"As Ethanol Takes Its First Steps, Congress Proposes a Giant Leap"
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/wa****ngton/18ethanol.html?th&emc=th
= http://tinyurl.com/3dbq9f
(TinyUrl in case first link breaks).
Some excerpts from the article:
"Producing about seven billion gallons of ethanol a year from corn has
reshaped agricultural markets and sent corn prices soaring. Congress
wants to double that level of production, to 15 billion gallons."
....
"The new legislation would OBLIGE farmers to grow NEW crops in new ways,
....". (CAPS are my emphasis)
I haven't read the bill, but that last sentence sounds like farmers who
grow barley, for instance, could be OBLIGED to grow corn as a NEW crop.
Sounds completely un-American to me and I don't see how the government
can do such a thing, but then maybe they're referring to a little arm
twisting -- e.g., 'if you want your farm subsidy over here ... or your
tax credit over there ... then you will grow corn for ethanol'.
And then this second article ...
"Food and Fuel Compete for Land"
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/business/18food.html?pagewanted=1&th&emc=th
= http://tinyurl.com/yvnc37
(TinyUrl in case first link breaks).
Excerpts:
"In Oregon, Jack Joyce, the owner of Rogue Ales, said the cost of barley
malt has soared 88 percent this year."
....
"Last week, the Senate voted 86 to 8 for a new energy bill containing
expanded ethanol mandates, and the House is expected to follow suit this
week."
So, it looks to me like our higher barley prices are probably here to
stay. I don't know whether ethanol production is a good idea or not,
but I also worry about the impact on our land and water resources. I
was watching a TV show just last week that was speaking about our water
crisis, our dimini****ng aquafers, the possibility of a long-term
drought, and that corn needs heavy irrigation compared to other grains
like wheat (didn't menton barley). I'm no farmer, so I don't know how
they compare. I'd just hate to wake up ten years from now in the midst
of another dust bowl where we can't irrigate and produce even enough
food to eat, let alone to make ethanol.
My son insists that if we would grow hemp (NOT the kind with THC), that
we could produce FAR more energy than with corn, but the U.S. bans the
growth of hemp, unlike Canada (supposedly) and other nations. It just
seems that our legislators in Wa****ngton always have their heads up
their *****.
Cheers ... but not much to be cheerful about with that news.
Bill Velek - PERSONAL sites = www.velek.com & www.2plus2is4.com
780+ homebrewer group just for Equipment: www.tinyurl.com/axuol
630+ just for Growing Hops/Herbs/Grains: www.tinyurl.com/3au2uv
NEW group just for Homebrewing Supplies: www.tinyurl.com/2wnang
Join 'Homebrewers' to Help Cure Disease: www.tinyurl.com/yjlnyv
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