One of the worst proposed alternatives to petroleum are biofuels. Yes, I know the beautiful green and yellow logos with the sunflower on the gas pump too. Kind of makes you think, "I'm doing my part, I'm gassing up AND helping the environment". Gas 1, Guilt 0. Of course that is what we are led to believe. This is the oil industry's attempt to appease the "environmentalists" and at the same time continue to assure that we all remain addicted to our cars and car dependent lifestyles. Oh yeah, and that we buy their commodities. By the way I am not totally decrying cars. I use one. But that's the problem: there's little plausible alternative. I bike, yes, I take the train, metro, the bus, etc... but sometimes I drive. But, the one choice I can easily make is not to buy biodiesel. Why?

There are two main types of biodiesel, that made from non-edible organic matter (switchgrass, etc...) and that made from food. Presently, technology is not at the point of making the non-edible plants into a potent fuel, at least at a mass produced scale. And, until it is, FOOD is being grown to fuel our cars. See the problem yet? Whoever thought that your gas station would be competing with your grocery store for corn on the cob? I saw a lecture online recently by a well-meaning American venture capitalist who had the right idea, that is, that our planet is in serious peril and our lifestyles are to blame. But, he was quick to tout Brazil's wonderful switch to biofuels. Strike 1.

One of the reasons food prices are skyrocketing lately is because our cars are starting to compete with us for sustenance. The others are that the economic growth in Asia is allowing them to eat more meat, which consumes a lot of grain in the form of feed. And also, of course... you guessed it... the price of oil.

There have been demonstrations and some riots around the world in the poorer countries. Farmers are easily tempted to accept oil company subsidies rather than to sell to grocery stores, simply because of the higher net profit. But, for western countries, we have thus far been able to absorb the 20% increase in food prices, which has been caused mainly by this biofuel dilemma as well as the rise in oil prices. Today it is near $122 a barrel. Compare that with $10 a barrel in 1998. Sad news is, it isn't going back down that way. Ever. In any case, for the poorer countries, a rise in food price can be a matter of life or death. Biofuels have even been called a "crime against humanity" by one UN official.

So, starving people in poorer countries (and those in richer ones too) are buying rice at inflated prices because we all want to drive our SUVs AND save the environment. Good one.

Not only are biodiesels bad for humanity in the short term, but they are bad in the medium term too. For the world biofuel leader, Brazil, unregulated companies are simply cutting down old growth forests to put up a crop of corn or sugar to sell to our cars and reap the short term reward. So, any minimal offset that biofuels might have had by being less carbon intensive (questionable), is offset by far by the loss of the rain forests they replace. We would do much more for the climate crisis if we simply didn't cut the trees down to begin with. Or better yet, planted some more, just for their (and our) own sakes.

Thirdly, biofuels are only possible on the scale that they are grown and distributed because we have been fertilizing our soils with petroleum based fertilizers for decades now. Without it, crop yields would be much lower. This so called "green revolution" which started in the mid-20th century and has indeed doubled the amount of grain yield globally. Yet, poverty has not halved. Why is this? Well, it's a very complex matrix of interconnectedness with markets and corporate ownership, transportation, distribution and political control and I won't pretend to fully understand it. But, nonetheless, why are we (western countries) "donating" food to underdeveloped countries. A wise man once said, "give someone a fish..., teach someone to fish..." Figuratively, I mean. But, literally, we are an impediment to third world growth and poverty reduction by our own over-consumption lifestyles. For a better take on the complex relationship, check out this great video: The Story of Stuff

What's more, massive agribusiness companies such as Monsanto have developed what are known as "terminator seeds", which are seeds that are genetically modified to not reproduce. Therefore, poorer countries which buy or are given this grain, cannot plant it again in the next season. They have to get it from Monsanto again. If this is not the definition of lunacy, I don't know what is! That, my friends, is a crime against humanity.

So, now hunger is spiraling out of control in the world. The worst food crisis in a generation they say. What can you do?

Number 1, stop demanding biofuels by simply boycotting them.

Number 2, do what you can to spread the word about dangerous terminator technology.

Number 3, eat less meat.

Number 4, plant a garden.

Peace,
Grant