Rural Populist’s Recent Comments

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  Distance v. Class

  Seventy-five miles doesn't strike me as the problem. That is remarkably "local" given today's food system. Rather, and as you indicate, the problem is disparate wealth. This has bothered me for years.

  We have seen renewed food systems that we cheer come into existence in recent years, but we too often fail to acknowledge that the growing gap between the rich and the poor is precisely what has made this possible.

  Who doesn't love a Niman Ranch hog farmer? But these farmers that we love to love produce meat for high-end markets on the coasts. Is it better than producing hogs in confinement for export or growing corn for unmitigated biofuels production? Certainly.

  But a local food system that caters to and relies upon a growing wealth disparity leaves too many of the social ills that we set out to address untouched. On For some farmers, distant markets offer the best prices posted 1 year, 3 months ago 6 Responses

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  Presidential Politics

  That was a disappointing response from the Obama campaign, but I think you caught a less-than-prepared staffer. The Obama campaign exerted a good deal of effort developing a pretty long rural policy paper before the Iowa caucuses. It doesn't make your argument per se, but it does make mention of climate change and agriculture along with a good bit on beginning farmers, etc. The short version is here and the longer 14 page pdf is here.

  Of course the real test is not in a policy paper designed to garner votes, but in the words and actions of the candidates and policy makers. Both Obama and Clinton continue to stand strongly behind the new farm bill despite it's fundamental flaws and lack of anything approaching meaningful reform.

  If Obama is to win the presidency, then the real test will begin.On The candidates are overlooking the ultimate green-collar job posted 1 year, 6 months ago 5 Responses

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  Fossil fuels have externalities too

  This entire debate is immensely complex, and I don't mean to take one side or the other by saying this, but if we are going to search high and low for all the possible external greenhouse gas contributors associated with biofuels (a fair thing to do), it seems like we ought to do the same for fossil fuel before making comparisons.

  I wonder just how much the U.S. military contributes to global warming with all of their antics designed to make the world safe for oil exploration.

  Also, Tom, your headline (Biofuel: Is it a greenhouse gas, gas, gas?) is a bit sweeping. Perhaps "Corn Ethanol: Is it a greenhouse gas, gas, gas?" would be more appropriate.On New study claims ethanol and biodiesel may actually boost GHG emissions posted 2 years, 1 month ago 28 Responses