FOOD

Now It’s the $6 Loaf of Bread

As prices soar, food has replaced oil as the big threat to the long-running global economic expansion.

By Rod Nordland and Daniel Gross | NEWSWEEK

May 5, 2008 Issue

« Return to Article

Discuss

Posted By: Jaray24 @ 05/05/2008 10:56:16 PM

Comment: American needs to focus on itself. As prices increase more and more people will turn to stealing, or they will just foreclose on their home commit a federal crime, (rob a bank) and go to prison where they have a roof over their head, 3 meals a day, and the rest of America pays for it. The Gov. needs to look at it's own people and get them there they need to be, then help others. You can't help others for to long if you don't help your own people.
Posted By: patriciakaye @ 05/03/2008 8:40:13 PM

Comment: If The American Gov. would start Worrying about America things might be better here..America is falling and they were about china ,india and iraq . I don't want anyone to starve but seems to me that i dont here a mention of Americas poor and weak and how they will survive a food shortage and price raising!!!!
Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:57:13 AM

Comment: So why do we still pay farmers not to plant crops, does it make sence to do this when we need more food raised? Stop paying them, and i am sure the crops will in turn start to increase, when they plant more area that they are not being paid to plant.
Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:57:00 AM

Comment: So why do we still pay farmers not to plant crops, does it make sence to do this when we need more food raised? Stop paying them, and i am sure the crops will in turn start to increase, when they plant more area that they are not being paid to plant.
Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:56:51 AM

Comment: So why do we still pay farmers not to plant crops, does it make sence to do this when we need more food raised? Stop paying them, and i am sure the crops will in turn start to increase, when they plant more area that they are not being paid to plant.
Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:56:43 AM

Comment: So why do we still pay farmers not to plant crops, does it make sence to do this when we need more food raised? Stop paying them, and i am sure the crops will in turn start to increase, when they plant more area that they are not being paid to plant.
Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:56:34 AM

Comment: So why do we still pay farmers not to plant crops, does it make sence to do this when we need more food raised? Stop paying them, and i am sure the crops will in turn start to increase, when they plant more area that they are not being paid to plant.
Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:48 AM

Comment: So why do we still pay farmers not to plant crops, does it make sence to do this when we need more food raised? Stop paying them and i am sure the crops will in turn start to increase............
Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:40 AM

Comment: So why do we still pay farmers not to plant crops, does it make sence to do this when we need more food raised? Stop paying them and i am sure the crops will in turn start to increase............
Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:34 AM

Comment: So why do we still pay farmers not to plant crops, does it make sence to do this when we need more food raised? Stop paying them and i am sure the crops will in turn start to increase............
Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:28 AM

Comment: So why do we still pay farmers not to plant crops, does it make sence to do this when we need more food raised? Stop paying them and i am sure the crops will in turn start to increase............
Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:20 AM

Comment: So why do we still pay farmers not to plant crops, does it make sence to do this when we need more food raised? Stop paying them and i am sure the crops will in turn start to increase............
Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:12 AM

Comment: So why do we still pay farmers not to plant crops, does it make sence to do this when we need more food raised? Stop paying them and i am sure the crops will in turn start to increase............
Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:02 AM

Comment: So why do we still pay farmers not to plant crops, does it make sence to do this when we need more food raised? Stop paying them and i am sure the crops will in turn start to increase............
Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:52:20 AM

Comment: Ok, and we still pay farmers not to plant? If we stopped doing that they would raise crops again , and not leave crop land vacant.
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 05/02/2008 6:27:31 PM

Comment: Alternative scenario 1: Make ethanol from otherwise useless and discarded non-food biomass which can be produced for less than $ 1.00 per gallon, undercutting the much higher price of oil. Through marketplace competition, the price of oil is driven down or replaced altogether while the environment is cleaned up. The cost of transporting food is lowered. No food crops are being used to make ethanol because ethanol from non-food biomass is cheaper and produces more energy per acre than corn or grain-based ethanol which are also driven out of the market place by free competition. More acreage and food crops are available for growing food and transportation costs being less, the cost of grains drop dramatically. Oil refinery workers are recruited into producing ethanol from biomass. Everyone wins except oil barons. Commerce increases, productivity increases, stock market booms, more homes are purchased, life is good - except for oil barons. :-(
Posted By: RodG @ 05/01/2008 4:37:26 PM

Comment: Correction: Australia's annual rice crop was 0.20% (two tenths of one percent) of the world's total rice crop.
Posted By: RodG @ 05/01/2008 4:34:09 PM

Comment: "...and wiped out Australia's once vast rice production."

