How Al Gore Fostered Famine, Food Riots, and Rising Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Ethanol subsidies have led to hunger and food riots across the world, by diverting critical farmland from food production to fuel production.  While in the Senate, Al Gore, working with fat-cat lobbyists, “saved the ethanol” industry by pushing through big taxpayer subsidies for ethanol.  Artificially-high worldwide production of ethanol now threatens to destroy many forests.   And when “the forests are gone, with fewer trees to absorb CO2, the net effect is: worse global warming,” according to a post at Treehugger.   The inflated ethanol production resulting from government subsidies and mandates has already led to soil erosion, deforestation, and environmental damage.  And the fall in food production it has caused has triggered food riots in Mexico, Egypt, Haiti, Pakistan, Indonesia, El Salvador, Ivory Coast, and Yemen. 

CEI’s William Yeatman predicted the food crisis resulting from ethanol last year in National Review.  He also forecast future unrest in China, the world’s most populous country.   Ethanol production will drive up grain and corn prices, and thus trigger increases in the cost of pork — the principal source of protein in China’s cities — as feed costs spiral upwards.