Bush thinks ethanol is increasing price of corn
Although some have argued, even recently, that the drive to convert large amounts of farming acreage to ethanol production has had no effect on the prices people pay for food, that is not the memo our prez has received. I guess someone in Washington noticed the price of corn has shot up 250 percent in the past two years. Not content to let the market work it out for itself, Bush spake to the masses gathered before him at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIRC), "And so we got to do something about it." My, but he is a man of words, isn't he.And what is this "something" the Decider has decided we should do? Make more ethanol, of course. But now, we should make it out of wood chips and agricultural waste. Apparently, we still have lots of trees we don't need and our agricultural waste isn't currently being used for anything besides soil enrichment. According to this article in the New York Times, Bush informed the crowd that the effort is well under way and that the Energy Department had already spent over $1 billion kick starting a "cellulosic ethanol" industry.
Speaking of nuts, the president also let it be known that he had been impressed with the recent flight Virgin Atlantic made from London to Amsterdam on fuel derived from the babassu nut. Though Bush said he had never seen the nut in person, he was amazed it could help power a plane the size of a 747. I guess if the plane had been smaller he would have been less impressed.
[Source: New York Times]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Bob L. 6:44PM (3/06/2008)
Your condescending attitude toward the president is offensive. Keep your personal politics out of your reporting.
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dhofmann 7:54PM (3/06/2008)
If we'd eliminate corn subsidies, I think we would see corn ethanol priced right out of the marketplace.
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MikeW 8:50PM (3/06/2008)
We can thank Bush for being so stupid that it has exposed the sham position that presidency has become.
Bush just does what he is told to do.
Besides he only has ten month left before he is arrested for treason.
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CC 8:45PM (3/06/2008)
Agree with Bob.
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Wise Golden 10:04PM (3/06/2008)
What Bob (#1) said goes for me also.
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GenWaylaid 11:49PM (3/06/2008)
Geez guys, no public figure is above ridicule, least of all the President. If you want to revere a head of state, move to England and shout "God save the Queen!" all day. In my country we hold our leaders accountable, and if you don't like it you can geeeeet out!
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meme 12:00AM (3/07/2008)
[quote]Apparently, we still have lots of trees we don't need and our agricultural waste isn't currently being used for anything besides soil enrichment.[/quote]
The "wood chips" reference is to using *waste* from the lumber and paper industries, not to cutting down trees specifically to make ethanol. The prime purpose of putting ag waste back on the fields, also, is not to add nutrients but to prevent soil erosion. Ethanol production from corn stover doesn't involve using *all* of the stover -- it leaves enough on the fields to prevent erosion. The nutrients left over from production get returned for use as fertilizer. There is a slight negative net impact, but not an accumulative one.
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polandjoe 2:32AM (3/07/2008)
I am as far as possible from being a Bush fan as you can get, but I also hate when people just go with a trend and don't really think for themselves. Hate Bush for the right reasons if you're going to hate him.
Take a class in economics and you will learn something. Increased demand (due to corn being used to make ethanol) for corn will raise the quantity AND price of corn on the market. The only reference you made was a guy suggesting that increased availability of corn is evidence that ethanol isn't affecting food availability or price. Corn has become a more profitable crop for farmers so some of them will switch to corn and others will just grow more. This means all crops will feel an upward pressure on price. Corn will be produced more, and others less. But overall prices are going up no matter what.
Also you make it sound like the government investing in "cellulosic ethanol" is an obviously ludicrous concept. Why exactly? I'd say its one of his better investments dollar for dollar, considering some of the extended overseas journeys we have embarked on under this leader.
Oh, and "spake" is definitely not the past tense of "to speak". You ARE a man of words, aren't you?
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almost Dr. G.. 6:49AM (3/07/2008)
whether bush says something right or something wrong i just dont want to hear it anymore. i come to autoblog to leave the realm of politics and cnn.com and enjoy some cars and the prospect of the car i'll purchase in two years. i just want him to leave office so this country could have some morale again.
oh yea, i voted for him twice too.
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Tim 7:57AM (3/07/2008)
It's not ethanol as much as it is the CRASHING fiat US $Dollar.
The cost of the war, Socialist "entitlement" programs and debt service TO THE FED are forcing the central bank to print too much fiat US Currency just to keep the economy from tanking even faster. That’s why they keep lowering interest rates. IT WON’T HELP! As more is printed, it's purchasing value decreases which causes EVERYTHING to cost more.
Gold has increased 400% in the last 4 years to reach $985/oz and Corn has only gone up 250%? What a STEAL!
Why don’t these Neo-Cons or Democratic-Socialists EVER tell the WHOLE truth?
“You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth.”
There are FEW good men and Bush, McCain, Obama and Clinton II are NOT among them.
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Owain Ozymandias Buck 8:34AM (3/07/2008)
This blog really isn't worth the time for me any more. I think after today, I'm going to leave it alone for a while. I'll check back in a few months to see if the discussion has been infused with any amount of reason and science.
I disagree with much of the Bush administration's policies, but I think they're on target with their energy concerns. Believe it or not, there are actually folks in federal agencies who care what happens to both our economy AND our environment. The shallow press and raving lunacy that have been substituted for inquiry and reasoned debate obscure the hard work of thousands of folks.