What "vast" rice production? Australia's annual rice crop was .02% of the world's total rice crop. In other words, 1.3 million tons of the world production total of about 645 million tons.
Posted By: karlala99 @ 05/01/2008 1:39:02 PM

Comment: The United States has such a diverse climate that I think we could grow a lot of these items in our own country if we would keep land open for farming instead of building over all the natural land. This would keep prices down as we would not need to be paying for shipping and taxes. This would also in turn help the economy as a whole because we would be keeping the money in our country. Our government worries too much about sticking our noses in and helping other countries instead of dealing with the problems we have within our own borders.
Posted By: fan_chor-cheung @ 05/01/2008 11:48:04 AM

Comment: The American-American community in the U. S. certainly have something to do with the rise in food price. In the past, many grocery stores and chains in their community have been pressured into given large, unfair and even illegal discounts for food selling their. Many Blacks have been taken the opportunity to stockpile on cheap food. Often non-Black customer were treated unfairly and harassed at those store force those customers to driver much longer distance to White neighborhoods to shop. The same situations also apply to other non-food stores. Unless the government will do something about this problem, food price will continue to surge. Also if Obama will be elected, he will most like shipped much need domestic food stockpile to African countries especially Kenya even further accelerate the food shortage in this country.
Posted By: nyzfynest515 @ 04/30/2008 3:31:03 PM

Comment: crazy
Posted By: nyzfynest515 @ 04/30/2008 3:30:46 PM

Comment: unbelievable how things have gotten and are still getting so expensive!!! what is up with this country?? this is the country that is most immigrated and everything seems to be slipping out of the government's hands.... for those that work in the government.. are u not realizing everyone's uneasiness? this has got to stop and obviously everything is going stupid b/c of that "brilliant" idea on going to war. Please bring our troops home and prices back down... $6 bread, $6 gallon of gas. what else? $60 copay for office visit? I'm already paying half of that!
Posted By: nyzfynest515 @ 04/30/2008 3:30:37 PM

Comment: unbelievable how things have gotten and are still getting so expensive!!! what is up with this country?? this is the country that is most immigrated and everything seems to be slipping out of the government's hands.... for those that work in the government.. are u not realizing everyone's uneasiness? this has got to stop and obviously everything is going stupid b/c of that "brilliant" idea on going to war. Please bring our troops home and prices back down... $6 bread, $6 gallon of gas. what else? $60 copay for office visit? I'm already paying half of that!
Posted By: Joecameljockey @ 04/29/2008 10:23:58 PM

Comment: it's NOW time to start limiting every American to 2 kids MAX! If not then look for $5 a lb chicken and bread at $6 a loaf. beef will be unaffodable!
- Posted By: patriciakaye @ 05/03/2008 20:49:38
  
  Comment: It would also help if we wouldn't allow every tom, dick and harry into america ....and say no for once we have enough ehre..
Posted By: Sean1030 @ 04/29/2008 6:48:10 PM

Comment: If you want to blame the price of food on someone, make sure you thank all these ladies and gentlemen in the world with 8, 9, and 10 children.
Posted By: Sean1030 @ 04/29/2008 6:47:55 PM

Comment: If you want to blame the price of food on someone, make sure you thank all these ladies and gentlemen in the world with 8, 9, and 10 children.
- Posted By: fastwriter @ 04/30/2008 07:15:47
  
  Comment: If you really want to blame someone, blame greedy rich people who have run this country into the ground.
- Posted By: fastwriter @ 04/30/2008 07:14:29
  
  Comment: Let's see 91 percent of America are church-goers. That's astonishing because Revelations is coming to past. It speaks of high BREAD costs and no men (THE CURRENT WAR) and weather destruction.
Posted By: where in the hell @ 04/29/2008 6:33:03 PM

Comment: what about the owners of these factories.? I am wondering if they are in crisis as well.
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/29/2008 6:09:17 PM

Comment: ETHANOL FROM NON-FOOD BIOMASS ---> WWW.COSKATA.COM
Posted By: where in the hell @ 04/29/2008 6:06:30 PM

Comment: what about the owners of these factories.? I am wondering if they are in crisis as well.
Posted By: where in the hell @ 04/29/2008 6:02:59 PM

Comment: what about the owners of all these factories? I am wondering if they are in crisis as well, if they are worry because their children won't have rise to eat..
Posted By: valark @ 04/29/2008 1:54:32 PM

Comment: Summer, you are an idiot.

