Corn: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Summary
TLDRThis script explores America's deep-rooted relationship with corn, from its prevalence in food and culture to its political significance. It delves into the environmental and health consequences of corn subsidies and farming practices, highlighting how 45% of corn is used for ethanol, 40% for livestock feed, and a mere 1% for human consumption. The script critiques the Renewable Fuel Standard, the impact of industrial farming on soil and water, and calls for a rethinking of farm policy to address the negative externalities of corn production, suggesting a shift towards more sustainable and responsible agricultural practices.
Takeaways
- ๐ฝ Corn is deeply ingrained in American culture, from food to entertainment and politics.
- ๐ฐ The Illinois Corn Maze is a 28-acre family activity that showcases the versatility and cultural significance of corn.
- ๐จโ๐พ Politicians often use corn as a symbol to appeal to voters, especially in agricultural states like Iowa.
- ๐ฐ The U.S. government heavily subsidizes corn production, which incentivizes farmers to grow large quantities of it.
- ๐ The subsidies and policies have led to a significant increase in corn production, creating surpluses.
- ๐พ Only a small percentage of corn grown in the U.S. is for direct human consumption; the majority is used for other purposes.
- ๐ Industrial farming practices, such as the use of chemical fertilizers, have contributed to environmental issues.
- ๐ Nitrogen runoff from cornfields has caused water contamination, leading to health risks like blue baby syndrome and dead zones in water bodies.
- ๐ A large portion of corn is used as livestock feed, which can lead to health issues in animals and contribute to antibiotic resistance.
- ๐พ Ethanol production, heavily reliant on corn, has its own set of environmental concerns, including high water usage and questionable greenhouse gas reductions.
- ๐ There is a call for a rethinking of current farm policies and the Renewable Fuel standard to address the negative impacts of corn production.
Q & A
What is the significance of corn in American culture and politics?
-Corn holds a significant place in American culture, being featured in various forms such as caramel corn, the Corn Palace in South Dakota, and as a mascot for the Nebraska Corn Huskers. In politics, appealing to the Corn Growers of America and showing interest in corn has been a common strategy for presidential contenders, demonstrating corn's importance in American agriculture and economy.
What is the Illinois Corn Maze and why is it created?
-The Illinois Corn Maze is a large family activity that covers 28 acres and features nearly 10 miles of trails. It is designed to be the world's largest corn maze, with a theme that changes every year. The aim is to create amazement with an aerial photograph that showcases the maze's design, attracting visitors and offering a unique experience.
How much of the corn produced in the United States is used for human consumption?
-Only 1% of the corn produced in the United States is made for direct human consumption. The rest is known as field or dent corn, which is not typically consumed directly by humans due to its poor taste and texture.
What are some of the uses of field or dent corn?
-Field or dent corn is used in a variety of products such as cornmeal and high fructose corn syrup. It is also utilized in industrial products like paint and plastics. Additionally, a significant portion is used for livestock feed and the production of ethanol, a gasoline alternative.
What impact has the subsidization of corn had on the environment and farming communities?
-The subsidization of corn has led to its dominance in American agriculture, which has come at the expense of the environment, health, and some farming communities. The intensive farming practices have caused issues like soil erosion, contaminated water sources leading to health problems like blue baby syndrome, and environmental disasters such as dead zones in water bodies due to fertilizer runoff.
How have government policies influenced the farming of corn in the United States?
-Government policies, such as those introduced during the Great Depression and further changes in the 1970s, have heavily incentivized the growth of corn by subsidizing farmers and reducing the risk of expanding operations. These policies have led to surpluses in commodity crops, especially corn, and have benefited large producers more than small family farmers.
What is the Renewable Fuel Standard, and how does it relate to corn production?
-The Renewable Fuel Standard is a mandate created by the 2005 Energy bill that requires a certain amount of renewable fuel to be blended into the domestic gasoline supply. This has significantly increased the demand for corn, as ethanol, a form of renewable fuel, is primarily produced from corn, leading to further expansion of corn farming.
What are some of the negative environmental impacts of producing ethanol from corn?
-Producing ethanol from corn has been found to have a carbon footprint at least 24% higher than regular gasoline when considering the fertilizer and land use changes needed for corn cultivation. Additionally, the water-intensive nature of corn farming contributes to the depletion of groundwater resources, especially in areas where irrigation is necessary.
How does the use of corn in livestock feed affect the animals and potentially human health?
-The predominant use of corn in livestock feed can be detrimental to the animals' digestive systems, as they are not evolved to consume such a diet. This can lead to health issues like liver abscesses in cattle, prompting the use of antibiotics in feed, which contributes to antibiotic resistance, a significant concern for human health.
