Is corn tricking us into making ethanol?
We (humans) tend to see ourselves as having dominion over nature. We take and destroy when we cut down trees and harvest crops. But here's a question: What if, like with bees, plants are actually using us and they are getting more out of the farming relationship than we do? Take ethanol production from corn, which we know to be very inefficient when compared with other sources. It's always assumed Americans do it because of an accident of presidential politics, history of farming in America, economics of farming, etc. What if corn is manipulating us into making ethanol to perpetuate its genes and increase its habitat?That's a theory of Michael Pollan, author of the 2001 book The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World and the speaker at a recent TED talk (you can watch is after the jump). Ten minutes into the talk, Mike says "We are all now being manipulated by corn. And the talk you heard about ethanol earlier today, to me, is the final triumph of corn over good sense. It's part of corn's scheme for world domination." We assume we are the greatest species and consciousness is the apex, but ethanol just might be the best proof that corn is ruling us.
Related:
- Mexico wants to limit corn ethanol with "Food comes first" law
- Esquire: The case for corn
- The EU is going to rethink its biofuel policy
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
rgseidl 10:30AM (2/18/2008)
There are plenty of plants for which co-operation with animals - typically insects or birds - is integral to their procreation. Nectar or fruit are the most common rewards offered for spreading pollen and seeds, respectively.
However, humans have only practiced agriculture since the end of the last ice age, some 12,000 years ago. Deliberate cross-breeding has accelerated the process of evolution for crop plants substantially - modern varieties of corn, rice, potatoes and many others deliver far greater yields per acre than their wild ancestors, often at the expense of flavor and/or natural resistance to pests.
Ethanol has only been used as a motor fuel for a few decades. No doubt some varieties of corn deliver a little bit more sugar than others and hence, are favored as ethanol feedstocks.
However, to posit that corn is somehow deliberately tricking humanity into this is probably a bridge too far. If you discount the language that implies purposeful action by the corn plants (Lamarckian fallacy) or else some higher power (intelligent design notion) and stick with Darwinian theory, you end up with this question: does growing corn for ethanol benefit the ethanol consumers?
The answer to that ought to be no, because it takes so much fossil energy to grow corn. In practice, most consumers are so far removed from the growing process that they are willing to suffer the taxes that pay for the farm subsidies, for social reasons that have nothing to do with the product as such. In other words, corn isn't making anyone grow more corn - it just got lucky.
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Lascelles Linton 10:34AM (2/18/2008)
rgseidl,
"corn isn't making anyone grow more corn - it just got lucky."
That's what corn wants you to think :D
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Tim 10:59AM (2/18/2008)
EVIL GREED aided by IGNORANCE and STUPIDITY!
Example" "My bread dough is getting hotter, must be the activity of the yeast making a green house effect on the surface of the bread. It's Bread Dough Warming. We're all going to die! KILL THE YEAST!"
Just ignore the fact that the dough is in a solar Oven and give us all your money and freedom so we can Kill the Yeast!
Kill the Yeast! Kill the Yeast! Kill the Yeast! Kill the Yeast! Kill the Yeast! Kill the Yeast! Kill the Yeast! Kill the Yeast! Kill the Yeast! Kill the Yeast! Kill the Yeast!
If we repeat it often enough and find some very greedy “scientists” who will accept our research grants for YEARS to come. They will "verify" our mantra then ALL the morons will believe it and give us their money and freedoms so that we can Kill the Yeast.
SHEEPLE!!!
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Franklin 11:19AM (2/18/2008)
Kamyar Enshayan (University of Northern Iowa) made some similar points about ethanol at the Ohio organic growers conference yesterday, and also recommended we try to work within our solar budget, concentrating more on changing the paradigm of consumption and less on substitutionary technology.
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Joseph 11:42AM (2/18/2008)
Corn is evil.
It's that simple.
End of discussion.
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Mike 12:03PM (2/18/2008)
Ever see that movie: Children of the Corn?
Think about it...
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Maynard 12:18PM (2/18/2008)
"And I begged, "Angel of the Lord, what are these tortured screams?" And the angel said unto me, "These are the cries of the carrots, the cries of the carrots! You see, Reverend Maynard, tomorrow is harvest day and to them it is the holocaust." And I sprang from my slumber drenched in sweat like the tears of one million terrified brothers and roared, "Hear me now, I have seen the light! They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! Damn you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers!" Can I get an amen? Can I get a hallelujah? Thank you Jesus.
Life feeds on life feeds on life feeds on life feeds on........
This is necessary."
excerpt from Disgustipated by Tool
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rgseidl 12:23PM (2/18/2008)
@Lascelles -
have you been watching X Files reruns again? The Rasputin pic is a nice touch, btw.
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Lascelles Linton 12:47PM (2/18/2008)
rgseidl, Never really liked that show. The writing was spotty. While I don't know of any chemicals corn produces that has us "addicted" Pollan does talk about drugs in the Botany of Desire. So, people doing insane things over a plant really is not sci fi. Until I see a mechanism behind his theory (I think he would probably agree, everyone was laughing) it's an interesting way of looking at the world. ... or maybe high fructose "corn" syrup is a drug :D
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Zigster 2:34PM (2/18/2008)
Jeez what a dumb read. I hope you are just being facetious.
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Bob Moffitt (Bob from ALAMN) 1:45PM (2/18/2008)
Yes...Master...must...obey!
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Matt Pipes 3:45PM (2/18/2008)
Hmm,
Corn is a very interesting plant in that it requires humans to propagate. Coincidence?
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Wise Golden 6:48PM (2/18/2008)
Linton -- you're harming the environmental movement by making this site seem loopy. Please step away from the keyboard.
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