What on earth makes you think that people choose to enter into welfare programs because they seem like a viable option to their "fat duff"? Do you really think the major cause and use of welfare programs is to assist people who are lazy and irresponsible?
Posted By: panhandle @ 04/29/2008 8:20:24 AM

Comment: Things are improving in Sadr City.

__"DynCorp" McCaffrey
Posted By: Iwonder @ 04/28/2008 9:09:49 PM

Comment: If obama could not and did not stand up to wright, or

for America over twenty years of this hate mongering racist ranting,

how could he ever stand up to anyone as president ?

Bye bye obama.

Yea, could you tell me exactly what day and at what time, and on what road, obama is going to pull all US troops out ?

thanks for your assistance

Al Qaeda
Posted By: pinkpanther87413 @ 04/28/2008 6:31:05 PM

Comment: Yet this year we pay more farmers NOT to grow ANY THING, so much for food! Again thanks GOP Senate who runs our daily lives! the farmer don't mind, and we don't care, what else is new? It's only our taxes that pay for it ALL! If we did have a universal monatary system, then the true worth of this country would be a paper fake! We drove ourselves into a great debt in Iraq, and our money ain't worth a peso, thanks to you know who! So how would a universal system rate the US contrabution to stability??? If we paid farmers to grow, we would not have a huge problem, just a large one, but only due to transportation cost! If we stopped giving food away that enter the middle of a religious cycle, EXAMPLE we give India rice, in turn they feed the rats [religious icon] and will not butcher a cow, which they have more than we do, but again a religious icon starving the people, we helped keep the circle going, by sending rice? It's still done today, talk about contributing to a starving circle of life. This must stop, send another staple, the people will eat! We are so arrogant to move forward, in mind, and soul, to get the point! PROFIT and GREED runs the world plain and simple!
- Posted By: summer4077 @ 04/29/2008 09:36:04
  
  Comment: Very true about the agricultural subsidies...and Congress is in process of voting to give out MORE money for farmers to sit on their butts. I don't want to hear about a food shortage until Congress gets off their fat duffs and stops paying people to do NOTHING. That's the crazy thing about this country...we reward people for being lazy and irresponsible. Don't wanna work? Welfare! Wanna have 6 kids but don't wanna take care of them? Free childcare, free education, free housing...FREE EVERYTHING! Wanna take out a loan for a home you can't afford? That's alright, we'll just take the money from honest people and give it to you! Free money for all the loafers!!
  
  Ok, sorry, got sidetracked...
Posted By: Sinister007 @ 04/28/2008 5:52:26 PM

Comment: News flash a global economy will not work without a single global monetary system. You guys are real Geniuses. NOT!!
Posted By: Sinister007 @ 04/28/2008 5:49:32 PM

Comment: Could prices on the global maket be stabalized more easily if there were just one form of world currency. It seems to me that having one currency would save time and effort. In the U.S. we raise the minimum wage sometimes to alleviate stress from inflation. Since there has been a push to globalize and merge economies it only makes sense that a world minimum wage ( so to speak) would help. A global economy will not work without a global form of currency.
- Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/28/2008 20:13:25
  
  Comment: Having one world currency makes about as much sense as having one world timezone everywhere which is an idea proposed by the airline industry. It makes things great for the airlines, but inconveniences just about everyone else. I see this suggestion as an attempt to divert this discussion from realistic steps toward a solution to world hunger and establishing a stable and affordable fuels distribution system.
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/28/2008 5:01:45 PM

Comment: ETHANOL FROM NON-FOOD BIOMASS --->WWW.COSKATA.COM
Posted By: noble1 @ 04/28/2008 3:50:38 PM

Comment: As was mentioned in the article, although not elaborated on, the rise in oil prices is causing the global economic meltdown. As it pertains to the food crisis, cost for such items will continue to rise as the high cost of oil continues. Transportatiion cost attributed to high oil cost mean higher food cost and really higher cost of every item brought to the market through the transporting of these items via semi truck and any other transportation that ues higher levels of petroleum products. The hunreds of billions in profit being made both by the oil producers as well as the refiners of oil into gas is ludicrous at a time when the world is starving. I am all for making a profit, but the gluteny shown by Exon and BP is repugnant to say the least. They say they have to pay higher oil prices too, but if that is true then how is it they are able to reap such ridiculous profits? Greed is one of the culprits here and the ultimate cause of this crisis in the world today. Stupidity, is in my estimation another cause. When we allow companies to reap profits at the expense of a nations ability to take care of it's own, we kill that nation. In this case, a few around the world are holding the purse strings to your future by controlling product to market stability, monopolizing markets and cost and threatening the world economy all for profit. In America, as is the case in other countrys around the world, a recession is the worry. But what your not being told is that we as well as the world are facing a depression that could change the history of the world if left unchecked.
Posted By: dewcooper @ 04/28/2008 3:09:31 PM

