Comments | metaphorsbwithu: there's no problem ... only solutions

metaphorsbwithu

there's no problem ... only solutions

Apr 15, 2008 10:33

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WANT SOME CORN SQUEEZIN'S AND BRIE WITH THAT CROISSANT MY FRIEND? OR - THE AUDACITY OF HATESomeone once said that liberals weren’t stupid; it’s just that everything they believe is wrong ( Read more... )

philosophy, meditation, current events

Comments 7

goodall April 15 2008, 23:18:51 UTC

The number one problem of the nations with food shortages:

Compare their population growth to the amount of food they grow for the growing population.

It doesn't add up, and wouldn't, even before the age of ethanol. Many of those countries were not self sufficient in food production before the days of ethanol, and it is getting even worse now with extremist Christian or Muslim leaders encouraging folks to have as many children as they can.

Also, the governments, military, and civil services in those countries are extremely corrupt. In some of those same countries, firemen expect you to personally pay them if you want them to hose the fire out of your house. In those same countries, excess food is bought or stolen by these corrupt souls, for their own families or to sell at higher prices to others.

Nothing to do with ethanol.

with all due respect metaphorsbwithu April 17 2008, 15:04:01 UTC

RE: Nothing to do with ethanol

Of course some of the anecdotal examples you mentioned apply in part, and I acknowledge the effect of local politics and weather, but if you don't think the main reason for shortages and high prices are not fuel related, you have a geranium in your cranium. ;-)

Have you noticed the price of milk, eggs, or even pop corn lately? Or corn-fed beef?

Even the radical environmental economist Jeffrey Sachs admitted as such last night on the Charlie Rose Show, although he also blamed global warming and a lack of concern by the World Food Bank and the industrialized world ( ... )

Re: with all due respect goodall April 18 2008, 15:50:56 UTC

In California, the food prices have gone up either very little or not at all in the areas you have mentioned. I know, because 1. I work at a culinary school, so I get to hear about the wholesale end of the scoop, and 2. I am a regular food shopper, and have not seen the prices of beef, milk, eggs, or popcorn change at all. Produce, on the other hand, has become incredibly expensive (regular non-organic bananas--79 cents a pound out here!) if it is not local and seasonal, and of course gasoline. Pretty soon we will be at $4.00/gallon. $3.60 a gallon is seen as a good price out here.

Re: with all due respect metaphorsbwithu April 18 2008, 16:08:20 UTC

From the AP:

... higher U.S. prices seem eye-popping after years of low inflation. Eggs cost 25 percent more in February than they did a year ago, according to the USDA. Milk and other dairy products jumped 13 percent, chicken and other poultry nearly 7 percent.

USDA economist Ephraim Leibtag explained the jumps in a recent presentation to the Food Marketing Institute, starting with the factors everyone knows about: sharply higher commodity costs for wheat, corn, soybeans and milk, plus higher energy and transportation costs.There are sure to be local exceptions. I can tell you that eggs here, which last year could be purchased on sale for $1 a dozen and usually topped out at around $1.40-1.50 are now costing $1.89-2.19 for large eggs. Milk that sold for $3.59-3.99 is now $4.35-4.59 for generic brands, name-brands around $5.50 ( ... )

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