Post by priyap09 on Sept 19, 2008 15:48:47 GMT -5
John Darkow, The Columbia Daily Tribune, 9/18/2008
The cartoon compares United States’ desires for fuel with the starving kids in underdeveloped country. It shows how the United States burns corn to make ethanol while many kids in other countries are left starving. Two famished, young kids are illustrated asking for food since the old man has a bag full of “corn and other biofuels.” The man simply replies, “Oh, No! You can’t eat this! This is to make ethanol so I can power my SUV!” This indicates how greedy and inconsiderate people can be. Through the use of pathos, the cartoon evokes a sense of pity and sympathy for the small, famished kids. It is unscrupulous for us to use corn for fuel instead of offering it to kids who are starving and begging for food.
A smarter solution to the fuel problem would be to use renewable resources. Although it is expensive, U.S. would be making a significant investment since it is beneficial for the environment and the people. We would not have to decide between fuel and starving kids. A vast amount of disadvantages come to sight when one carefully evaluates the results of corn ethanol. Producing ethanol is unprofitable since it results in corn shortage, rise in food prices and environmental concerns. Increase in ethanol production results in corn shortage because most of the corn is being used up to produce ethanol. Underdeveloped countries are unable to eat because of the corn shortage. Moreover, the energy required to make ethanol is more than the energy produced by it. Studies done by Cornell University state that “about 70 percent more energy is required to produce ethanol than the energy that actually is in ethanol.” Why are we relying on energy that has a much greater input than output? The production of corn ethanol is considered to be eco friendly since it emits less greenhouse gases compared with gasoline. However, corn rapidly deprives and erodes the soil which is detrimental for Earth. Over the last few years, food prices have been significantly increasing. This is because ethanol production inflates corn prices. Prices for meat, milk and eggs are rising because corn grain is fed to livestock and poultry in the United States. As ethanol uses up the corn, less corn is left over for the farmers to feed the livestock and poultry, resulting in elevated food prices. When did it become logical to burn off food for fuel?
