Homestead mailing list

[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

On Apr 7, 2008, at 6:35 AM, Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:

> Mr. Teflon already has the extra acreage staked out where he  
> tintends on
> growing a whole orchard of money trees .... with similar results.

Here's part of Paul Krugman's column this morning:

"Where the effects of bad policy are clearest, however, is in the rise  
of demon ethanol and other biofuels.

"The subsidized conversion of crops into fuel was supposed to promote  
energy independence and help limit global warming. But this promise  
was, as Time magazine bluntly put it, a “scam.”

"This is especially true of corn ethanol: even on optimistic  
estimates, producing a gallon of ethanol from corn uses most of the  
energy the gallon contains. But it turns out that even seemingly  
“good” biofuel policies, like Brazil’s use of ethanol from sugar cane,  
accelerate the pace of climate change by promoting deforestation.

"And meanwhile, land used to grow biofuel feedstock is land not  
available to grow food, so subsidies to biofuels are a major factor in  
the food crisis. You might put it this way: people are starving in  
Africa so that American politicians can court votes in farm states.

"Oh, and in case you’re wondering: all the remaining presidential  
contenders are terrible on this issue. . . ."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/07/opinion/07krugman.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin



I disagree that "we are screwed." Only those are screwed who have not  
been paying attention and have been making bad decisions and live  
largely without planning ahead. We superior homesteaders are in good  
shape. We are able to balance dependence on trucked-in supplies with  
independence via homestead food production. If we plan ahead well we  
can avoid town trips and store purchases to a far larger extent than  
those living in the cities.

I've been following rural-urban-rural migration for quite a while. The  
triggers are many but defined. As I mentioned a few months ago, land  
prices will be rising as more urbanites realize life is better beyond  
the burbs. And the realization will accelerate as food prices and gas  
prices escalate. The wild card is jobs.