Down here in Georgia, we have millions of acres of vastly underutilized pine forest--most of it under private ownership and very well managed. By private, I mean over half is owned by individuals. The 30-35% owned corporately is some of the best managed forest in the world. The big focus for cellulosic ethanol here is overcoming the difficulties of getting the sugars out of trees--they don't do as well as grasses. The thermochemical processes of recent develpoment may turn out to be a good way of converting pine biomass to alcohols. Unmerchantable timber and harvest residues are the primary feedstock focus, but the future is wide open. Point is, our land use patterns won't be affected as drastically with this initative. Deforestation is a serious issue--our country should take the lead in promoting well managed, sustainable forests and finding really smart ways to adjust our cropping systems for energy crop rotations without seriously changing land use.
Come on folks--we're smarter than our politics and personal secular religions. You're telling me we can't do this? Damn. Have some hope. Have some confidence in community and hard work--or smart work I should say.
See you in a few months.
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Domenick Yoney 8:42AM (3/07/2008)
For polandjoe:
"Oh, and "spake" is definitely not the past tense of "to speak"."
Spake is an archaic form of the past tense of spoke.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spake?r=7
Here is an example of it used in a classic piece of literature:
Genesis chapter 8, verse 15: And God spake unto Noah, saying,
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Bob L. 9:24AM (3/07/2008)
Yes You sir are Correct!
10. It's not ethanol as much as it is the CRASHING fiat US $Dollar.
The cost of the war, Socialist "entitlement" programs and debt service TO THE FED are forcing the central bank to print too much fiat US Currency just to keep the economy from tanking even faster. That’s why they keep lowering interest rates. IT WON’T HELP! As more is printed, it's purchasing value decreases which causes EVERYTHING to cost more.
Gold has increased 400% in the last 4 years to reach $985/oz and Corn has only gone up 250%? What a STEAL!
Why don’t these Neo-Cons or Democratic-Socialists EVER tell the WHOLE truth?
“You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth.”
There are FEW good men and Bush, McCain, Obama and Clinton II are NOT among them.
Reply
b33gee 9:33AM (3/07/2008)
This administration if the most ineffectual, short-sighted, 'lets jump on the latest trendy bandwagon, in history. After all the pandering to big oil and coal, sabotaging Kyoto, refusing to recognize the truth about global warming, I dont know how any rational person can claim that the Bush energy policies are relevant and correct. Condescension well deserved. Keep it up. For every freedom-fries patriot you lose, you'll gain 10 rational, free thinkers. Good riddance on the offended 'patriots'.
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LWood 10:01AM (3/07/2008)
Are we having fun now? Without lunacy and shallow reporting we would not have a mainstream media in America.
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ty 10:59AM (3/07/2008)
I believe the term is "Bush babble". We are not safer or better off than when he took office. His legacy may very well be that he is viewed as the worst President in US history. Today energy independence and national security are close to the same thing. We need EV's, diesels, hybrids, and any other cominations you can think of to replace a single source of power, oil. I'm thinking mainly motive power here so didn't include coal or nuke. But with a big influx of pure EV's you could.
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1985 Gripen 12:40PM (3/07/2008)
In the battle against ethanol there are a lot of very valid concerns.
However, when it comes down to it I look at the biggest possible picture: what's worse OVERALL for the planet: burning a gallon of gasoline or a gallon of ethanol in my car?
Because I think the BIGGEST single environmental threat to the planet is global climate change due to greenhouse gases, I think that ethanol is better than gasoline even considering all of its problems, monetary and otherwise.
Ethanol is hardly ideal, but until we're able to all drive electric vehicles powered by renewable energy, we've got to take the lesser of evils.
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Dan 1:22PM (3/07/2008)
Don't you understand that moving to ethanol is just wasting money instead of moving to purely electric powered vehicles with a sustainable power grid??? Think of all the money this Prez has wasted just by playing with the ethanol lobbyists because they line his pockets.
By moving to ethanol... all you are doing is sealing the dam with bubble gum instead of patching it with concrete.
God... I had no idea autobloggreen readers were such douchebags. Both politically and intellectually.
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polandjoe 6:34PM (3/07/2008)
To Domenick:
Oh forgive me sir you are indeed so wise. You used an "archaic" phrase and cited the Bible. I bow to your cranial superiority. But could I trouble you for an answer to my allegations of your unsupported argument and lack of economic sense? Thanks.
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Arnie 8:40PM (3/07/2008)
Gee this just gets better and better! An ABGreen Progressive "quoting" the Bible? Maybe I could get a job blogging here? Look! Here's my resume! Tell me I'm not ideal for the job!
My resume ehh my beliefs (who cares about something as mundane as ability or common sense these days):
- Bush is the Anti-Christ
- I think democracy doesn't really work
- I don't like rich people
- Everybody should be equally poor
- Hope and Change!
- This unusually cold winter is because of Global Warming ehh Climate Change
- I don't really like cars; public transportation is the future!
- Someone's gain is someone's loss
- I wish Ford and GM would go bancrupt!
- I hate Bush with all my non-soul!
For a full resume, by all means contact me! You've got my address.
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