Bio-Fueled Food Crisis

From the Guardian:

Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian.

The damning unpublished assessment is based on the most detailed analysis of the crisis so far, carried out by an internationally-respected economist at global financial body.

The figure emphatically contradicts the US government's claims that plant-derived fuels contribute less than 3% to food-price rises. It will add to pressure on governments in Washington and across Europe, which have turned to plant-derived fuels to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and reduce their dependence on imported oil.

Crop based bio fuels are criminal. Their is no other side to it. They cause more greenhouse gas emissions, all told, than using plain old gasoline. We're destroying natural ecosystems to plant them. Even if we turned all our cropland towards biofuels, we still would only replace a fraction of our oil usage. And, their production is pushing millions into starvation.  

The only beneficiaries are the agri-business concerns reaping huge profits on their corn, and the politicians they buy off. Think about it, if crops are competing with oil in the market, they will eventually be pushed to the same price. Our policies can no longer be determined by narrow corporate interest. It is not a moral question, it is a question of survival. Short term, short sighted profits generally stand in opposition to long term sustainability.

There are exciting possibilities for biofuels, including using plants that can grow on non-arable land and algae in tanks. In the meantime, we know what we need to do. Drive less. Walk more. Increase car efficiency. Improve mass transit. Move towards electric cars fueled by clean energy. 

And stop feeding cars by taking food out of people's mouths.