The world is waiting for leadership, and meanwhile, people all over the world are literally scrambling to make ends meet. Rice and wheat prices have doubled in the space of a few short months. Riots are breaking out in countries such as Egypt and Haiti. Some are blaming the worldwide food shortages on ethanol production, but it goes deeper than that. I blame a lack of leadership. Global food demand has now surpassed the supply that farmers are able to grow. The global energy crisis is the culprit. In a land of plenty like the United States, that has always had enough food, the decision has been made. We are using our food crops to supply energy because the thought of being energy dependent on foreign oil is more repugnant than almost anything. The U.S. still grows far more grain than it can use, so the extra ethanol corn is subtracted from the amount that is exported, creating an imbalance of cheap grain on the world market. The lack of a comprehensive energy policy in this country is causing this crisis. Beginning with President Bush's refusal to sign the Kyoto Protocol or support a comprehensive energy policy, through authorizing an illegal war in Iraq, a crisis has ensued. As usual, the citizens of the United States aren't experiencing food riots or an energy crisis. We're just passing on our pain to the rest of the world first.
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