be made.
While the popularity of ethanol is in response to concerns about Middle Eastern oil supplies, it's not necessarily all it's cracked up to be. This Business Week article points out the problems with ethanol, including its inefficiency when compared with oil, and its propensity for pollution.
My question to you: when will corn farms start being labeled as "greedy corporate interests" in the same way that oil companies are now?
Amber waves of...fuel?
Show Comments »
I know this doesn't mean a lot to you coming from a pinko like myself, but those who worry about these things have a HUGE problem with the corn industry. The government gives gigantic insentives for farmers to plant more and more corn. That's why buying all the bastardized corn based products in the grocery store (sodas, chips, cookies -- anything with corn syrup or corn oil) is so very much cheaper than buying fruits, vegetables, meats, or most other grains. You know, real food. This means that poorer people become obese, with the result that those with the least insurance are more likely to need health care. It also means that buying corn from US is cheaper than, for example, Mexico growing it on their own. As this was/is a staple of their diet, millions of farmers went out of business, which leads to (guess what?) increased illegal immigration. Now that corn prices are going up and their are few corn farmers in Mexico to make up the need -- you guessed it -- more illegal immigration. So, yes "greedy corporate interests" indeed, although I can't believe we actually agree on something. :)
Posted by: Ro at June 29, 2007 12:17 PMRather than taking food out of people's mouths and putting it in the gas tank, it might be a little more efficient just to overrule the ecokooks and lighten restrictions on oil drilling off the coast and in Alaska.
Posted by: Van Helsing at June 29, 2007 07:03 PMCorn Syrup = disease in humans.
Posted by: mudkitty at June 30, 2007 07:07 AMSoak corn in the husk in lightly sugared water for three hours:
Place husks over red-hot coals for eight to ten minutes ( NOT direct flame 8-10" up from coals) and turn whole husks repeating time until husk gets a dark brown.
Remove: Pull back husk and test kernals.
Peel Husk back
Dip The corn ( not the husk, Progressive) in a 10-12" deep coffee can of melted butter and garlic
Cover buttered corn in table salt and fine black pepper
Repeat the process - Pick your teeth when sated.
Eat like a Patriot!
Eat like a patriot, die like a patriot - patriotism being the last refuge of a scoundrel, to put it mildly, and to para-phrase Samuel Addams.
Posted by: mudkitty at June 30, 2007 02:18 PMLook folks, bio-fuels have been available all along. You can run a Diesel Engine on peanut oil, or left over oil from cafes. You could run your car on olive oil. The combustion engine was invented before the discovery of crude oil!!!!!
And of course you know that Mr. Diesel, an excellent swimmer, died from drowning in an inch of water. You do know that, right?
You big sillys could have run your car on corn oil all along. Think of the independence from Arabs. We could have told the Saudis to go f themselves a long time ago, were it not for the Bush Family ties to the Saudis, who finance them.
Posted by: mudkitty at June 30, 2007 02:26 PMProgressives! I am putting together a think tank of eco-friendly scientists, gear-heads, Nascar enthusiasts and Patogonia catalog junkies to build a car that runs on Noam Chomsky - on; over; reverse and repeat.
Not as Sweet as hot roasted buttered salted and peppered Illinois homegrown - but Sweet.
Posted by: Pat Hickey at June 30, 2007 08:11 PMIs that what passes for wit amongst the rightwing? Non sequiturs? (Look it up.)
Posted by: mudkitty at July 1, 2007 07:06 AMMudkitty,
It is; yes, it is. Progressives have all the good humor and 'aw, shucks' sweet nature of a rib-tickling Taliban gab fest and buffet after one those great celebrations of diversity - the beheading of women out of dress code. Those folks are a scream!
Posted by: Pat Hickey at July 1, 2007 10:14 AMFalse. Every word you wrote, PH, was a lie, including the ands, and the thes.
And it's obvious, that you do not know, nor did you look up, what a non sequitur is.
(The sound of rightwingers googleing Dictionary.com.)
Posted by: mudkitty at July 2, 2007 11:42 AMMuddy,
You're a paragon! Keep up the great work for your team!
Posted by: Pat Hickey at July 2, 2007 12:58 PMwho is this pat hickey and why is he molesting this post with 50 different comments?
:-)
All I know is that I cannot wait to see what the starving world thinks of us when we start using food to run our toys and cars.
You cannot eat oil, but you can eat corn.
What happens when we don't have surpluses to donate?
Hmmm...?
Posted by: aaron at July 2, 2007 06:27 PMPat's a South Side Chicago author....
http://hickeysite.blogspot.com/2007/06/come-to-signing-party-at-keegans-pub.html
A good guy and frequent commenter on my blog.
Chicagoans of Irish descent, such as myself, have thinking manner that others call rambling.
Pat's quite knowledgeable on Illinois politics, and yes, we have our ethanol lobby here. Not only are there a lot for corn farms in the Land of Lincoln, but ethanol behometh Archer Daniels Midland is based in downstate Illinois.
Posted by: John Ruberry at July 3, 2007 12:54 AMRubes,
You honey-dripper!
In point of fact, Congressman Jesse Jackson - Kid Staples - (D) IL is working overtime - well he says that he is anyway - to pave over the richest soil in America.
His Abraham Lincoln Airport Boon doggle that will enrich himself, The Family, and a group of Elmhurst Lawyers ( Republicans BTW) wants to put flawed runways over farmland in Peotone and Beecher townships.
This site has been laughed at by FAA and most other people who have more than 20Watt intellects.
Illinois is a great agricultural treasure: developers and hucksters and their Progressive pals would see it go otherwise.
Hey Aaron, no where near 50 posts. I only respond to snotty, stupid and unprovoked comments made by dim-bulbs. Otherwise, I am a Kitty cat.
Thanks Pat: I forgot to add that these ethanol plants are located in rural areas that are struggling to keep young people from moving away--due to a lack of jobs. This strengthens their hands, especially in the senate, where rural states have a bigger say.
More on ethanol's downside: Drought and plant disease.
Posted by: John Ruberry at July 4, 2007 11:45 AM
