Do we really have to choose between food or biofriendly fuel?

food or biofriendly fuel 

Image by Barbara L. Slavin  

Well, this is kind of a two-sided question….unfortunately due to the crashing economy many families are being forced to choose what they pay for and what they don’t. It’s not a pleasant choice, but when there isn’t enough money to cover everything, there is no other choice. And based on reports indicating more people are using public transportation (see this article from Green Car Congress), then I hope those same people are saving enough on fuel costs that they are now able to afford the food their families require.

Then there is the other side to that question…when we are trying to make a greener, healthier environment for ourselves and our children, do we really have to make a choice between being able to use corn for fuel or for food? According to this article on Wired.com, bio-fuels have contributed less than previously thought to rising food prices. And with an apparent 2,500 million metric tons of grain and oilseeds produced each year, U.S. ethanol production uses about 79 million metric tons of corn.

Now, I don’t want to see a shortage of corn, but I do want to see resources used efficiently to make biofriendly products that actually reduce harmful emissions, lower fuel costs and make a greener environment for me, my kids and eventually their kids too.

With all the bio-fuel options (ethanol, fuel additives, bio-diesel, etc) there should be a way to ensure Americans, and the rest of the world, can have both food and biofriendly fuel.

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