Comment: Hum, let's see: Grow corn or wheat for food, or sell it at a higher rate for use in ethanol (using more energy in the process)? Don't drill for oil in Alaska, increase the cost of fuel and biodesiel used to farm and bring crops to market, and wonder why the price of food stuffs is going up. Guess algore and all of the other climate change wackos didn't think that one through, did they...
- Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/28/2008 16:50:17
  
  Comment: Alternative scenario 1: Make ethanol from otherwise useless and discarded non-food biomass which can be produced for less than $ 1.00 per gallon, undercutting the much higher price of oil. Through marketplace competition, the price of oil is driven down or replaced altogether while the environment is cleaned up. The cost of transporting food is lowered. No food crops are being used to make ethanol because ethanol from non-food biomass is cheaper and produces more energy per acre than corn or grain-based ethanol which are also driven out of the market place by free competition. More acreage and food crops are available for growing food and transportation costs being less, the cost of grains drop dramatically. Oil refinery workers are recruited into producing ethanol from biomass. Everyone wins except oil barons. Commerce increases, productivity increases, stock market booms, more homes are purchased, life is good - except for oil barons. :-(
Posted By: esettle @ 04/28/2008 1:43:32 PM

Comment: The U.S. is shouldering some big challenges with a volatile economy, the world's fight against terrorism and our defense of democracy. I am proud that we also take a leadership role as the biggest donor to food-aid programs. What a great country we have, and it will keep getting better.
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/28/2008 1:36:04 PM

Comment: Another thought on world hunger: I have seen pictures of private homes in Saudi Arabia that look like huge palaces. And I believe that the Sultanate of Brunei has, for some years, been the wealthiest nation on earth due to rich mineral deposits. My limited knowledge of the "Seven Pillars of Islam" and the basis of the Islamic season of Ramadan is supposed to be showing concern for the poor and hungry of the world. Would it be asking too much for the wealthiest nations on earth to show some humanitarian concern for their fellow man by arranging for rice or grain shipments to the hungering nations at the world at the prices in effect before the current inflated prices took hold - say, back one year ago?
Posted By: mfenwick @ 04/28/2008 8:26:11 AM

Comment: Ah, the one-worlders are getting closer to their dream of making us all submit to their global government by starving us. They know gas is the foundation of the American economy and that if the price of gas goes up so does the price of everything else. When the U.S. economy is in bad shape every one else's economy suffers as well. Indeed it is a conspiracy. That's why no matter who you vote for, Democrat or Republican, nothing in this country is ever going to get better. Cheer up folks! It's only going to get worse.
Posted By: rsci8700 @ 04/27/2008 10:07:11 PM

Comment: all food has to be transported the price of gas rasies the price of everything else,and the cost is passed on to the cuonsumer
Posted By: rsci8700 @ 04/27/2008 10:06:49 PM

Comment: all food has to be transported the price of gas rasies the price of everything else,and the cost is passed on to the cuonsumer
Posted By: rsci8700 @ 04/27/2008 10:06:40 PM

Comment: all food has to be transported the price of gas rasies the price of everything else,and the cost is passed on to the cuonsumer
Posted By: rsci8700 @ 04/27/2008 10:06:29 PM

Comment: all food has to be transported the price of gas rasies the price of everything else,and the cost is passed on to the cuonsumer
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 6:47:26 PM

Comment: Another thought on world hunger: I have seen pictures of private homes in Saudi Arabia that look like huge palaces. And I believe that the Sultanate of Brunei has, for some years, been the wealthiest nation on earth due to rich mineral deposits. My limited knowledge of the "Seven Pillars of Islam" and the basis of the Islamic season of Ramadan is showing concern for the poor and hungry of the world. Would it be asking too much for the wealthiest nations on earth to show some humanitarian concern for their fellow man by arranging for rice or grain shipments to the hungering nations at the world at the prices in effect before the current inflated prices took hold - say, back one year ago?
- Posted By: summer4077 @ 04/29/2008 09:38:41
  
