Environmental Fun

Ok, so we all know that Al Gore has gotten the world to agree that Global Warming is our number 1 priority. He also has pitched the theory that Global Warming is going to lead to famine. Is is possible that the push to use bio-fuels as alternatives to fossil fuels will push us to a global food shortage sooner?

I was sitting at work reading an article (sometimes work does not seem like work except for the topics that I have to read about) and it is talking about agriculture prices. The oil folks are starting to worry, both the food oil and the fossil fuel oil folks, that the demand for vegetable oils and oilseeds could lead to a food shortage.

It is a good counter-point that global warming may not bring on a food shortage, but the demand for bio-fuels in order to curtail global warming could drive us into a food shortage much faster. Cotton is approaching $0.80/lb but corn is up 50% over what it was last year which was enough to drive cotton acreage down by 29%. Corn stocks to use ratio is approaching an all time low, even with the record corn productions. European feed-wheat production is so low they are using corn for feed which drives the market even more. Corn plantings are expected to go down and switch to soybeans. Soybean prices are 70% higher than last year and climbing. Soybeans are approaching a record low stocks to use ratio as well. Then you get to throw in wheat which is more then double the price it was last year and is now more profitable then corn, soybeans, or cotton to grow. The price of cotton is expected to skyrocket.

China is expected to reduce cotton acreage to plant more soybeans.

Demand for cotton is at an all time high and yet cotton stocks are dwindling……….whacky.

Do you go naked? Starve? Or burn fossil fuels?

And this is why I don’t think ethanol or bio-diesel (made from soy or other plant stock, algae based bio-diesel is different) is a viable solution to the problem. The short sighted concern of global warming due to fossil fuel usage without looking at the whole system is causing much more pressing problems much sooner…………too bad the media is too ignorant to address a complicated problem in an honest way.

More Government Fun

Last week I was subjected to a week of "Introduction to Supervision" training by the government. A nice bit of irony is that I am no longer a supervisor. Now, for anyone who is expecting that the mandatory training that supervisors are supposed to receive would teach you the stuff you need to know to be a supervisor (like legal and administrative responsibilities and policies) you would be wrong. The training consisted of being taught how to "motivate" people and some tactics that might be marginally useful for giving annual performance appraisals. In fact, the little advice (I say advice because it was not a lesson) given on who to contact in case of conduct problems was wrong. There is a big difference between Employee Relations (discipline and firing people) and Human Resources (hiring and training people) in the government.

All I can say is ARGH!!!!! This is the last of my training for the year.....

Various Updates

Been really busy, but I am back now and ready for more government training. Starting tomorrow is "Introduction to Supervision". After being a supervisor for a good long while of a large number of people and now supervising no one the government is sending me to supervisor training.

I am planning for my January trip to Vegas. La wants to see the Vegas Sign Boneyard. If anyone knows where there is still mud wrestling in Vegas, please pass it on, La really really really wants to see some.

Brad Pitt is organizing a new project in New Orleans. To his credit he is putting up $5 million of his own money. On the other hand, it is only for the 9th ward and oh yeah, check out the proposed houses to see how architects continue to prove they are idiots. See specifically the MVRDV to see what I mean.