Re: OT Gas Prices and the Blame Game

On May 30, 1:57 am, Martin Brown <|||newspam...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
James Arthur wrote:
On May 29, 11:23 am, Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelati...@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Richard The Dreaded Libertarian wrote:

Paul E. Schoen wrote:

It's good that people are scared.
NO IT IS NOT !

Right. As one example, "scared" means the USA is spending billions
upon billions to subsidize corn-based ethanol. That's money wasted,
that was meant to but which doesn't reduce CO2, that drives up the
world price of food, which has people in Haiti eating mud, and causes
inflation here at home.

That's not due to *people* being scared. It is due to congress critters
being lobbied by the grain producers representatives (pure profit
motive).


Not so. Ethanol, like biodiesel, got started here as a supposedly
green, CO2-reducing form of alternative energy. It was and is a
direct response to fears of global warming and an attempt to reduce
our contribution. Other groups rapidly piled on, as it's a sort of
"perfect wave" of manna satisfying a diverse group of interests--
reducing dependence on oil imports, alternative energy, "green," more
money for farmers, fuel suppliers love the subsidy, etc.

Unfortunately, it's a misguided response, but now we're committed to
it. Too many farmers have staked their livelihoods on it.


It drives grain prices much higher but acheives almost nothing
when you factor in the fuel, fertiliser and processing costs.

Exactly correct.

It would be a different matter if the ethanol was made being from the
waste stream of corn production. Making fuel from foodstuffs is insane.

About the only viable ethanol production system at present are the C4
metabolism sugar cane type grasses with symbiotic nitrogen fixing
bacteria. They at least do give a net return on investment without state
subsidies.



Human beings in poor countries are starving because of this.

Scared, people do irrational, ill-considered, unhelpful things.

Indeed. The problem of being seen to do something.

People should however be made aware that we are coming to the end of the
dirt cheap oil golden age where massive conspicuous overconsumption and
deliberate waste of energy are acceptable.

Deliberate waste? I don't see that. Fuel has just been so cheap that
it didn't matter. Nowadays the case for conserving fuel will be more
compelling.

Cheers,
James Arthur
.

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