  Comment: I agree. Some of the wealthiest people in the world are from the Middle East--one of the most impoverished sections of the world. Doesn't make sense. The Middle East expects America to bail them out time and time again, when they should look within their own countries for the reason they are so impoverished. And how on earth are we supposed to buy that the reason gas prices are so high are due to high demand and low suppy, when oil companies are making RECORD profits! Sheeple.
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 6:31:43 PM

Comment: I must be drinking too much ethanol!!! OK, the correction I intended to make is:
"So, I think ethanol fueled vehicles are NOT the main culprit in this food shortage".
Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 5:16:43 PM

Comment: to smokey joe ,,seems article i read mentioned filling with water ,,could be some auto editors illusion,or could have been a different article ,,possibly the scam you mentioned .,,as it deffinetly said eliminated the hazzardous and difficult filling,and seems it had i c engine too ,not just an electric ..will keep looking,,
Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 4:49:30 PM

Comment: smokey joe ,,you are right ,,i am wrong ,,it does have to be filled and will only be available in calif ,, seems this is not what i read originally ,,so what ever ,
Posted By: GustoMaybe @ 04/27/2008 4:37:45 PM

Comment: the root of this whole global crisis is the Oil War of GWBush. that man-boy is an abomination. watch his empty-headed grin linger while people starve.
- Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 17:19:13
  
  Comment: aw dont worrr,y gustomaybe hillary will be in, and bill standing by her saying ,,,duhhh,, i feels yo pain
Posted By: GustoMaybe @ 04/27/2008 4:37:30 PM

Comment: the root of this whole global crisis is the Oil War of GWBush. that man-boy is an abomination. watch his empty-headed grin linger while people starve.
Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 4:35:13 PM

Comment: to smokey joe,,if you want to read about the honda hydrogen car ,,it is called the FCX and just go to google and type in : honda hydrogen car , and will get many hits on it ,,read about it and let us know what you think,,,,
Posted By: pearl105 @ 04/27/2008 2:18:04 PM

Comment: Apparantly food prices are escalating because farmers are selling there crops to make ethanol. I watched a program on PBS about using wild oat grass weed, it will yeild more ethanol and it grows wild everywhere. But of course big business has now taken over. It's been shown that making ethanol uses as much energy and is not cost as effective as we have been previously told. Why aren't we working on solar cars, we get enough sunshine everywhere to save energy in batteries, but now we are facing a world food crisis, so we are trying to leave the big oil companies at the cost of starving nations that depend on the US and Canada to supply them with wheat and rice, boy that makes me feel like purchasing ethanol, I think if we all walked more often, used public transit, carpooled it could make a difference in our world. I just don't understand why "we" accept the first options and stop, causing a world wide food crisis. Sun it shines free just about everyday and we can eve get energy on cloudy days. Come we can do better, please corporations, car companies, inventors rethink this. I for one do't want to trun on my car and think a child who has died because we are using up corn and wheat that would otherwise be sent to countries that need our help so desparately, what if it were your child. Oh yes the trickle effect will get us as well, it's already makeing a difference but we aren't paying 6buck a loaf YET
- Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 18:17:13
  
  Comment: When a farmer sells his crops, he has no control of how its used after the sale. He cannot say "I'm selling this grain only to hungry people for use as a food product". National governments, on the other hand, can purchase, stockpile and export commodities to speciific countries. Once the product has arrived in the destination country, it can very easily be diverted into black market sales. Current information says that 80% of ethanol produced in the USA comes from traditional distillation from food crops. Agrowing percentage of ethanol is being produced from non-food biomass - previously useless and valueless agricultural junk and also garbage and junkyard junk. In recent years, garbage and junk accumulation has been a serious growing problem. Since the invention of ethanol from non-food biomass, that problem will probably evaporate/disappear becoming the solution to the fuel problem. A large quantity of the food crop has always been diverted to ethanol production for human consumtion - rye whiskey, vodka from potatoes, corn whiskey, etc. So, if your really feeling guilty about world hunger, don't drink ethanol/alcohol. Solar cells are not well-developed enough to power cars, unless we produce some intermediate fuel to fill the car fuel tank like hydrogen. Hydrogen usually requires bulky, heavy, high pressure tanks which reduces the passenger and cargo space in a car or truck. If you look at the website of Coskata Corporation (www.coskata.com), you can see that ethanol from non-food biomass is much more efficient than ethanol from food crops. Ethanol from non-food biomass, in my opinion, is the most viable vehicle fuel technology in the immediate future. Its the bridge to more advanced and more remote fuel technologies. In Asia, most hungry nations are suffering - not from an increase in corn prices which they don't much use - but from an increase in rice prices because China, Vietnam and India decided to restrict the export of rice so that it can be used in their own countries. Another component is the increased price of oil which causes food transportation costs to rise. So, I think ethanol fueled vehicles are the main culprit in this food shortage.
  - Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 18:23:28
    
