Editor, Townsman:
Some people believe we must "do something" about carbon dioxide-caused global warming. I believe that "doing something" about a problem that may not actually exist can often be a dangerous policy.
Many believers are big supporters of the current biofuel mandate that 10 percent of our gasoline be corn-based ethanol because it is not made from evil oil, and comes from an organic source. A few facts:
— Burning a gallon of ethanol in a car does release carbon dioxide, although less than burning a gallon of gasoline, but, it takes 30 percent more ethanol than gasoline to drive 100 miles, so the carbon dioxide output works out about the same
— To grow, harvest, refine, and deliver 10 gallons of ethanol to a gas station uses the energy equivalent of 7 gallons of gas. On the other hand to drill, refine and deliver 10 gallons of gasoline uses only 1 gallon of gasoline.
What a deal! We are paying more at the pump, not going as far, and still dumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Now for the "unintended" consequences of the mandate and taxpayer subsidies:
— Farmers are plowing under fallow land or wheat and soy to grow corn because the price is guaranteed.
— Price of corn has doubled.
— Price of other food grains have also gone up sharply as supply drops.
Big deal, you say. So Corn Flakes and bread at Market Basket in Andover cost more. I don't mind because at least we are "doing something" for the climate.
Well, here's what else we are doing: Starving people in the third world!
Here's is a quote from an April 15 Wall Street Journal article about the recent International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings: "Rioting in response to soaring food prices recently has broken out in Egypt, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Ethiopia. In Pakistan and Thailand, army troops have been deployed to deter food theft from fields and warehouses. World Bank President Robert Zoellick warned in a recent speech that 33 countries are at risk of social upheaval because of rising food prices."
The world does have real problems (such as hunger) that we need to address. Fixing global warming just isn't one of them, particularly if the "fixing" aggravates the real problems.
FYI: Our Democratic Congress and Republican president just "did something" more by quadrupling the ethanol mandate from 8 to 35 billion gallons per year. Today, one-fifth of our corn is going to ethanol. With the new mandate, it will be 50 to 70 percent. The third-worlders are really going love us after their food prices double or triple. But I suppose that may not be a problem for us, since there may not be any third-worlders left after a while. Sad!
Sam Washburn
39 Oriole Drive