What are some suggestions for rethinking the current farming policy and practices related to corn?
-Suggestions include reevaluating the Renewable Fuel Standard and resetting farm policy to include federal safety nets contingent on farmers having strategies for preserving topsoil, controlling chemical runoff, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The aim is to create a more sustainable and less harmful agricultural system.
What is the significance of the 'non-liquid gold' nickname for corn, and how does it reflect the current state of corn production?
-The 'non-liquid gold' nickname for corn reflects its high value and importance in the American economy. However, it also highlights the lack of innovation in describing corn, much like regular gold, and points to the need for a shift in how corn is produced and utilized to address the environmental and health issues associated with its current dominance in agriculture.
Outlines
๐ฝ The Cultural and Political Significance of Corn
This paragraph delves into the deep cultural connection Americans have with corn, highlighting its versatility in food and entertainment, such as the Illinois Corn Maze. It also touches on the political aspect, where presidential candidates often appeal to corn growers for support. The script humorously critiques the use of corn as a campaign tool and introduces the concept of 'non-liquid gold' as a nickname for corn. The paragraph concludes by discussing the vast scale of corn production in the U.S., its minimal direct human consumption, and its use in various industries, leading to environmental and health concerns.
๐ฐ The Impact of Government Subsidies on Corn Production
This section examines the role of government subsidies in promoting corn cultivation in the U.S. It explains how policies, starting from the Great Depression and significantly altered in the 1970s, have incentivized farmers to grow corn extensively. The paragraph discusses the shift from paying farmers to reduce supply to subsidizing them when prices fall, leading to surpluses. It also reveals that these subsidies disproportionately benefit large producers rather than small family farms. The script points out the manipulation of subsidy systems by large landowners and the lack of benefits for smaller, diverse farms.
๐ฟ Environmental Consequences of Industrial Corn Farming
This paragraph focuses on the environmental impact of large-scale corn farming, particularly the use of nitrogen fertilizer. It discusses how this practice contributes to water contamination, leading to health issues like blue baby syndrome and ecological problems like dead zones in water bodies. The script also mentions soil erosion and dust storms, which have severe consequences, including fatalities. The paragraph underscores the need for a reevaluation of agricultural practices and policies to mitigate these environmental issues.
๐ The Effects of Corn on Livestock and Antibiotic Resistance
Here, the script discusses the use of corn in livestock feed and its unintended consequences on animal health. It explains that the overuse of corn in diets not naturally high in this grain leads to digestive issues in animals, which in turn results in the widespread use of antibiotics. This practice is criticized for contributing to antibiotic resistance, a significant global health concern. The paragraph also satirizes the absurdity of using corn in ways that are detrimental to both animal and human health.
๐ The Ethanol Mandate and Its Unintended Negatives
The final paragraph addresses the ethanol mandate, which was intended to reduce dependency on foreign oil but has had several negative repercussions. It points out that ethanol production has a higher carbon footprint than previously thought and that the demand for corn to produce ethanol is depleting water resources. The script also criticizes the Renewable Fuel Standard for being outdated and calls for a rethinking of farm policy to include strategies for environmental conservation. The paragraph ends with a call to action to change the status quo for the benefit of the environment and public health.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กCorn
๐กCorn Maze
๐กNon-liquid Gold
๐กSubsidies
๐กEarl 'Rusty' Butts
๐กDead Zone
๐กEthanol
๐กFarm Bill
๐กCargill and Monsanto
๐กBlue Baby Syndrome
๐กIndustrial Meat Producers
Highlights
America's love for corn is evident in its various forms and cultural significance.
The Illinois Corn Maze, a 28-acre family activity, aims to be the world's largest with a theme that changes annually.
Politicians often use corn as a symbol to appeal to voters, especially in agricultural states like Iowa.
The U.S. is the largest producer, consumer, and exporter of corn, with a nearly 90 billion dollar industry.
Only 1% of corn grown in the U.S. is for direct human consumption; the rest is used for various industrial and livestock purposes.
Government policies, such as subsidies and insurance coverage, have incentivized large-scale corn farming.
Subsidies tend to benefit larger producers rather than small family farms, leading to an imbalance in the distribution of support.
The environmental impact of corn farming includes erosion, contaminated water, and the depletion of groundwater resources.
The use of corn in livestock feed has increased due to its subsidized low cost, leading to health issues in animals.
Ethanol production, which consumes a large portion of U.S. corn, has been criticized for its negative environmental effects.
The Renewable Fuel standard is up for renewal, presenting an opportunity to reassess corn farming policies.
