mundame
04-14-2008, 02:14 PM
Have any of you noticed how incredibly high food prices are right now?
The women here probably have. The Wall Street Journal said today that global food cost is up 83% in three years: now, that's a lot.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/04/14/world.food.crisis/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
4/14/2008
Riots, instability spread as food prices skyrocket
Rise in food prices is "the world's big story," development official warns
World Bank chief warns that rise in prices could set anti-poverty efforts back
Crisis also spurs debate on whether ethanol production is to blame
Riots have occurred in numerous countries recently
(CNN) -- Riots from Haiti to Bangladesh to Egypt over the soaring costs of basic foods have brought the issue to a boiling point and catapulted it to the forefront of the world's attention, the head of an agency focused on global development said Monday.
"This is the world's big story," said Jeffrey Sachs, director of Columbia University's Earth Institute.
"The finance ministers were in shock, almost in panic this weekend," he said on CNN's "American Morning," in a reference to top economic officials who gathered in Washington. "There are riots all over the world in the poor countries ... and, of course, our own poor are feeling it in the United States."
World Bank President Robert Zoellick has said the surging costs could mean "seven lost years" in the fight against worldwide poverty.
"While many are worrying about filling their gas tanks, many others around the world are struggling to fill their stomachs, and it is getting more and more difficult every day," Zoellick said late last week in a speech opening meetings with finance ministers.
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Thomas Malthus was an 18th century clergyman famous for his thesis that human population will always increase to as many as the food resources (and other resources) can supply, and then will stay at the edge of population starvation, in a balance with resources. Actually, ALL species of life do that. They expand population till they cannot expand further because there are no more necessary resources. At that point, population crashes for various reasons (disease, predation, food source failure, wars in the case of humans) because it's living on the edge.
Many populations of humans are at that point now, and they are in the countries that are rioting as the food shortages and higher prices caused mostly by oil price rising reduce their food intake.
Any thoughts on this situation?
The women here probably have. The Wall Street Journal said today that global food cost is up 83% in three years: now, that's a lot.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/04/14/world.food.crisis/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
4/14/2008
Riots, instability spread as food prices skyrocket
Rise in food prices is "the world's big story," development official warns
World Bank chief warns that rise in prices could set anti-poverty efforts back
Crisis also spurs debate on whether ethanol production is to blame
Riots have occurred in numerous countries recently
(CNN) -- Riots from Haiti to Bangladesh to Egypt over the soaring costs of basic foods have brought the issue to a boiling point and catapulted it to the forefront of the world's attention, the head of an agency focused on global development said Monday.
"This is the world's big story," said Jeffrey Sachs, director of Columbia University's Earth Institute.
"The finance ministers were in shock, almost in panic this weekend," he said on CNN's "American Morning," in a reference to top economic officials who gathered in Washington. "There are riots all over the world in the poor countries ... and, of course, our own poor are feeling it in the United States."
World Bank President Robert Zoellick has said the surging costs could mean "seven lost years" in the fight against worldwide poverty.
"While many are worrying about filling their gas tanks, many others around the world are struggling to fill their stomachs, and it is getting more and more difficult every day," Zoellick said late last week in a speech opening meetings with finance ministers.
************************************************** *************
Thomas Malthus was an 18th century clergyman famous for his thesis that human population will always increase to as many as the food resources (and other resources) can supply, and then will stay at the edge of population starvation, in a balance with resources. Actually, ALL species of life do that. They expand population till they cannot expand further because there are no more necessary resources. At that point, population crashes for various reasons (disease, predation, food source failure, wars in the case of humans) because it's living on the edge.
Many populations of humans are at that point now, and they are in the countries that are rioting as the food shortages and higher prices caused mostly by oil price rising reduce their food intake.
Any thoughts on this situation?