Friday, March 30, 2007
Cuban President Fidel Castro has strongly criticised the use of biofuels by the US, in his first article since undergoing surgery last year.
He said George W Bush's support for the use of food crops in fuel production would cause 3bn deaths from hunger.
The old dictator has a point believe it or not. The use of corn products in ethanol is devastating right now to poor people in Latin America. The cost of corn meal and products such as tortillas have escalated quickly because of increased demand for these products to produce ethanol.
It is the law of unintended consequences. Let me also say that perhaps President Bush's favorite idea of switchgrass, he seems to just like saying that word, might be a better choice. Let me put this in a way Joe Six-pack can understand.
What if cheap domestic beer was found as the best alternative fuel for cars, and corporations kept buying so much of it that demand was excessive, and now you had to pay $15.85 for a six pack of Budweiser. You would be bumming wouldn't you?
Tortillas and masa are near and dear to Mexican's hearts in the same way.
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