But Will It Prevent Food Riots in the US?

‘Clean’ Energy Scam: U.S. senator seeks to freeze ethanol requirement

ASHINGTON (Reuters) – Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is drawing up legislation to cap the U.S. renewable fuels requirement at 2008 levels – 9 billion gallons per year. Texas ranches are home to 2.8 million head of cattle. Cattle and poultry producers rely on grain for feed and have been hit hard by skyrocketing corn prices.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry petitioned the federal government to cut its renewable fuel requirement by 50 percent this year to break the vicious circle of grain price hikes.

Corn Belt lawmakers such as Iowa’s Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, whose state farmers are profiting handsomely from the soaring grains prices, have vowed to combat any legislative attempt to reduce or postpone the renewable fuels mandate.

A tiny sliver of transitional rain forest is surrounded by hectares of soybean fields in the Mato Grosso state, Brazil. (Caption: TIME). Photo:  John Lee / Aurora Select for TIME. (Image may be subject to copyright). See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

President [sic] George W. Bush said on Tuesday he is deeply concerned about high food prices but believes ethanol production is responsible for only a small part [sic] of food inflation.

“And the truth of the matter is, it’s in our national interest that we—our farmers—grow energy, as opposed to us purchasing energy from parts of the world that are unstable or may not like us.”

The new energy law calls for the production of 9 billion gallons of biofuel in 2008 and 10.5 billion gallons next year, and a rise to 36 billion gallons in 2022 – with ethanol supply from corn capped at 15 billion gallons.

About 26 percent of corn production would be diverted to make biofuel in 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grain prices hit record highs breaking above $6.50 a bushel. (Source)

Related links:

• As Bush signs energy bill, new issues come to the fore (Background)
  

• Fueling Food Shortages
• Corn for Food, NOT for Fuel
• Former U.N. boss Annan warns of “hunger disasters”
  
• Growing world needs every form of energy: Shell

• UN food aid agency’s gap grows, ration cuts loom
• Brazil Lula defends biofuels from growing criticism
• Corn eyes new peaks, may add to food woes
• Bolivia Morales: biofuels serious problem to poor

• Biofuels won’t solve world energy problem: Shell
• Food price crisis may hit world growth and security: U.N.
• U.N. food aid agency’s gap grows, ration cuts loom
• Oil World expects states to cut back biofuel plans

• Lifstyle Winning Against Life?
• Emerging Food Crisis
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Topsoil

• Index of Human Impact on Nature
• 500 Weather-Related Disasters A Year
• Producing corn ethanol consumes as much fossil fuel as the ethanol itself replaces
• The Clean Energy Scam

• U.S. eyes shift away from corn ethanol
• Scientists: Stop Biofuels to fight world hunger

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