The transcript highlights the need for a shift in farming policy to address the environmental and health impacts of corn production.
Corn's dominance in American agriculture has led to a monoculture that negatively affects the environment and small farming communities.
The corn industry's growth has benefited large corporations more than individual farmers, centralizing control and profits.
The U.S. government's agricultural policies have historically influenced the types and amounts of crops farmers grow, with็็ฑณcorn being a major beneficiary.
The transcript calls for a reevaluation of the way corn is subsidized and used in various industries to promote a more sustainable and equitable agricultural system.
Transcripts
our main story tonight concerns corn we
love it in all of its forms from caramel
corn to the Corn Palace in South Dakota
to the mascot of the Nebraska Corn
Huskers except not the modern travesty
I'm talking about the early one no not
that demon the original yeah that's him
the guy in regular clothes with an
enormous corn cop for a head asking the
question am I man or am I corn we love
corn so much we've even found a way to
make it a wholesome family activity this
Illinois Corn Maze is rural sprawl 28
acres in all with almost 10 mil of
trails we said if we're going to do it
why not be the world's largest the theme
changes every year that great aerial
photograph we want people to go wow
that's a magnificent picture our Beatles
maze in in
2013 I mean you could see the faces of
The Beatles fifth graders zigzagging
through a corn maze thinking we got to
find a way out or this field trip could
be our
last
wow that got dark quick although I think
even the Beatles would agree there is
just no better tribute to their legacy
than having terrified children wander
around Ringo's nostrils wondering if
they'll ever see their families again
and because of how much we love corn
appealing to the Corn Growers of America
has always been good politics
presidential contenders love to Pander
to people in Iowa from Obama standing in
front of a corn field to Mitt Romney
pretending to be intently interested in
an ear of corn to whatever George Bush
thought he was doing here there is a
long history of American politicians
being weird around corn but perhaps no
one has ever been weirder while
discussing it than this I just met
non-liquid gold you know where it was
Iowa it's called corn they have it's non
liquid that's my day you have more non
Liquid Gold they said what is that I
said corn they said we love that idea
you know that's pretty cool thought
isn't it that's a nickname in its own
way but we came up with a new word for
new couple of words for corn
yeah did you though because non-liquid
gold isn't so much a way of describing
corn as it is a way of describing
regular gold that's a level of non-
innovation Innovation that we haven't
seen since Lyft invented something
called lift shuttle which was and this
is true the
bus but he is right we are the world's
largest producer consumer and exporter
of non-liquid not gold in the world we
also produce more corn than any other
crop in the US farming it is a nearly 90
billion industry with Farmers planting
roughly 90 million Acres a year and in
case you're like me and don't really
understand what an acre is it might help
to know that cornfields currently occupy
nearly 5% of the land surface of the
contiguous United States and you might
already be thinking well so what that
means that America's well stocked for
the movies barbecues and House parties
where someone wants that Black Bean
Salsa thing why do you have to ruin a
good thing to which I say one it's a
calling and a Clarity of purpose and two
of those millions of acres of corn only
1% is made for direct human consumption
the rest is called field or Dent corn
which as these documentaries discovered
might look delicious but very much
isn't it's not very good
tastes like s yeah it's disgusting it
tastes like chalk I really thought it
would taste
better yeah it turns out sweet corn is
as similar to Dent corn as a chocolate
bunny is to a real bunny only one of
them actually tastes good raw now I
should point out Dent corn is used in a
lot of things that we do consume like
cornmeal and high fructose corn syrup
it's also used in Industrial Products
like paint Plastics but in recent years
such uses have only accounted for around
15% of what we do with Dent corn with
around 40% being used for Liv stock feed
and the final 45% becoming the gasoline
alternative ethanol but as you will see
while corn is incredibly versatile the
way we've incentivized farming it has
caused considerable Downstream harm
because it turns out Corn's utter
dominance of American agriculture comes
to the expense of our environment our
health and some of our farming
communities just listen to One scientist
who grew up farming sum up how he feels
about it I go by a field of corn looks
beautiful to me you know that that comes
from having grown up on the Kansas farm
if you're not aware as to what it is
that stands behind all of that
agriculture you can live with the
illusion that there's nothing wrong
right if you don't know what's behind
those stalks of corn you can easily
believe that there is nothing wrong but
I've already shown you that there could
well be a bunch of fifth graders
wandering around back there running low
on Supply so I think we're past the
point of the illusion here and given
that tonight let's talk about a few of
the key problems with corn specifically
how we subsidize it how we grow it and
what we shove it into and let's start
