Resource wars sooner than expected?

[Josie]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/mai...-mostviewedbox

quick excerpt and teaser:

The era of cheap food is over. In Britain, a standard white loaf costs more than £1, grocery bills are driving up inflation and land prices are going through the roof. But steep rises in the price of staples such as wheat and rice are having an even bigger impact on poor countries.

In Cameroon, 24 people have been killed in food riots since February, while in Haiti, protesters chanting, "We're hungry" forced the prime minister to resign this month.
______________________

http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/22/we...to-inform-you/

quick excerpt and teaser:

Up to 100 million people who had managed to raise their incomes above $2 a day found themselves inexorably drawn back to the world poverty level, while millions of those who called themselves “middle class” began, slowly, to realize that they were no such thing. Reports noted that many of the supposed middle class in rich world nations were actually the working poor who had overextended their credit to keep up appearances. And the appearances - and credit access - were fraying







I would like to see how many of you have taken on the attitude of "this can't touch me" , how many of you are saying: "Whoa. I didn't know that" , and how many of you are putting in your order for a lifetime supply of MRE nastiness as we speak.


Discuss.

*screams* THE MEXICANS ARE COMING! THE MEXICANS ARE COMING!

[CrAnIuM]

Discuss. OMING!

The food crisis is indeed a pickle.

The US has forced small time crop growers out of business, this happened YEARS ago.

Almost any part of the United States is able to support a crop of some sort, so while food prices may climb for most people, the US will not go the way of countries that need to import the majority of their food stuffs.

Myself, for example;

I am able to grow and store enough food for myself on my land should the need arise. This of course is an over simplification of the work that goes into growing a modest crop and having a few pigs and cows around. The results are not immediate and the local laws would have to be struck down or changed in order for me to have live stock but ...It can be done.

[Josie]

I have no doubt that Americans will find a way to support their families' needs for nourishment... what I do see happening is the Mexicans jumping the border to what they see as a solution to all their problems... only to be just as hungry. Then they'll do whatever they have to take what someone else has. I don't think it will end very pretty.

*side note: I am about to sway into the computer screen, I'm so sleep-deprived... When I can write more coherently (after a lot of sleep), *puts on arnold voice* I'll be back.

[Scabman]

This is only a problem for poor people, in poor countries, really.
Norway actually "dumped" cheap cheese in poor countries, due too overflow, which in turn fucks with the producers in the country in question.

[KommieKat]

Rice prices are up here because of poor harvest last year.

Mom and pop shops are found selling cheaper than Supermarkets.

[Shade]

The food crisis is indeed a pickle.

hehe

The US has forced small time crop growers out of business, this happened YEARS ago.

Almost any part of the United States is able to support a crop of some sort, so while food prices may climb for most people, the US will not go the way of countries that need to import the majority of their food stuffs.

Myself, for example;

I am able to grow and store enough food for myself on my land should the need arise. This of course is an over simplification of the work that goes into growing a modest crop and having a few pigs and cows around. The results are not immediate and the local laws would have to be struck down or changed in order for me to have live stock but ...It can be done.

I think america saw this along time ago. We kinda prepared for food crisis. We right now can grow alot more food then we could ever eat as a country. The main reason we dont is the economy. It would mean the people growing the crops would get paid less for the crops and thus they would stop growing them. The neat thing is science is catching up. There is a real chance of ending world hunger in the next 10 years. Mainly through produce, and synthasized foods. I think in the end we will either see star trek style food creation or the ability to grow a traditional farms worth of produce in a tiny room. If you think of the current hydroponic systems most pot growers use, it's becoming more and more prevelent and it's taking less and less space to grow these things.

I think i might invest in soybeans!

[4nik8]

I think i might invest in soybeans!

If you're smart, you'll go with corn.

With the bull shit going on about ethanol, corn prices/production is going through the roof.

The conundrum is that ethanol tainted gasoline garners you LESS mpg, doesn't reflect the cost savings per gallon that it should, causes you to actually use MORE oil (see first reason listed) and is the prime reason food costs are now soaring.

Farmers are getting out of growing other staples in favor of the new found market for corn. So...everything that wasn't affected by corn prices before (very few when you think about it) is now costing more than ever because no one wants to grow it.

Sad state of affairs today.

[CrAnIuM]

If you're smart, you'll go with corn.


Sad state of affairs today.

Indeed .. it takes an approximate gallon of fossil fuel to produce a gallon of E85. And in an engine that is not designed SPECIFICALLY
for Ethanol a greater amount of fuel is needed to get the same mileage.

Bottom line: E85 is a bullshit tree hugger feel good pipe dream that does nothing but cause a food shortage.

[Shade]

Indeed .. it takes an approximate gallon of fossil fuel to produce a gallon of E85. And in an engine that is not designed SPECIFICALLY
for Ethanol a greater amount of fuel is needed to get the same mileage.

Bottom line: E85 is a bullshit tree hugger feel good pipe dream that does nothing but cause a food shortage.

Unless we can find an alternative source of making corn!!

[Hardwood]

Unless we can find an alternative source of making corn!!

I understand there is a plant in the sea that we can use in place of corn for the purpose of making fuel. I will try to find it................

[4nik8]

I understand there is a plant in the sea that we can use in place of corn for the purpose of making fuel. I will try to find it................

Although there may be a plant in the ocean to create fuel from, I have heard nothing about this. That doesn't mean that it doesn't exist it just means I'm unfamiliar with it.

What I have heard about is oil companies making fuel out of algae. They found that by harvesting it from ponds that the oils it produced could be converted into ethanol.

