We'll be seeing more ethanol factories in the hinterlands
It’s official: the Obama administration is pushing ethanol full bore. Call it welfare for corn farmers.
You remember ethanol. That’s the stuff that only recently was driving up food prices worldwide, pushing poor people into starvation mode, spewing pollution into air and water, gobbling up natural gas. And nobody could even say if it was any better for the environment than burning regular ol’ gasoline.
But ethanol is great for corn farmers. Only with the economy on the skids, ethanol plants have been mired in a credit crunch of their own. Obama has called on three of his cabinet secretaries–from Agriculture, Energy and Environmental Protection–to fashion a multi-agency program for shoring up and expanding ethanol production.
Apparently, there’s a rescue package for everybody these days, even when the beneficiaries are making something nobody else really wants.
We are engaging the concerns of a hungry planet--slowly--right here in our kitchen garden in the District of Columbia, about a mile from the White House.
This is terrible news! What a waste! I am actually surprised. I thought Obama would be more “environmental” at the least. With Michelle planting her garden, I thought they’d be more educated on good agriculture. I guess politics wins out; government has ruined agriculture. I foresee it as the next big “collapse”.
Char, this is disappointing indeed. I think what we are seeing is that Obama may be somewhat revolutionary in his personality and his approach to governing, he is much less so when it comes to actual policy. He is a concilliator by nature. Don’t look for any radical moves where powerful constituencies–in this case Big Ag–are concerned. In fact, I wouldn’t look for any profound moves from Obama in the food arena. We may need to focus our attention on the more progressive states and local jurisdictions.
Subsidies and bailouts are only available to those who “are too big to be allowed to fail” and have the money to pay lobbyists. The rest of us muddle along.
Walter, the ethanol industry is not too big to fail and should be allowed a quiet death. The rest of us should rise up in righteous indignation.
Agreed. Indigestion even.