Comments on: Trying to save the corn tortilla

By: Maulik Mo

Maulik Mo — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:39:21 +0000

Sorry, here is the correct link to The New Yorker.

By: Maulik Mo

Maulik Mo — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:37:52 +0000

But that isnÂ’t likely to happen anytime soon: the Bush Administration proposed eliminating the ethanol tariff this past spring, but Congress quickly quashed the ideaÂ—Barack Obama was among several Midwestern senators who campaigned in support of the tariffÂ—and the sugar quotas appear to be as sacrosanct as ever. Tariffs and quotas are extremely hard to get rid of, once established, because they create a vicious circle of back-scratchingÂ—government largesse means that sugar producers get wealthy, giving them lots of cash to toss at members of Congress, who then have an incentive to insure that the largesse continues to flow. More important, protectionist rules flourish because the benefits are concentrated among a small number of easy-to-identify winners, while the costs are spread out across the entire population. It may be annoying to pay a few more cents for sugar or ethanol, but most of us are unlikely to lobby Congress about it.

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/articles/061127ta_talk_surowiecki

By: hema

hema — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 22:44:58 +0000

More on swithgrass as a potential fuel source.

But apparently, using plant biomass as a source for liquid fuel is extremely inefficient.

By: Shodan

Shodan — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:00:18 +0000

^^^ D'oh. Meant for Falak.

By: Shodan

Shodan — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 18:50:27 +0000

Brown Metal. Varg Vikernes would be proud. Wait, they’re Desi. Never mind.

By: DDiA

DDiA — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:55:17 +0000

A source in the Mexican President's office told me that it was largely a bubble, based on panic buying.

That, and the fact that there is very little competition among the tortilla makers in Mexico who have gone on and raised tortilla prices excessively. On the flip side though, the Mexican President would have done better to ease the import duties on corn, which are now levied even on the higher corn prices imported from across the border.

By: Neal (with no 'e')

Neal (with no 'e') — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:23:01 +0000

Why not start with agricultural waste we already produce? If you're able to process cellulose, wouldn't the next logical step be all the plant matter we just throw away? I wonder how many Americans could power their homes with the lawn clippings most Americans discard? Hell, what about the corn stalks and husks?

Why create a huge new demand for deforestation?

By: hema

hema — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:14:43 +0000

Michael Pollan rocks!

That said, I think switchgrass (which apparently covers most of Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle) is the new "corn", as far as fuel resources go.

By: inothernews

inothernews — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 15:59:14 +0000

Oh good, someone beat me to quoting the new food bible, Omnivore’s Dilemma. I feel like I read somewhere that it actually takes more energy to get energy out of corn than it itself produces? I hope I am not posting half-truths here…

By: No von Mises

No von Mises — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 15:42:34 +0000

Nina P.! You're a Pollanian too. You rock.