The next time you pull up to the pump and fill up your SUV – Take a moment to reflect on what you are actually putting into your tank? And aside from the rising cost of filling that tank, what is the true, hidden cost, and more importantly, can we really afford it?
As the U.S. ethanol industry continues to grow, the amount of corn used for ethanol production is increasing dramatically. Some question whether corn growers can satisfy demand for both renewable fuels and traditional uses like livestock and poultry feed, food processing and exports, and thus the food vs. fuel debate is back to stare us in the face, pocketbook and possibly grocery bag.
Coinciding with growing ethanol demand, prices Americans are paying for food has also risen. Now in truth, the blame cannot be completely placed on the use of food products to make ethanol – at least not yet. Numerous statistical facts have demonstrated that the price of oil – not corn prices or ethanol production – has the greatest impact on consumer food prices because its use is integral to virtually every phase of food production, from processing to packaging to transportation. Therein lies the addiction. Like any addict, we want to place the blame somewhere, of course, it is not our fault. However, the facts cannot be denied. According to a June 2007 analysis of food, energy and corn prices conducted by John Urbanchuk of LECG, LLC, “rising energy prices had a more significant impact on food prices than did corn.” In fact, the report notes rising energy prices have twice the impact on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food than does the price of corn.
“Energy costs have a much greater impact on consumer food costs as they impact every single food product on the shelf,” said Urbanchuk. “Energy is required to produce, process, package and ship each food item. Conversely, corn prices impact just a small segment of the food market as not all products rely on corn for production. While it may be more sensational to lay the blame for rising food costs on corn prices, the facts don’t support that conclusion. By a factor of two-to-one, energy prices are the chief factor determining what American families pay at the grocery store.”
The problem with addiction is not how we get the drug to feed it – but the problem is that we are addicted in the first place.
Just like any addiction, the true need of an addict is overshadowed by the perceived need – in this case – fuel to fill our gas tanks. Do we really need an SUV that guzzles 50% more gas than an economy vehicle? Do we really need to “drive” to the market or could we walk or ride a bicycle? The junkie will say “of course I can – I can stop driving whenever I want to”. Sure we can.
And just like any junkie or crackhead, how is this addiction satisfied? By a big savings account to use to purchase the drugs? Of course not – This is when the effect called “robbing Peter to pay Paul” takes place – but in this case, it is robbing tomorrow’s dinner table to buy a tank of fuel. Sound drastic? Wax poetic with me for a moment – When a first time drug user takes that first sniff, snort, or puff, their mentality is “I am under control, I am just trying it to see how it feels.” Right? Then what happens? They keep trying to get that same high that they did the FIRST time when they were supposedly “in control”. There was never any control from the first time that drug hit the blood stream – they were hooked. We are hooked on a different type of drug, but just as expensive and just as addicting – fossil fuel. Drilling for more equals environmental impact; purchasing from overseas equals being controlled by foreign oil prices; considering drilling in new areas in USA – equals environmental fears – and the beat goes on. So what do we do? Do we “cut back” on our use? Of course not – from the very first full tank in our SUV – we were hooked – it takes more fuel to go the same number of miles – why? We are also hooked on something else – the bigger and better and faster vehicles we use. Oh yeah, but we were TOTALLY under control of the situation, right? That control leads to the bright idea of using food (corn) to produce “clean” fuel – ethanol – hmmm – so where is the control? Corn, is a commodity that will need to be produced more to meet the current demand for – dare I say – food; but now must increase to produce ethanol. So where again is the control? Since our vehicles are not getting smaller and slower – but faster and bigger – and our need to have our goods processed and transported to our local grocery store where we drive our SUV’s to purchase those groceries is not going to diminish – the need to produce more fuel will only grow and grow and grow – until when? Until there is not only a fossil fuel crisis – but an ethanol fuel crisis. Then what? “Peter” can only take being robbed so many times before even HE gets tapped out. But there is more. The Bush Administration has a new target of 35 billion gallons a year by 2017, which represents a five-fold increase in ethanol production. Where will all that corn come from? And how can we use the food off of someone’s table to fill our gas tank? Quite easily I suspect. With frightful statistics that every day, almost 15,000 children die from hunger-related causes–one child every five seconds. So, in essence, hunger is the most extreme form of poverty, where individuals or families cannot afford to meet their most basic need for food – however more frightful is that these facts do not seem to be a big concern for us, are they? Just like the crackhead mother who rationalizes why she had to leave her children at home – with no food – to go and buy some more crack cocaine to “feed” her habit – we sit in our SUVs quite snug and smug in our fuel guzzling mini home with DVD and XM radio blaring and don’t even blink an eye. Why? Because it doesn’t affect “me” or “us” or “my family.” Do we stop and consider the impact of our consumption? May be on Earth Day – but not really. Because truly considering it would mean doing something about it. The moment we stepped over the line from using food to create fuel – we were hooked again. Just like the crackhead who is told that going on a methadone program will help them kick cocaine – ok sure, so they won’t be a crackhead anymore – but methadone is a drug as well – and many professionals say it is harder to kick than cocaine – but its ok – because at least we are off of cocaine or hmmm – fossil fuel and on to methadone – hmmm – ethanol. What is a little increased corn production among friends? The problem is not what we are hooked on – the problem is that we are hooked at all – when if we really wanted to – we could take control of – IF we really wanted to.
So the next time you hear on the 6 o’clock news about another mother selling her food stamps to score some drugs – and you cringe with disgust and ask your self – what is this world coming to? Ratchet down that smug judgment for just a moment. And the next time you find yourself needing a “hit”, look in the reflection of your rear view mirror as you fill up your gas tank and ask yourself – how am I any different?
You are so right Denise. It is easy to get into that comfort bubble and float through life unaffected. Our challenge is to pop that bubble, take a look around, and contribute to the greater good, even when we are lucky enough to be untouched by the problem.
As ethanol does nothing to help the environment and the corn use is killing many people and causing all kinds of disruptions – ie phosphate prices skyrocketing. We should stop useless ethanol and start drilling in all those places that they found huge reserves – Does it really make scense that we can’t drill in the gulf while all these other countries are?? If we put all these restrictions on ourselves to try to lead by example, these developing nations will just laugh at us and the only example we will set is how to destroy a once great nation. When I fill up my suv the only thing I will feel bad about is that all the pollution will be coming from the factories in China and India (who won’t do Sh** about pollution) and will have every single manufacturing job.