Food rationing? In the US? WTF?

[conuly]

What is this, what is going on here, somebody explain this to me? (Explain it to me by telling me the appropriate panic index for RIGHT FUCKING NOW, okay? I've had a long day, I don't need it to be any longer.)

Comments

[pornography.livejournal.com]

http://newstatesman.com/200804170025

[conuly]

Biofuels are the devil. Got it. But how much should I be panicking right now?

[threeoranges.livejournal.com]

Don't panic right now: from that article, it looks like only rice is affected. Should the lack of availability extend to bread, pasta and potatoes as well, THEN panic.

As I see it, we spoilt Westerners have had too much choice for too long. Eventually we're going to have to accept a cut-back in our choice so that the world as a whole can finally have "enough". I for one am not going to like it when I can't get hold of exactly what I want (be it stringbeans, chocolate or a special kind of breakfast cereal), but if it means less starvation in the other parts of the world then OK, I can live with it.

Of course, Sod's Law being what it is, could be the limiting of our consumption WON'T help the rest of the world. Could be the rich have messed things up so much for their own selfish ends that practically everyone's screwed, but I'll wait and see before I start panicking.

[velvetchamber.livejournal.com]

Yes and no. Biofuels from edible parts of plants are not a good way to go. However, if fermentation of cellulose could be made more efficient (I gather that pentose fermentation is one of the great hurdles) that would yield viable biofuel. That would mean that the agricultural "leftovers" such as corn husk and stalks, could be used in biofuel production. It would be bad for the fungi though...

[conuly]

But the fungi help the plants. It's the ciiiiiiiircle of liiiiiiiiiiife, right? No fungi - less plants? I can't help the feeling that that plan would also turn around and bite us in the ass.

[velvetchamber.livejournal.com]

Well, there are fungi and fungi. Some fungi kill plants, other fungi kill animals, yet other fungi kill other fungi, then there are some fungi that live in symbiosis with plants (and a whole bunch of fungi that do something entirely different, like hang out in symbiosis with algae or cyanobacteria and form lichens).

When I say not so good for the fungi, I mean that there will be less corn husk to go around for them, but that's just a drop in the ocean. It's bad for individual fungi, it's not even bad for individual species of fungi. Also, these fungi are of the kind that degrade dead (plant) material, and as long as something's dying, there are under almost all circumstances plenty of bidders to munch on the dead thing, fast or slow.

So, in essence, there is a very limited possibility that cellulose fermentation is going to be a problem.

[velvetchamber.livejournal.com]

Not to mention, paper that's not feasible to be recycled could just as easily be used for cellulose fermentation, not in the same vats as the agricultural leftovers, due to additives to the paper, but it's none the less a possibility.

[pne.livejournal.com]

I didn't know it was as appalling as that.

Panic: A Self-Perpetuating Vicious Circle

[xydexx.livejournal.com]

People hear rice is in short supply, so they panic and buy more than they normally would.

This results in rice being in short supply.

People hear rice is in short supply, so they panic and buy more than they normally would.

This results in rice being in short supply.

People hear rice is in short supply, so they panic and buy more than they normally would.

This results in rice being in short supply.

And so on and so on.

It reminds me of the old silent movie I saw once, where a guy leaves the doctor's office with his neck in a brace so he can only look up. Then he goes out onto the sidewalk, and people see him looking up, so they look up too. Soon, everyone is looking up wondering what the guy is looking at.

According to the article, it's only Costco having the problem (and unconfirmed reports of Sam's Club). I suppose a headline like "America rations rice in response to imminent food shortage" sells more papers than "Every store except Costco has rice in stock."

Re: Panic: A Self-Perpetuating Vicious Circle

[conuly]

People hear rice is in short supply, so they panic and buy more than they normally would.

See, now, that part I got :)

I was wondering if rice, or any other grain, was in shorter supply than that.

People are idiots

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

... most of those buying as much rice as they possibly can because ZOMFG FOOD RATIONING!!!11! will end up having most of it sit around their kitchen for years before eventually they throw it out because it's ancient and stale.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

ROFL, if rice is in short supply, we could always just buy potatoes instead. Potatoes will never be in short supply, because people can grow their own in plastic garbage cans.

[conuly]

What about the potato famine?

I mean, as I understand it, a major contributing cause (not the only cause, by far) was the lack of diversity in Ireland's potatoes, leaving them all vulnerable to the same sickness.

The same lack of diversity is starting to affect all commercial crops, isn't it?

[l33tminion]

Costco is short on rice (etc.), since some people decided it would be a good idea to stock up. So they've instituted an X per customer policy, since that causes less upset overall than having to tell some customers that they're out of stock. Calling it "food rationing" is stretching the truth.

So your panic level should be the same moderate, gradually increasing alarm that's been the norm for everyone paying attention for the last 5 years or so.

[conuly]

Great. I'm sick of moderate, gradually increasing. It's tedious. At this point, to be quite honest, I'd rather have something happen instead of everything dragging out, even if that means I'm totally caught unprepared

[l33tminion]

I feel that way, too, sometimes...

