Every time, I hear the argument for bio-diesel, it makes me cringe. It makes me wonder from where this idea is springing forth. Is it an outcome of affluence, lacking a moral ethical conscience or does it spring forth from ignorance that does not recognize the disparities that much of our world is evincing today.
Let us consider some of the existent situations in the world today and decide for our selves whether it is right to burn food for fuel. There are three broad scenarios that are very evident today that does not justify the burning of food for fuel. They are people's extravagant lifestyles, the environment and global poverty.
By saying extravagant lifestyles, I am just not just meaning the lifestyles of the rich and famous, but the way over and above means of subsistence living that many all across the world indulge in. From vast impersonal cookie cutter single family fortresses,to mind numbing, soul sucking stores that have clear views of a vast and expansive parking lot. There is no point to this mindless sprawl, this cold obscene suburbia where personal contact is a rarity. Why burn food for fuel to support this cheap characterless life style. These secluded eerie neighborhoods which have so sidewalks, no crosswalks, no mass transit do not deserve more assistance to grow and prosper and spread isolation. It is wasteful and environmentally devastating. So many nice hillsides, pastures and sea shores have been cruelly devastated by mindless sprawl. Not a good excuse for burning food right?
Global poverty, no one can deny this vicious cycle that engulfs not only the so called Third world and Fourth world nations but continues to brew in countries deemed affluent like the United States, Great Britain and other super power nations. Consider regions in rural Applachia, reservations in Arizona, the deep inner cities from New York to LA. Poverty, yes in the land of oppulence. How can anyone justify burning food just to drive your car? ?Unimaginable but true that countries like India where stark poverty is evident though often dismissed for ideals like 'India Shining' can even consider bio- fuel when there are so many more critical problems at hand.
Where will these crops for fuel be grown? Will huge primeval forests that have witnessed aeon's gone by, be cut down from their majestic heights? Will the forest give way fields of corn. Where will the world's battles be fought? In the Amazon Basin or Borneo? Death, carnage of so many species of animals, birds, trees just so that humans can continue on with selfish individualistic greed. All earth reduced to a wasteland, no more singing bird, no more swaying tree just a long concrete highway- to the middle of nowhere.....
