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The United States has passed legislation requiring a six-fold increase in the production of ethanol by the year 2022. The United States uses 19,650,000 barrels of oil a day, more than three times that of second place Japan according to Wise Geek. Because the US imports most of this oil, they are seeking to reduce their reliance on foreign sources of energy.
However, by requiring corn, in the form of ethanol, to replace foreign oil as a fuel source, they are creating several cultural clashes of note. Here are some questions that might show you how one decision can have an impact on cultures:
* How would you feel if you were a member of the crop-growing farming culture and saw prices rising for the crops you were producing?
* How would you feel if you were a cattle rancher and saw feed prices rising because of the increase demand for corn?
* How would you feel if you were part of a developing nation culture and heard this news while your nation’s citizens were dying of hunger each day?
* How would you feel if you are part of the blue-collar culture about seeing new, potential union, jobs being created at ethanol plants?
We know how the United Nations feels. According to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler, turning fields capable of growing edible crops into fields growing crops for pure fuel production is a crime against demanding. He has asked for a five-year moratorium on such activity. He recommends the use of jatropha, a drought-resistant crop easily grown in developing nations. A field of jatropha is easy to establish, grows quickly, and has a lifespan of 50 years.
As you can imagine, the position of the United Nations further contributes to how cultures view the use of corn. Depending on one’s viewpoint, the United Nations is either a hero or a villain. Regardless, if we think about the use of corn and supply our thought process to other cultural events, we can begin to understand why a single issue can create a huge cultural disturbance.
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