Have you heard about the emergency proposal to redirect corn that has been contracted for ethanol so it can be put to other uses this year? I haven't, but I'm hoping this gets on the table quickly given our food predicament.
Given the global grain supply situation, which, going into this northern hemisphere growing season has basically no reserves or tolerance for diminished harvests, the dependence on the global system on our midwestern grain production, and the floods across the midwest that are an unmitigated disaster for farmers, it seems to me that we are in for a huge food supply problem starting right about now.
Corn-based ethanol was not a good solution to begin with and was already affecting the world food situation. To continue to significantly ramp up ethanol production in the face of a major agricultural disaster like this is insanity and will make the situation worse.
I apologize for the short, link-free diary on this. I am writing fast and I have to run. I'm in the midwest and the damage is simply overwhelming. I wanted to put this idea out there. I'd love to hear your ideas about how to push/support the idea of redirecting ethanol-bound corn this year.
Here's to Hope, from the midwest.