[conuly]

I know it's a stupid way to think, but.

[pornography.livejournal.com]

http://newstatesman.com/200804170025

[conuly]

Biofuels are the devil. Got it. But how much should I be panicking right now?

[threeoranges.livejournal.com]

Don't panic right now: from that article, it looks like only rice is affected. Should the lack of availability extend to bread, pasta and potatoes as well, THEN panic.

As I see it, we spoilt Westerners have had too much choice for too long. Eventually we're going to have to accept a cut-back in our choice so that the world as a whole can finally have "enough". I for one am not going to like it when I can't get hold of exactly what I want (be it stringbeans, chocolate or a special kind of breakfast cereal), but if it means less starvation in the other parts of the world then OK, I can live with it.

Of course, Sod's Law being what it is, could be the limiting of our consumption WON'T help the rest of the world. Could be the rich have messed things up so much for their own selfish ends that practically everyone's screwed, but I'll wait and see before I start panicking.

[velvetchamber.livejournal.com]

Yes and no. Biofuels from edible parts of plants are not a good way to go. However, if fermentation of cellulose could be made more efficient (I gather that pentose fermentation is one of the great hurdles) that would yield viable biofuel. That would mean that the agricultural "leftovers" such as corn husk and stalks, could be used in biofuel production. It would be bad for the fungi though...

[conuly]

But the fungi help the plants. It's the ciiiiiiiircle of liiiiiiiiiiife, right? No fungi - less plants? I can't help the feeling that that plan would also turn around and bite us in the ass.

[velvetchamber.livejournal.com]

Well, there are fungi and fungi. Some fungi kill plants, other fungi kill animals, yet other fungi kill other fungi, then there are some fungi that live in symbiosis with plants (and a whole bunch of fungi that do something entirely different, like hang out in symbiosis with algae or cyanobacteria and form lichens).

When I say not so good for the fungi, I mean that there will be less corn husk to go around for them, but that's just a drop in the ocean. It's bad for individual fungi, it's not even bad for individual species of fungi. Also, these fungi are of the kind that degrade dead (plant) material, and as long as something's dying, there are under almost all circumstances plenty of bidders to munch on the dead thing, fast or slow.

So, in essence, there is a very limited possibility that cellulose fermentation is going to be a problem.

[velvetchamber.livejournal.com]

Not to mention, paper that's not feasible to be recycled could just as easily be used for cellulose fermentation, not in the same vats as the agricultural leftovers, due to additives to the paper, but it's none the less a possibility.

[pne.livejournal.com]

I didn't know it was as appalling as that.

Panic: A Self-Perpetuating Vicious Circle

[xydexx.livejournal.com]

People hear rice is in short supply, so they panic and buy more than they normally would.

This results in rice being in short supply.

People hear rice is in short supply, so they panic and buy more than they normally would.

This results in rice being in short supply.

People hear rice is in short supply, so they panic and buy more than they normally would.

This results in rice being in short supply.

And so on and so on.

It reminds me of the old silent movie I saw once, where a guy leaves the doctor's office with his neck in a brace so he can only look up. Then he goes out onto the sidewalk, and people see him looking up, so they look up too. Soon, everyone is looking up wondering what the guy is looking at.

According to the article, it's only Costco having the problem (and unconfirmed reports of Sam's Club). I suppose a headline like "America rations rice in response to imminent food shortage" sells more papers than "Every store except Costco has rice in stock."

Re: Panic: A Self-Perpetuating Vicious Circle

[conuly]

People hear rice is in short supply, so they panic and buy more than they normally would.

See, now, that part I got :)

I was wondering if rice, or any other grain, was in shorter supply than that.

People are idiots

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

... most of those buying as much rice as they possibly can because ZOMFG FOOD RATIONING!!!11! will end up having most of it sit around their kitchen for years before eventually they throw it out because it's ancient and stale.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

ROFL, if rice is in short supply, we could always just buy potatoes instead. Potatoes will never be in short supply, because people can grow their own in plastic garbage cans.

[conuly]

What about the potato famine?

I mean, as I understand it, a major contributing cause (not the only cause, by far) was the lack of diversity in Ireland's potatoes, leaving them all vulnerable to the same sickness.

The same lack of diversity is starting to affect all commercial crops, isn't it?

[l33tminion]

Costco is short on rice (etc.), since some people decided it would be a good idea to stock up. So they've instituted an X per customer policy, since that causes less upset overall than having to tell some customers that they're out of stock. Calling it "food rationing" is stretching the truth.

So your panic level should be the same moderate, gradually increasing alarm that's been the norm for everyone paying attention for the last 5 years or so.

[conuly]

Great. I'm sick of moderate, gradually increasing. It's tedious. At this point, to be quite honest, I'd rather have something happen instead of everything dragging out, even if that means I'm totally caught unprepared

[l33tminion]

I feel that way, too, sometimes...

[conuly]

I know it's a stupid way to think, but.