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Enivornmentalism Turns Against Itself *UPDATED*

After Dr. Foldvary's article (Ethanol subsidies starve poor kids) and seeing a report on Comcast News about the rising cost of "organic" and "environmentally friendly" food -- and headlines like "Era of cheap food ends as prices surge" (h/t Drudge) -- I'm beginning to wonder whether the environmentalist movement doesn't need to be a lot more centralized and coordinated.

If environmentalist causes drive up the cost of food, and that keeps people from buying "environmentally friendly" foods, then . . . . What was that about "a house divided against itself"?

Speaking of the unexpected results of environmentalism, did you see this from NPR last Fall?:

Rice fields are a major source of methane — one of the so-called greenhouse gases linked to global warming. But switching to other crops is unthinkable in Asia, where rice is the primary source of calories for many people. So scientists in Thailand are trying to find rice cultivation techniques that produce less methane.

And speaking of government subsidies (in the name of environmentalism) getting in the way of "environmentally friendly" causes, see Peter Robinson's interview with T.J. Rodgers (in five parts: One, Two, Three, Four, Five).

The centralized power of the US government evidently isn't enough to coordinate the environmentalist movement. And it would be no use appealing th the UN.

(But why use a government body at all?)

-MT

UPDATE:
Looks like it's a busy week on the ethanol/food/environmentalism front. See the following four pieces on NRO today:

Hungry Like the Ethanol Wolf [Editorial]
A New Environmentalism -Victor Davis Hanson
Global Food Riots -Deroy Murdock
Saving the world is cheaper than free -David Freddoso

And see the following recent headlines on Drudge:
Americans hoard food as industry seeks regs -Patrice Hill, Washington Times
Load Up the Pantry -Brett Arends, Wall Street Journal
Two major US retailers ration rice amid global food crisis -AFP
Run on rice makes its way to U.S. -Jerry Hirsch and Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times

Posted by Micah Tillman on April 24, 2008 12:43 PM |

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