More Reporting on the Downside of Ethanol

Being naturally pessimistic, I have a reputation for looking at the downside of things. It is just that I subscribe to the idea that what goes up must come down. Just make sure that when "it" comes down that you are not directly underneath. I have had doubts for a while about the ethanol euphoria and nothing so far alleviates my doubts. In fact, An Oil Quandary: Costly Fuel Means Costly Calories from The New York Times just pumps up my doubts:

The food price index of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, based on export prices for 60 internationally traded foodstuffs, climbed 37 percent last year. That was on top of a 14 percent increase in 2006, and the trend has accelerated this winter.

In some poor countries, desperation is taking hold. Just in the last week, protests have erupted in Pakistan over wheat shortages, and in Indonesia over soybean shortages. Egypt has banned rice exports to keep food at home, and China has put price controls on cooking oil, grain, meat, milk and eggs.

People can get pretty nasty when it comes to a choice of starvation or not. Governments lacking the ability to feed their people tend to having a revolution on their hands. At least no one mentions soylent green but this may be the time to dust off Malthus. Ah, what a cheery thought for a sunny day.