Fuel vs. Food, Part II

Published Sunday, January 20, 2008 by Dan Gainsford | E-mail this post

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It's quite simple really, it all goes back to fuel, and if we could simply reduce our demands, many of the worlds problems would be addressed. I fear we'll be driving to empty or over-priced grocery stores long before we realize the need to stop driving. But it's not only driving that drives the oil demand, it's the bigger is better linear growth paradigm itself. These articles demonstrate that it's all leading nowhere.

And, for those of us on the bio-fuel bandwagon, it's best we always consider the larger implications of our righteous causes. There is only one answer, which is to let go of the status quo, and re-design our system altogether, from the ground up. This will unlikely happen unless we find ourselves with no other choice, this unfortunately looks to be our future.

While reading these articles, keep in mind that the world consumes roughly 84million barrels of oil per day, a number expected to rise to 118million barrels by 2030. When you do the math 3.5 billion barrels of ethanol only equates 41.6 days of fuel: a drop in the bucket in terms of global fuel consumption, that perhaps comes at a heavy cost of world hunger and continued environmental degradation. But at least we're trying eh.

A New, Global Oil Quandary
"Demand Outstrips Supply

As the multiple conflicts and economic pressures associated with palm oil play out in the global economy, the bottom line seems to be that the world wants more of the oil than it can get."

Green Dreams
"The green line is what we think we can make on farms and from trees and switchgrass"–the equivalent of 3.5 billion barrels of oil.

peace,
d

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