A newer company has found that by growing various types of genetically modified algae in a controlled environment, they can produce more and different types of oils...some similar to light crude oil.
When the oil is extracted it can be converted into diesel, jet fuel and other products.

All this can be done using less water and for far cheaper than growing corn.

[4nik8]

... in an engine that is not designed SPECIFICALLY
for Ethanol a greater amount of fuel is needed to get the same mileage.

[/SIZE].

I learned something in your post that I had not previously known.
This one part I quoted, however, isn't so.

The Cons of Buying an E85 Ethanol Vehicle
While owning an E85 vehicle certainly has its positives, there also are negatives. Miles per gallon suffer when you run on E85 ethanol because it doesn't contain as much energy as regular-grade gasoline.

Here's the link:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/the-co...5-vehicles.htm

Wasn't trying to bust your balls. I just want people to understand the truth about E 85. It's costing us everywhere and saving us NOTHING.

[CrAnIuM]

I learned something in your post that I had not previously known.
This one part I quoted, however, isn't so.



Here's the link:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/the-co...5-vehicles.htm

Wasn't trying to bust your balls. I just want people to understand the truth about E 85. It's costing us everywhere and saving us NOTHING.

Indeed.

[suki]

The food crisis is indeed a pickle.

The US has forced small time crop growers out of business, this happened YEARS ago.

Almost any part of the United States is able to support a crop of some sort, so while food prices may climb for most people, the US will not go the way of countries that need to import the majority of their food stuffs.

Myself, for example;

I am able to grow and store enough food for myself on my land should the need arise. This of course is an over simplification of the work that goes into growing a modest crop and having a few pigs and cows around. The results are not immediate and the local laws would have to be struck down or changed in order for me to have live stock but ...It can be done.

dood. I think calling it an over-simplification is...an over-simplification.

I have friends...TRAINED AGRICULTURALISTS who are attempting self-sustainability.

they are over a decade in and still can't survive without SOME outside food stuffs.


I come from farmers. they can almost NEVER self support. if they grow grain they can manage SOME animals (therefore meat and milk and eggs)...

but never enough to feed the staff needed to keep the farm running.

not to mention family farms are all but fucking doomed these days...unless they start off with a wicked large inheritance or trust fund.

makes me sick...cause I REALLY hate society.

[suki]

I think i might invest in soybeans!

don't even get me started on soy.

sure. we can live off it if for a generation or two...they the iso-flavanoids will interfere with women's estrogen levels to the point where we'll only give birth to male children.

and...(I told you not to get me started, fucker)...

we all know that anytime, historically speaking, the male population has been disproportionately large...

war is a'coming.

[suki]

If you're smart, you'll go with corn.

With the bull shit going on about ethanol, corn prices/production is going through the roof.

The conundrum is that ethanol tainted gasoline garners you LESS mpg, doesn't reflect the cost savings per gallon that it should, causes you to actually use MORE oil (see first reason listed) and is the prime reason food costs are now soaring.

Farmers are getting out of growing other staples in favor of the new found market for corn. So...everything that wasn't affected by corn prices before (very few when you think about it) is now costing more than ever because no one wants to grow it.

Sad state of affairs today.

ethanol started this whole fucking food crisis.


which in my opinion isn't a food crisis, at all.

it's a POPULATION crisis. we CAN NOT continue to live the way we are.

this is just another version of a thread we had a few weeks ago...but nobody seems to be noticing that but me.



WHICH IS WHY I HATE YOU ALL!!!!

[suki]

Indeed .. it takes an approximate gallon of fossil fuel to produce a gallon of E85. And in an engine that is not designed SPECIFICALLY
for Ethanol a greater amount of fuel is needed to get the same mileage.

Bottom line: E85 is a bullshit tree hugger feel good pipe dream that does nothing but cause a food shortage.

oh, no you didn't, motherfucker!

tree huggers didn't dream up this cock-a-maimy idea.

it was actually rightist, money grubbing, ass wipes who wanted an alternative to petroleum reliance.

they KNEW it was environmentally unsound...and didn't give a fuck.

hippies who didn't know any better later jumped on board.

the ultimate dupe.

[suki]

Although there may be a plant in the ocean to create fuel from, I have heard nothing about this. That doesn't mean that it doesn't exist it just means I'm unfamiliar with it.

What I have heard about is oil companies making fuel out of algae. They found that by harvesting it from ponds that the oils it produced could be converted into ethanol.

A newer company has found that by growing various types of genetically modified algae in a controlled environment, they can produce more and different types of oils...some similar to light crude oil.
When the oil is extracted it can be converted into diesel, jet fuel and other products.

All this can be done using less water and for far cheaper than growing corn.

ugh. why are we still insisting on petro alternatives...that are basically fucking petroleum?

if other technologies hadn't been buried by Detroit three decades ago...


aaaaaaaaagh! I can't even finish that statement. we would've figured another way to completely self-destruct, anyway.

[suki]

I need a nap.

[4nik8]

don't even get me started on soy.

sure. we can live off it if for a generation or two...they the iso-flavanoids will interfere with women's estrogen levels to the point where we'll only give birth to male children.

and...(I told you not to get me started, fucker)...

we all know that anytime, historically speaking, the male population has been disproportionately large...

war is a'coming.

This shit made LOL.

The current ratio has females as the predominant sex in the US yet we're at war in 2 countries (that are being publicized anyway) and looking to bust Iran's ass anytime now.

[suki]

This shit made LOL.

The current ratio has females as the predominant sex in the US yet we're at war in 2 countries (that are being publicized anyway) and looking to bust Iran's ass anytime now.

no accounting for political madmen.

check the historical significance of male:female ratio...

and hemlines.

ok, fuck the hemlines. I was just trying to give you something to do for a few hours.