    Comment: Correction to last sentence: "So, I think ethanol fueled vehicles are NOT the main culprit in this fuel shortage".
    - Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 19:01:15
      
      Comment: I must be drinking too much ethanol!!! OK, the correction I intended to make is:
      "So, I think ethanol fueled vehicles are NOT the main culprit in this food shortage".
Posted By: southdakotagov @ 04/27/2008 1:55:52 PM

Comment: A novel idea which in no way we endorse. A person wrote 306 bad checks too two banks and never was charged with a crime. Was able to get "free" gas, groceries, eat out, got too strip joint and bars, and get clothing. 23 thousand in bad checks and not a single prosecution for no account checks. Even used fake social security numbers to by pass check scanners. Since this is a precedent why can not everyone do this? Ihttp://southda
Posted By: southdakotagov @ 04/27/2008 1:55:23 PM

Comment: A novel idea which in no way we endorse. A person wrote 306 bad checks too two banks and never was charged with a crime. Was able to get "free" gas, groceries, eat out, got too strip joint and bars, and get clothing. 23 thousand in bad checks and not a single prosecution for no account checks. Even used fake social security numbers to by pass check scanners. Since this is a precedent why can not everyone do this? Ihttp://southda
Posted By: drp3621 @ 04/27/2008 1:08:21 PM

Comment: Many of the country's having problems have relied on the US for wheat,rice and corn for so long,they didnt plant any of their own,why should they?they were getting all they needed for nothing. from us.Its time the president of Zimbwe wrote some checks from his Swiss bank account,and fed his people.The United States should start thinking of its own people,and stop sending food abroad.Charity belongs at HOME
Posted By: UndrMediKated @ 04/27/2008 12:06:54 PM

Comment: Isn't it funny how everything is suddenly in short supply? Could Exxon's world record profits explain this? Every corporation now thinks they can rape the consumer after seeing how well Exxon has done it. I think we should stop all food shipments to OPEC countries as a return favor for shutting off the oil. Let them see how oil tastes. We should then heavily, and I mean heavily, tax SUV's and large truck owners if they don't have a legitimate business reason to own one (no loop holes). So many people I know drive these hogs to work and don't even use them to haul much of anything. How often do you need four wheel drive? You don't need an Infinity SUV when a minivan will do fine. If you can afford an 60K Infinty SUV then you can afford 5 dollars a gallon for gas. If not , you can't afford the vehicle and like alot of people in this country and should learn to live within your means so people like me don't have to keep bailing your sorry asses out (mortgages)! Sorry for post but reality sucks and lifes a ***! Get over it!
Posted By: knucklebuster48 @ 04/27/2008 11:26:04 AM

Comment: I'm sorry ,but we're about a stupid people. We sit here and constantly complain about what's happening,but yet we let our government export oil to Japan and China and we let our reserves drop and prices rise and quality drops. Now new drilling being done because they refuse to do so.So let's put a stop to the stupidity.
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 11:00:15 AM

Comment: To: ngy460,
As for your questionable undocumented rumor about Honda having a motorcycle that runs on hydrogen thats generated from a fuel tank full of water - my engineering education tells me thats its probably a scam or hype. I can believe that an internal combustion engine will run on hydrogen, but you'll have to go to California to fill up because no place else in the USA has hydrogen filling stations. The part about filling you tank with water is more obvious poppycock/BS or whatever because the amount of electrical energy expended to split water into hydrogen and oxygen is almost exactly to same energy that is received by burning hydrogen in the engine. The result is a net-zero energy balance - its like a perpetual motion machine. You might just as well run the bike on the electrical energy, using an electric motor, that you are otherwise putting into splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. Lots of uninformed people have been taken in by this scam. There is a way to get hydrogen from a tankful of ethanol because there is stored energy in the ethanol that's released by burning. Could that be what you're talking about??
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 10:28:11 AM

Comment: To: ngy460,
I guess you've never heard that they've been growing oranges for many years in florida, among other crops, right in the midst of all those 6-foot rattlers, alligators and all those nasty biting and stinging insects. Well, so much for scare mongering and stupidity. And as for alligator meat in the rice, I've heard that it tastes "just like fried chicken". Mmmm, good!!
- Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 16:22:32
  
