They See Problems, I See Solutions

[xakara]

Ethanol and the price of corn...

I keep seeing little news segments on how the desire for ethanol is leading to higher prices in corn. This means higher prices in livestock feed and so higher consumer prices in beef, milk and likely eggs. There's the fear that the current minor price hikes will eventually become major price hikes facing us as consumers. However, I don't think this is not the problem it seems. 

Now I know that we all want to hold onto more of our money rather than less of it. At the same time we all wish to do what we need to in order to minimize the damage we're doing to the environment. A minor price increase is a small concession to make in the environmental impact and the fuel independence it gives us as a country. 

But I'll go even further and say that even a medium price increase is a good thing. That is, assuming we spread it around a bit. 

Aside from the price increase of the corn, there's the concern that other agricultural staples will increase as farmers follow the money and plant corn instead of other crops we use daily. That means wheat, soy and other favorites will increase in price as demand stays steady but supply drops. My solution, involve the people hardest hit by the price increases in meeting the new demands, whether that be the corn itself or the wheat and such it replaces. 

Low income, crime-ridden areas exist in every city. Vast vacant lots and blocks upon blocks of abandoned buildings line the streets where the increase in the price of milk could determine if anyone there ever buys it again. Corn is hearty and will take almost any soil you give it if you properly fertilize it. What's more, corn and other staples grow well hydroponically. Urban community farms across the country could be the answer to the supply/demand question as well as how to bring money into communities businesses fear moving into. 

Turning vacant lots into community farms, abandoned buildings into year round greenhouses, and a city's poorist residents into community share-holders addresses several issues. 

You create community income which allows for community improvement and pride. You create localized jobs which also enhances community pride and allows for a community presence which squeezes out criminals who require a low profile to run their businesses. You allow for incentives for education and community networking bringing these poor neighborhoods up to the living wages and opportunities afforded elsewhere. 

And I don't think it should only be poor neighborhoods in the end, that should just be the start. No one else is going into them to help things so let the residents help themselves. Let neighborhoods bid and acquire contracts for production of fuel grade or feed grade corn and funnel that money into buildng up that community and training and educating the residents to be a part of the workforce created. 

From there branch out across every community that wants to be a part of the New Environment Initiative. Offer scholarships to the children of Green Farmers, increase the funding to schools in districts that will create curriculum around environmental programs, inform and pay the parents and educate and support the children and in the end you've secured a portion of the future in environmental study and responsibility. 

If every neighborhood able to opened community farms/greenhouses there will eventually be surplus. This means switching out feeding communities both locally and globally. We're overseas destroying countries in the midst of war. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to feed and cloth those folks once we were done without burdening the American taxpayer to do it? Hell, in fact enriching the American taxpayer as each community benefits from what is globally shipped through government incentive?

There's been all talk since hurricane Katrina on whether New Orleans would now be a white city, a hispanic city with the number of workers who came in, or a "chocolate city" as her mayor mentioned. How about a Green City? How about fully making New Orleans the center of the American Green Movement? Set up the rebuilt communities as green fuel producing neighborhoods whose own revenue easily pays for the community and then goes on to enrich the city as a whole. 

I'm not saying that the above roughed out ideas are easy and pure gold, I'm saying that there are solutions in this that can impact communities everywhere if approached correctly. Going Green could result in a lot more green in the pockets of people we never think of as a country when it comes to national change. 

Problem: We need more corn and other ethanol sources than farmers can give without detriment to food sources. 

Solution: Turn more people and communities into farmers, just in a 21st century way.  

I'm just sayin'. 

Ramble done. 

~X

Comments

[moon-chylde.livejournal.com]

Damn good entry.

I'd give it two thumbs up but we don't have thumbs available here. So I'll say it..

*two thumbs up*


::and I want to bite that tongue by the way::