Is biofuel initiative taking food off the table?

Filed under: biofuels on June 4th, 2008 8:25
tagged: Energy Security and Independence Act, Kay Bailey Hutchison
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Here’s an interesting article authored by Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Mid County Chronicle that calls on Congress to reform the Energy Independence and Security Act that was passed into law just last December.

Why do we need to reform this infantile policy that was heralded as “one of the best pieces of legislation the President has signed during his entire term in office…“?

According to the Senator, the expansion of biofuel capacity is directly linked to the increase in food prices we’re all seeing.  She views the Act as a catalyst for the problem.  It calls for “a huge spike in the biofuel production requirement from 7.5 billion in 2012 to 36 billion gallons in 2022″  This level would require nearly all of our domestic corn and grain supplies, according to the Senator, which, in essence, “robs” the world of an important food supply.

And food-related inflation might be the least pressing of our concerns.  Apparently our biofuel initiative threatens global stability as well:

“For the first time in 30 years, food riots are breaking out in many parts of the globe, including major countries such as Mexico, Pakistan, and Indonesia. The fact that America’s energy policies are creating global instability should concern the leaders of both political parties.”

The Senator’s solution is to increase domestic energy supply across the board, including old-world energy sources:

“The best way to lower energy prices and reduce our dependence on foreign oil is to accelerate production of all forms of domestic energy. Expanding biofuels, while refusing to take other measures, such as lifting the ban on oil and natural gas production in Alaska and the Outer Continental Shelf, is counterproductive. We should be tapping into a broad portfolio of energy options, including clean coal, nuclear power, and wave energy. The key is increasing energy supply. By taking these measures, we can enable biofuels to be part of the energy solution, instead of contributing to the energy problem.”