  Comment: to smokey joe,,well i saw the article on msn autos ,showed the car ,,not a motorcycle ,and said it was ready and running now ,and went on to blab some about it getting over here in next couple years ,,but that i doubt ,,if you could have read the article your tech understanding would have better absorbed it , but i am some tech minded, and it sounded reasonable and plausable to me ,,
  well oranges and similar would be some what differert than rice ,,but if someone would do it more power to them .the way things are going we may be happy to have some mystry meat in our rice..lol
  - Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 16:40:31
    
    Comment: smokey joe ,,ill post this here and up at end ,and hopefully youll see it ,,go to google and type in honda hydrogen car and youll get boo-coo hits on it ,,please read and give us your opinion on what you think,,thanks
Posted By: Mwalimu @ 04/26/2008 11:35:51 PM

Comment: One of the problems with the grain shortage is the consumption of meat. (LIvestock also produces methane - a far more dangerous gas than carbon dioxide.) If people cut down their consumption of meat, we could have more food. In addition, corn ethanol and even sugar cane are poor sources of ethanol or fuel. If you read the October, 2007 issue of National Geographic on the right and wrong ways of growing fuel, you'd notice that cellustoic ethanol from switch grass which grows on non-ariable line have more promise than corn ethanol. Even more promising is algae which can be produced with the carbon exhaust from coal burning power plants. IN addition using solar and wind power to produce ethanol or biodiesel would also save money. Yet this country continues to subsidize the wrong fuels, corn ethanol especially, rather than the right ones.

In the meantime, Americans in this country are freaking out on Obama's otherness, forget the fact that he promises what we need most - change. And the 2008 campaign will merely be a spate of fear and smear. A GOP vicotry will be a death warrant for this country and this planet - Mark my words on that.
- Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 00:22:45
  
  Comment: youre 100% right ,,to heck with ethanol tho ,the japanese have a honda running on hydrogen now that has its own self contained hydrogen converter built in ,makes it as you use it ,,solves the storage and filling problems ,just fill with water and your exaust is water vapor .but do you think greed will alow it here ,,no way,, and yes a republican victory will mean this countrys end (and ive always been a republican),,but these people arent republicans ,theyre neo-cons ,and cfr members ,,and the creed and agenda of the cfr is the usa must be brought down to level of a third world country,to enable their one world govt and new world order you heard the elde bush speak so much of . most congress and senators are cfr members .
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/26/2008 2:40:21 PM

Comment: On TV the other day, I saw a new harvesting machine thats completely guided by GPS (Global Positioning System) and so this machine has no driver. Its a completely autonomous and can do a more accurate job than a human driver can do. Wow! There goes the argument for cheap illegal immigrant foreign labor. So harvesting can go on 24 hours per day - even in total darkness or even fog. The next thing you know they'll have an automated cultivator to plant the crops too. Then all that'll be needed is one farmer and one banker to buy machinery, plant crops, harvest crops and ship them to market and make all the farmers rich.
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/26/2008 2:24:03 PM

Comment: On April 1st of this year, the EU decided that it would no longer pay farmers NOT TO GROW CROPS. And here I thought that Europe had so little arable land that it had to cultivate every square inch (OOps!! - every square centimeter). They say crop production can increase 15% to 20%. Now just imagine what the USA and Canada could do following the same rule.
- Posted By: accio @ 04/28/2008 14:34:02
  
  Comment: land needs to lie fallow to produce maximum yields. So culivating every inch or centimeter all the time will eventually lead to complete crop failure.
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/26/2008 2:18:21 PM

Comment: In a search on the internet, I read that the largest growing areas in the USA for rice cultivation are California and Arkansas. If rice can be grown in Arkansas, then I believe it can be grown in many other states that are closer to ports that can ship the crops over the ocean to world markets. Its time to crank up agricultural production - just in time for spring planting season.
Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/26/2008 2:16:10 PM

Comment: Recently while traveling from Orlando, Florida to Melbourne, Florida, I looked out over a vast unused expanse of wetlands with very few birds or animals visible. Wouldn't this be an ideal location to grow the rice crops that the world needs? And wouldn't that be an excellent export commodity to restore sanity to the US balance of trade? And its located very close to the ocean for worldwide shipping. Shouldn't Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) or Cargill be doing something about this?
- Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/26/2008 23:50:04
  
  Comment: yeah but so many snakes and alligators ,and all kinda other biting and stinging insects ,wouldnt be practical.
  - Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 00:12:04
    
    Comment: more 6 ft rattlers than you could ever imagine and moccisans by the hundreds of thousands ,a man wouldnt live 5 min. working in there and with machines ,you cant have chopped up snakes and alligators in the rice,,and theyd be all through the machines .might be ok for 3rd worlders ,,meat already in your rice,huh?

