Not to be a total Debbie Downer, but the fertilizer’s shit’s hitting the fan re: global warming, food shortages, water shortages and yes, the coming world famine.
Add those undeniables to these factoids:
Bush has called for a massive increase in ethanol production. The new target: 35 billion gallons a year by 2017, representing a five-fold increase on the current target.
Meat. It’s yummy. It’s also subsidized by the gov’t. And global demand has multiplied exponentially. In 1961, the total world meat supply weighed in at about 71 million tons. Last year, it mushroomed to a mind-boggling 284 million tons. (Per capita, consumption has more than doubled in that time. In the developing world it doubled in the last 20 years.) By 2050, it’s supposed to double again. Yay?
What do livestock eat? Grain.
What does corn and other grains need to grow?
Wait for it ….
Wait for it ….
FERTILIZER!!!!
What does this all mean? Who knows? This is my whacked hypothesis though: farmers are no longer synonymous with poor folk. They be making money hand over fist.
The only rational response? Tying my tubes and encouraging others to do likewise. Since I’m not rational, and in fact quite often so very very foolish, I’m betting on investing in fertilizer stock and hoping I don’t lose my shirt. And guess what? It’s actually bringing home the bacon. (For now). Join me, won’t you?
