Another reason why ethanol is not the answer
Corn is king here in central Illinois. It’s been that way for many decades and will continue to be for many decades more.
Corn feeds humans as well as cattle, which in turn feed us some more. And it also feeds the ever-growing maw of the ethanol industry. With the massive subsidies being paid for corn to make ethanol, farmers would be crazy not to go buckwild with the maize.
This, of course, presents some unforeseen consequences: Greater (some might say artificial) demand for corn-based ethanol pushes grain prices up, and less supply for feed (human or otherwise) pushes prices up some more. Add to that the ethical quandaries of taking corn out of the food supply (and putting it into gas tanks) when untold millions in this country and around the world go hungry as well as the clearing of CO2-sucking rainforests and grasslands to make room for corn. There also are all kinds of studies that show corn-based ethanol’s energy inefficiency.
But perhaps the most unkindest cut of all is the effect that corn-for-ethanol is having on beer prices:
(B)iofuel subsidies … are pushing more farmers to ditch their barley crops — which are necessary to make beer — in favor of crops that earn them lucrative subsidies from regulators trying to fight global warming.
Once again, it’s Basic Economics 101: Less barley for beer means higher beer prices. Being the kind of person who frequents beer stores on a regular basis, I’ve noticed recently that beer prices are going crazy. I pretty much don’t buy imports at all anymore. Hacker-Pschorr is tasty stuff, but I’m not going to pay $9.99 for a six-pack. And Bishop’s Finger is even better, but it costs even more than the H-P for a four-pack.
And with domestic craft beers, it’s not just less barley: There’s a shortage of hops, too. I’m seeing beers that cost $1 or $2 more for a six-pack than they did just a few months ago. Flying Dog varieties have gone from $6.99 to $8.99. You can’t find a sixer of Sierra Nevada products anywhere for less than $8.99 unless it’s on sale at the grocery. Same deal with Goose Island beers, and they only have to make a 3-hour trip south from Chicago. And be prepared to take out a second mortgage for Rogue products: If you’re hankering for some Dead Guy Ale, it’ll set you back $10.49 for a six-pack or $5.99 for a 22-ouncer, and that’s when it’s on sale at County Market.
It’s enough to make a guy get back into making his own suds. I already have most of the necessary equipment, and if the input costs (malt extract, hops, yeast, water and bottle caps) come out to less than 90 cents per 12-ounce bottle (based on the price plus tax of Sierra Nevada), it would make economic sense to resume homebrewing.
(Tip of the hat to Your Neighbor via Andrew Sullivan.)
