<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Corn ethanol politics]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Ron Steenblik http://www.grist.org/article/the-great-cornholio/ Wed, 16 May 2007 03:48:35 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-great-cornholio/1 An ethical dilemma

There is also a good article over at DayStar51. A quote:

Ethanol, dressed down as a mere granola greenscam, is the lingua franca of politicians whose mainstay is corporate welfare. They arrange government subsidies, and the corporations arrange campaign friendships. It's like a Pez refill they all use. Press again, ethanol again. Your money goes in, inefficient fuel comes out, and your money goes into ADM's well-padded pockets.

[Presidential Candidate] Ron Paul gets poor reviews from the corporate welfare set. Seeking Alpha, an alternative energy site that stands for government-sponsored energy at taxpayer-sponsored cost, ingloriously gave Ron Paul the lowest rating among all the presidential candidates for alternative energy support. ...

Right now, farmers are understandably selling their feed corn for ethanol production, removing it from the stock feed market. The big push for ethanol is manipulated by the manipulators of the consumer price index. Housing, food, and fuel are excluded from the CPI.  They are excluded because the government says they are too volatile to be included in an index of core inflation. That pretty much leaves discretionary items that change with people's discretionary income once they've paid for homes, food, and fuel-and, of course, taxes and insurance.

You have to scratch your head while rubbing your growling belly and wonder what's the point. It's invisible inflation: you don't see it in the statistics, but you feel it, like a piercing wind ripping through your checkbook. And what is your checkbook, after all, if not your control over what becomes of your own life energy?

It is good so see some criticism of Seeking Alpha. I was once naive enough to assume that one of their main contributors would be AGAINST heavy-handed government intervention. Wrong!

This is one of the problems with the current state of "ethical" investing: people who know deep-down that an industry exists only because of subsidies or mandates will nonetheless advocate investing in it, simply because they know it is a money-spinner. Perhaps somebody should create a new type of ethical investment be created: one that does not invest in industries that are receiving subsidies that cannot be defended on social or environmental grounds.

]]> An ethical dilemma

There is also a good article over at DayStar51. A quote:

Ethanol, dressed down as a mere granola greenscam, is the lingua franca of politicians whose mainstay is corporate welfare. They arrange government subsidies, and the corporations arrange campaign friendships. It's like a Pez refill they all use. Press again, ethanol again. Your money goes in, inefficient fuel comes out, and your money goes into ADM's well-padded pockets.

[Presidential Candidate] Ron Paul gets poor reviews from the corporate welfare set. Seeking Alpha, an alternative energy site that stands for government-sponsored energy at taxpayer-sponsored cost, ingloriously gave Ron Paul the lowest rating among all the presidential candidates for alternative energy support. ...

Right now, farmers are understandably selling their feed corn for ethanol production, removing it from the stock feed market. The big push for ethanol is manipulated by the manipulators of the consumer price index. Housing, food, and fuel are excluded from the CPI.  They are excluded because the government says they are too volatile to be included in an index of core inflation. That pretty much leaves discretionary items that change with people's discretionary income once they've paid for homes, food, and fuel-and, of course, taxes and insurance.

You have to scratch your head while rubbing your growling belly and wonder what's the point. It's invisible inflation: you don't see it in the statistics, but you feel it, like a piercing wind ripping through your checkbook. And what is your checkbook, after all, if not your control over what becomes of your own life energy?

It is good so see some criticism of Seeking Alpha. I was once naive enough to assume that one of their main contributors would be AGAINST heavy-handed government intervention. Wrong!

This is one of the problems with the current state of "ethical" investing: people who know deep-down that an industry exists only because of subsidies or mandates will nonetheless advocate investing in it, simply because they know it is a money-spinner. Perhaps somebody should create a new type of ethical investment be created: one that does not invest in industries that are receiving subsidies that cannot be defended on social or environmental grounds.

]]> Comment #2 by plantface http://www.grist.org/article/the-great-cornholio/ Wed, 16 May 2007 05:59:38 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-great-cornholio/2 Who sez

ethical investors endorse ethanol or any biofuels in any way?

Some may and many do not, but from my perspective there is no evident consensus in ethical or 'socially responsible' investing about biofuels.

]]> Who sez

ethical investors endorse ethanol or any biofuels in any way?

Some may and many do not, but from my perspective there is no evident consensus in ethical or 'socially responsible' investing about biofuels.

]]> Comment #3 by GreyFlcn http://www.grist.org/article/the-great-cornholio/ Wed, 16 May 2007 07:08:47 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-great-cornholio/3 I hope this is all that it's about

I hope that this is all that it's about.

Not suprisingly you also see many of the candidates endorsing "Clean Coal".

Chasing the impossible dream....
With your tax dollars.

_

But yeah, I hope that this whole support for biofuels/coal is just all an act....

Hopefully....

]]> I hope this is all that it's about

I hope that this is all that it's about.

Not suprisingly you also see many of the candidates endorsing "Clean Coal".

Chasing the impossible dream....
With your tax dollars.

_

But yeah, I hope that this whole support for biofuels/coal is just all an act....

Hopefully....

]]> Comment #4 by Ron Steenblik http://www.grist.org/article/the-great-cornholio/ Wed, 16 May 2007 11:02:10 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-great-cornholio/4 Not saying ethical investors endorse ethanol

Or not. That's the point. Maybe another dimension should be added to the criteria for ethical investing: that the industry in question is not a huge drain on the public purse, or at least not without good reason.

]]> Not saying ethical investors endorse ethanol

Or not. That's the point. Maybe another dimension should be added to the criteria for ethical investing: that the industry in question is not a huge drain on the public purse, or at least not without good reason.

]]> Comment #5 by GreyFlcn http://www.grist.org/article/the-great-cornholio/ Wed, 16 May 2007 16:22:48 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-great-cornholio/5 John Stossel

Not particularly fond of John Stossel.
But this is a fun little commentary on this subject.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9QQcP_Y1II

]]> John Stossel

Not particularly fond of John Stossel.
But this is a fun little commentary on this subject.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9QQcP_Y1II

]]> Comment #6 by Biodiversivist http://www.grist.org/article/the-great-cornholio/ Thu, 17 May 2007 03:24:07 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/the-great-cornholio/6 Another great find, Grey Falcon

I can't stand Stossel, although he does have a mustache that would drive Dave wild with envy. Hate to have to agree with him on anything, but nobody can always be wrong.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

]]> Another great find, Grey Falcon

I can't stand Stossel, although he does have a mustache that would drive Dave wild with envy. Hate to have to agree with him on anything, but nobody can always be wrong.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

]]>