Using Food to Make Fuel Is "Criminal" Venezuela's Ramirez Says

[whatchamacallit]

Pretty humane stance for an evil "dictatorship"...

April 21 (Bloomberg) -- Using crops to produce fuel is ``criminal'' as the world suffers a food shortage, Venezuela's oil minister said in Rome where energy ministers from around the globe are meeting to discuss investment plans.

``Look at the effect it has, the craziness,'' Rafael Ramirez told reporters today in the Italian capital, where he is attending the three-day International Energy Forum. ``All countries, and particularly in Latin America, have problems with food stuffs. It is such a bad idea to use foodstuffs for fuel, it is criminal.''

The U.S. and Europe have been encouraging the development of fuels made from crops such as corn and soybeans to limit their dependence on oil imports as prices reach a record. Biofuels are also being promoted as a renewal energy source to limit climate change.

Global food stocks are at their lowest since the 1980s, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization as food lines form in the Philippines and soaring rice prices cause riots in Haiti and Egypt. Biofuels are partly to blame for rising food prices because they displace crops that might otherwise be used to feed people or animals, oil industry officials said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aVWkvzDDYy3I&refer=news

[Hugabear]

1. Someone needs to shut that dictator up

He's talking too much sense.

[RB TexLa]

2. An oil minster opposing fuel made of something other than oil? Will miracles never cease?

Not dismissing the concern over food supplies but, what would you expect from someone who oversees the oil industry of an oil producing country?

[whatchamacallit]

4. Hmm... I'll ponder that

Maybe his opinions are less than altruistic, but the peasants will still get a far better shake under these guys than anybody we'd prefer.

[L. Coyote]

3. SUV & Hummer Heaven running on corn is not the image of America we want in the future.

Rich Americans like Arnold, driving big Hummers or SUSs in not the image to project to a hungry world.
The USA, with so many ethanol plants and so much food being used to make fuel,
may become viewed as the enemy of a starving world paying too much for food so the rich can drive Hummers.

[Vanje]

7. Foreclosures near job sources are reselling very well

Foreclosures a long commute from jobs are going unsold.
Whole housing developments are being abandoned.
New platted and staked developments are going unfinished.

This whole long commute into the far suburbs thing is fast losing its appeal.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89803663

[BlooInBloo]

5. Heh. Interesting perspective.

[KansDem]

6. He's right...

Pitting "crops for food" against "crops for fuel" is a stupid idea. We need to move beyond finite energy sources...

[BigDaddy44]

8. No arguments here.........