tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post4694466635150380079..comments2023-09-28T08:13:11.489-07:00Comments on Only In It For The Gold: Time to Reconsider BiofuelsMichael Tobishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08229460438349093944noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-38143257303308998192008-04-15T05:41:00.000-07:002008-04-15T05:41:00.000-07:00It might be worth pointing out that the world cere...It might be worth pointing out that the world cereal crop last year was a record high, and this year is (currently) expected to beat it. <BR/><BR/>http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/ai465e/ai465e04.htm<BR/><BR/>This may be mentioned in some of the other links, but I thought it was worth highlighting.skankyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14584908320777937193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-25820838341142385462008-04-14T12:27:00.000-07:002008-04-14T12:27:00.000-07:00And from CNN.I don't know for what time period CNN...And from <A HREF="http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/04/14/world.food.crisis/index.html" REL="nofollow">CNN</A>.<BR/><BR/>I don't know for what time period CNN links are good.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-11046165588125867332008-04-14T06:23:00.000-07:002008-04-14T06:23:00.000-07:00Pielke Jr has a post with informative links.Pielke Jr has a <A HREF="http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/archives/international/001393food_price_faqs.html" REL="nofollow">post</A> with informative links.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-5377479434499369732008-04-09T21:03:00.000-07:002008-04-09T21:03:00.000-07:00Michael, I'm not sure it's optimism about effectiv...Michael, I'm not sure it's optimism about effectiveness of adaptability, so much as blaming the consequences on the lack of adaptability rather than the favourite whipping-boy of climate change. Driving one less car (or even one million) won't do much for poor people in Haiti who can't afford food right now.James Annanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-24122155734929513322008-04-08T18:05:00.000-07:002008-04-08T18:05:00.000-07:00Let's talk about ag policy as well, where countrie...Let's talk about ag policy as well, where countries looking to get play in a global market play the same game as the US, in that industrial monoculture agriculture is privileged over, say, truck farming. Or we see in India and China where traditional systems make far less land per capita available. <BR/><BR/>And let's look at past ag policies that have degraded topsoil such that a family plot for food...<BR/><BR/>And so on. <BR/><BR/>And what mt said. <BR/><BR/>Best,<BR/><BR/>DDanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03709762632849004871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-11359881396458080232008-04-08T12:12:00.000-07:002008-04-08T12:12:00.000-07:00Many on many of the posts here:http://biopact.com/...Many on many of the posts here:<BR/><BR/>http://biopact.com/<BR/><BR/>directly address the role of responsible bioenergy, food and security in both for the poor.<BR/><BR/>Paul Krugman's TNYT piece yesterday but hinted at the interdependencies.David B. Bensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02917182411282836875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-72359469499533194772008-04-08T08:28:00.000-07:002008-04-08T08:28:00.000-07:00James, sometimes it seems to me that you overestim...James, sometimes it seems to me that you overestimate the capacity of human social organization to adapt effectively. I think this accounts for much of the difference between our respective levels of optimism.<BR/><BR/>The fact that a country is subsidized does not necessarily imply that the subsidy will increase to that country as the cost of food imports increases, nor would that imply that such subsidies would be smoothly transferred to those most in need.<BR/><BR/>There have been rumblings in Mexico for a couple of years now about rising corn prices. Mexicans get many of their calories directly from corn so they have been the immediate (um, what's the opposite of beneficiary? maleficiary?) victims of the silly corn ethanol push in the US.<BR/><BR/>Note also that even without the current financial chaos, this is a period in which aid from the US only ratchets downward on the Puritan theory that whatever wealth you have is the wealth you deserve. <BR/><BR/>Ideally, everyone would eat, the cheapest food would be free, and the price of meat would go up such that the demand for cleared land remained constant. <BR/><BR/>We're a long way from a system like that. It's not necessary for anyone to starve, but that doesn't mean that nobody will.Michael Tobishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08229460438349093944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524070301101240472.post-38106665124887542372008-04-07T20:03:00.000-07:002008-04-07T20:03:00.000-07:00I'm a bit puzzled by this food price thing, specif...I'm a bit puzzled by this food price thing, specifically the claims that is it bad for the poor countries. I always had the impression that the poor countries were (generally speaking) the agricultural ones, and that the existing economic status quo of driving down global food prices (by developed countries subsidising and protecting their own agriculture) was *bad* for them, because it undercut their main industry and exports.<BR/><BR/>Put it another way, what are these poor food-importing countries who cannot afford grain, actually exporting to pay for their imports? <BR/><BR/>The truly impoverished must be substantially supported by aid, and subsistence and self-sufficient economies have no obvious need of global markets.<BR/><BR/>So what am I missing?James Annanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.com