Stephen A. Lawrence (not Steven - sorry) wrote:-
<<In any case, 1/3 of the increase is still a big issue. Look again at
the price of rice: Up 147% in a year, according to the Wall Street
Journal. If 1/3 of that rise is due to diversion of arable land to make
biofuel, then biofuel production, alone, is responsible for a 49%
increase in the price of rice over the past year. That extra 49% is a
major problem for people who already can't afford enough food.>>
and
<<The statement about the weather is interesting, as weather and biofuel
production would both have the same effect, which is to decrease world
grain production>>
Australia has been suffering form a six year drought which may, or may not,
be related to expected climate change. As a consequence their rice crop has
been dramatically cut by 98% (!) this article in the NY times yesterday
reveals all.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/business/worldbusiness/17warm.html?_r=2&ex=1366171200&en=328ad25cda6f6fa2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Just in case you have to login to read it, here's a paragraph
<<The collapse of Australia's rice production is one of several factors
contributing to a doubling of rice prices in the last three months -
increases that have led the world's largest exporters to restrict exports
severely, spurred panicked hoarding in Hong Kong and the Philippines, and
set off violent protests in countries including Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia,
Haiti, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, the Philippines, Thailand,
Uzbekistan and Yemen.>>
