Maggie's Farm

Actually, Rufus, if you were a mom you would know that groceries have gone up far more than that in the last year. But hard to say whether it's oil prices or corn prices that are responsible.

IMHO, Ethanol is a scam, supported by the taxpayer, to support a few fat cats and “green” profiteers. As loathsome as Gore and his offsets….

Also Rufus, just because we are the richest, most fortunate nation in the world and have the arable land to try the experiment, does not make it right for us to waste food that could feed a hungry world, nor should we encourage third world nations to plant food for fuel while their people go hungry.

Am sure you will instantly demolish my amateurish perspective, as you are probably more "expert" than I am (I am just the cliched suburban mom), but there is something really screwy about the whole food for fuel business. In my family, when we are feeling broke and worry about the utility bills, we turn the heat down, put sweaters on, conserve generally. When gas prices go up, we drive less, walk more. We do not start burning up the furniture, the pictures, the books to stay warm....I get hundreds of pounds of manky looking but delicious apples every year from organic apple trees that would give about two days worth of firewood--so I react with horror at the idea of just using food for fuel.

For those interested in the battle over ethanol:

http://www.igreens.org.uk/ethanol_from_corn_.htm

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/08/cant-see-the-fo.html

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/239246/Bt_Corn_Could_Damage_Stream_Ecosystems


On a happier note, a fun story for Bird Dog:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19626275.800-tortoise-shapes-evolved-to-avoid-turning-turtle.html

I have no love for Big Oil. I do agree with much that you write, Rufus. Nor am I a lover of the Democrats, but I am on a feeling roll today, having heard an inspirational sermon by a visiting Indian (as in India) missionary, and ashamed of how fat we all look next to the pictures of the starving orphans they try to raise and educate on what pathetically small amounts we think we can "spare..." .

Africa...don't get me started! Good movies about Africa we have talked for hours about with the children lately have been: "BLood Diamond,"" The Constant Gardener", "Tsotsi." Have a young doctor relative who spent much time giving care in various impoverished countries there, and a steady parade of missionaries at my church, and I admire their zeal, but wonder if any of our help will do any good until the people there develop politically and overcome tribalism, corruption, etc.

Like some on Maggie's Farm, I think, I am no fan of any agricultural subsidies in this country. They were a good stopgap measure to save family farms once upon a time (Dustbowl? an occasional terrible harvest?), but I have no sentimental wish to pay agribusiness not to grow certain crops, or to grow biofuels. Subsidies should be abolished.

I would be the first to admit my ignorance of many aspects of the biofuels issue, but the following seem pretty problematical to me:

--the amount of oil needed to grow all that corn
--the environmental damage done by growing even more corn than now (it exhausts the soil, contributes to erosion, and the genetically engineered corn increasingly being used is starting to have pretty alarming ripple effects on adjacent eco-systems)
--the fact that it needs subsidies to get going (the issue is not one of needing government dollars for new technology--Manhattan Project was an appropriate use of government funds, as one might argue would be the development of life saving new drugs-- but the unwilling donations of our tax dollars to make it profitable for corporations to produce ethanol seems like Big Government of the bully variety).
--The fact that ethanol is not a good fuel. I don't want ethanol in my car or my lawn mower, they don't run as well...(Incidentally, any observant housewife like myself can tell you that the new energy efficient appliances and household items like toilets, etc. simply do not work as well as the energy guzzlers they are replacing. They may use less fuel and/or water, but they often do not clean or cool or power as well. ALso, most of them are now made in China to shoddy standards and have to be replaced every few years. So how is that environmentally friendly? If someone told a radiologist that they had to use new "energy efficient" equipment that missed 20% of the tumors presently being caught, they would riot! It is interesting that we consumers are all being gradually forced to use products that work less well by our Big Government. One can take some measures, like buying last year's model dishwasher that still swishes dishes cleaner with more water than the new "improved" model, but they are reactive and don't affect anybody.

I think we will have to do more with nukes, and people will have to cobble together ways to be more personally energy independent. Cheaper solar panels, a windmill on every farm again, using the water power on one's own land, things that used to be for off the grid wacko hippies could be adapted even to some suburban locations. Hybrid cars, if they can make them with less toxic batteries.

Use, reuse, make do and do without may come back in fashion...

Personally, I'm a mostly frugal New Englander about everything except whichever particular few toys particularly thrill one. So, for example, my ugly 1950s house in a good school district has never been remodelled or added on to (vintage floors, cabinets, yukky styling), but we do buy the family hot computers and cameras and books (tho the latter mostly second hand), and I indulge myself with French cast iron cookware. Otherwise: clothes from the thrift shop, no household help, no fancy cars, no vacations (no air travel), no meals out, grow as much of our vegetables and fruit as we can, buy local and organic food (never eat anything foreign, and choose the local over the Wussified Whole Foods stuff flown thousands of miles to us at inflated prices). Church is the center of our social life, we walk a lot, and we heat one room at a time in winter, except for 65 degree bedrooms after 10. We trade hand me downs with friends, carpool, and our major luxury is a large dog. When kid got first parttime job (only way to get an ipod) she gave 1/3 of salary to fund an orphan in a program run by people we know from church.

I am probably provincial and behind the times. I think there are many instances where the government should help a vital new industry get off the ground. And of course energy is an issue of national security. But I think focussing on decreasing our own domestic consumption rather than merely changing fuels would be a good place to start. Otherwise, we will just be like all the idiots who switch to diet foods but continue to eat too much, and wonder why they are still unhealthy.

Enough, have to go cheer on my beloved Red Sox.

And now for something completely different, to take one's mind off horrible energy angst:
http://www.atomfilms.com/film/gangsta_rap_se.jsp