Ethanol from Corn IS NOT THE ANSWER
Ethanol fuels corn cultivation
Farmers drop other crops hoping to cash in on demand
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
John Seewer
Associated Press
Growing cotton is a family tradition on Webb Bozeman's farm in central Mississippi. But not this year.
Inspired by soaring demand for corn to feed the growing ethanol industry, Bozeman is joining a large number of farmers across the country who will plant corn instead of soybeans, wheat and cotton.
Some in the Midwest are ending their longtime practice of rotating plantings of soybeans one year and corn the next, opting to grow corn in consecutive years.
Livestock farmers are turning pastures into cornfields....
... Some farmers are contemplating planting continuous years of corn, but doing that can lead to pest problems and increased costs for fertilizer and seed, said Bruce Erickson, a Purdue University agricultural economist.
Corn prices are so high, though, that it will cost chicken and pork producers more to feed their animals, and that could end up raising prices at grocery stores.
These are excerpts. The complete article is at the title link.
Why is it that no one seems to be writing about the inadvisability of this trend? There is not enough land on earth to feed the hungry vehicles, let alone the people.
Farmland needs to feed people. Pasture land is for animals. Fallow land is to protect fragile ecosystems and to capture carbon dioxide. Ethanol from corn IS NOT THE ANSWER for our dwindling world supply of energy.
First and foremost is energy efficiency and conservation.
Farmers drop other crops hoping to cash in on demand
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
John Seewer
Associated Press
Growing cotton is a family tradition on Webb Bozeman's farm in central Mississippi. But not this year.
Inspired by soaring demand for corn to feed the growing ethanol industry, Bozeman is joining a large number of farmers across the country who will plant corn instead of soybeans, wheat and cotton.
Some in the Midwest are ending their longtime practice of rotating plantings of soybeans one year and corn the next, opting to grow corn in consecutive years.
Livestock farmers are turning pastures into cornfields....
... Some farmers are contemplating planting continuous years of corn, but doing that can lead to pest problems and increased costs for fertilizer and seed, said Bruce Erickson, a Purdue University agricultural economist.
Corn prices are so high, though, that it will cost chicken and pork producers more to feed their animals, and that could end up raising prices at grocery stores.
These are excerpts. The complete article is at the title link.
Why is it that no one seems to be writing about the inadvisability of this trend? There is not enough land on earth to feed the hungry vehicles, let alone the people.
Farmland needs to feed people. Pasture land is for animals. Fallow land is to protect fragile ecosystems and to capture carbon dioxide. Ethanol from corn IS NOT THE ANSWER for our dwindling world supply of energy.
First and foremost is energy efficiency and conservation.
posted by Kristen at 8:00 PM
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