Top Story

Latest News

Now It’s the $6 Loaf of Bread

Discuss

Posted By: Jaray24 @ 05/05/2008 10:56:16 PM

Posted By: patriciakaye @ 05/03/2008 8:40:13 PM

Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:57:13 AM

Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:57:00 AM

Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:56:51 AM

Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:56:43 AM

Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:56:34 AM

Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:48 AM

Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:40 AM

Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:34 AM

Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:28 AM

Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:20 AM

Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:12 AM

Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:54:02 AM

Posted By: My Thought @ 05/03/2008 9:52:20 AM

Posted By: smokey_joe @ 05/02/2008 6:27:31 PM

Posted By: RodG @ 05/01/2008 4:37:26 PM

Posted By: RodG @ 05/01/2008 4:34:09 PM

Posted By: karlala99 @ 05/01/2008 1:39:02 PM

Posted By: fan_chor-cheung @ 05/01/2008 11:48:04 AM

Posted By: nyzfynest515 @ 04/30/2008 3:31:03 PM

Posted By: nyzfynest515 @ 04/30/2008 3:30:46 PM

Posted By: nyzfynest515 @ 04/30/2008 3:30:37 PM

Posted By: Joecameljockey @ 04/29/2008 10:23:58 PM

Posted By: patriciakaye @ 05/03/2008 20:49:38

Posted By: Sean1030 @ 04/29/2008 6:48:10 PM

Posted By: Sean1030 @ 04/29/2008 6:47:55 PM

Posted By: fastwriter @ 04/30/2008 07:15:47

Posted By: fastwriter @ 04/30/2008 07:14:29

Posted By: where in the hell @ 04/29/2008 6:33:03 PM

Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/29/2008 6:09:17 PM

Posted By: where in the hell @ 04/29/2008 6:06:30 PM

Posted By: where in the hell @ 04/29/2008 6:02:59 PM

Posted By: valark @ 04/29/2008 1:54:32 PM

Posted By: panhandle @ 04/29/2008 8:20:24 AM

Posted By: Iwonder @ 04/28/2008 9:09:49 PM

Posted By: pinkpanther87413 @ 04/28/2008 6:31:05 PM

Posted By: summer4077 @ 04/29/2008 09:36:04

Posted By: Sinister007 @ 04/28/2008 5:52:26 PM

Posted By: Sinister007 @ 04/28/2008 5:49:32 PM

Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/28/2008 20:13:25

Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/28/2008 5:01:45 PM

Posted By: noble1 @ 04/28/2008 3:50:38 PM

Posted By: dewcooper @ 04/28/2008 3:09:31 PM

Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/28/2008 16:50:17

Posted By: esettle @ 04/28/2008 1:43:32 PM

Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/28/2008 1:36:04 PM

Posted By: mfenwick @ 04/28/2008 8:26:11 AM

Posted By: rsci8700 @ 04/27/2008 10:07:11 PM

Posted By: rsci8700 @ 04/27/2008 10:06:49 PM

Posted By: rsci8700 @ 04/27/2008 10:06:40 PM

Posted By: rsci8700 @ 04/27/2008 10:06:29 PM

Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 6:47:26 PM

Posted By: summer4077 @ 04/29/2008 09:38:41

Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 6:31:43 PM

Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 5:16:43 PM

Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 4:49:30 PM

Posted By: GustoMaybe @ 04/27/2008 4:37:45 PM

Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 17:19:13

Posted By: GustoMaybe @ 04/27/2008 4:37:30 PM

Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 4:35:13 PM

Posted By: pearl105 @ 04/27/2008 2:18:04 PM

Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 18:17:13

Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 18:23:28

Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 19:01:15

Posted By: southdakotagov @ 04/27/2008 1:55:52 PM

Posted By: southdakotagov @ 04/27/2008 1:55:23 PM

Posted By: drp3621 @ 04/27/2008 1:08:21 PM

Posted By: UndrMediKated @ 04/27/2008 12:06:54 PM

Posted By: knucklebuster48 @ 04/27/2008 11:26:04 AM

Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 11:00:15 AM

Posted By: smokey_joe @ 04/27/2008 10:28:11 AM

Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 16:22:32

Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 16:40:31

Posted By: Mwalimu @ 04/26/2008 11:35:51 PM

Posted By: ngy460 @ 04/27/2008 00:22:45