with the fact that the US is incredibly
well suited to growing corn as this
professor explains in a bizarre walkand
talk it's really a tropical crop warm
season crop but the growing season here
the precipitation the rainfall that we
get the amount of light that we get
all those things combined to just be a a
wonderful perfect environment for it to
grow in what is happening there whose
idea was it to make him do that you know
what would make this point about the
perfect climate of the Corn really land
for people Professor Roger Elmore being
aggressively groped by horny stalks of
it but while chemical fertilizers
careful breeding and new technology have
made Farmers able to grow massive
amounts of corn government policy has
also played a significant role by by
heavily thumbing the scale in
incentivizing what crops Farmers choose
to grow modern farm policy was born
during the Great Depression when Farmers
faced a crisis nearly a million lost
their farms in the first four years
alone and that is when FDR's
Administration passed legislation to
drive the price of farmed Goods up
during times of over Supply by doing
things like paying Farmers to plant less
but a key turning point came in the
1970s thanks to in large part to a man
named and this is true Earl
butts his nickname was actually Rusty
meaning he was known as and this is true
again Earl Rusty
butts anyway buts who was Nixon's
agriculture secretary disagreed with the
policy of paying Farmers to reduce
Supply and sought to swing the pendulum
all the way in the opposite direction
with the new Farm Act we have
experienced a 180 degree turn in the
philosophy of our farm programs we've
abandoned the longtime philosophy of
curtailment and cut back to the new
philos phos opy of expansion we're going
to see the most massive increase in
production of farm products ever in the
history of this country yeah Rusty buts
a man who looks like he'd probably one
day have to resign after saying a racial
slur insisted everyone should grow more
and he did that only a few years before
unsurprisingly resigning after saying a
racial slurp but while he was still in
the job buts pushed hard for Farmers to
expand their operations and Nixon's 1973
Farm Bill reflected his philosophy
Farmers would no longer be paid for not
planting crops instead if prices fell
below a certain Target the federal
government would simply pay Farmers to
make up the difference significantly
reducing the risk of expanding your
operation and incentivizing Farmers to
go as big as they could these policies
help create almost immediate surpluses
in commodity crops especially corn and
similar policies still exist today and
on top of them the government now issues
subsidies to pay for part of a farmers's
crop insurance which provides coverage
to Farmers if their crops fail those
subsidies have amounted to over 60% of
the insurance premiums in recent years
and while these policies sometimes get
positioned as protections for small farm
family Farmers the truth is that is not
who reaps the vast majority of the
benefits which tend to flow to the
biggest producers in fact over the last
28 years the top 10% of farm subsidy
recipients received
79% of the subsidies with over a quarter
of them going to the top 1% meanwhile
the vast majority of farmers do not
benefit from Farm subsidy programs at
all and that is for many reasons not
least of which is that it's much harder
for small farms which might grow a wider
variety of crops to qualify for them
just listen to this family explain their
small farm situation we grow tomatoes we
grow basil we grow cauliflower we grow
broccoli we grow um chard and carrots we
grow the health healthiest crops we we
possibly can't I don't think there is a
subsidy for any of the crops we grow as
far as I'm concerned the only subsidies
out there are for the big grain
producers okay first let me just address
something quickly that's a up
looking carrot that that kid is holding
there but second it does feel wrong that
an operation growing healthy produce
wouldn't receive any subsidies even if
it is called s which sounds less like a
small family farm and more like a pH
balancing douche and so
big land owners have over the years
developed all sorts of ways to gain the
farm subsidy system for instance
payments used to be capped on a per Farm
basis so they simply started subdividing
themselves into multiple entities Each
of which could then collect the maximum
payout back in the 2000s the GAO pointed
out this problem noting that one land
owner in Arkansas David Brooks Griffin
had split his farm into 66 smaller ones
and seem to be listing his employees as
their owners just watch what happened
when one reporter tried to pay Griffin a
visit we wanted to speak with Mr Griffin
shown here leaving on his helicopter but
he refused so instead we set out to find
some of the people Griffin enlisted as
owners of those smaller Farms it took
some hunting for us to find Quia pots
I'm a partner in three different Farms
the government lists him as a part owner
of several of the smaller Farms but like
many listed as owners of paper Farms
pots appeared to be an owner in name
only the records indicate over 3 years
you received
$340,000 through the Farms through the
farm payments that's right but did you
put that money in your bank account yeah
no yeah of course no that is very well
said and if you're wondering how to tell
who the real owner of the farm is it is
not the guy who agreed to that interview
and it is the guy showed leaving on his
helicopter but USDA investigators said
that that was perfectly legal and
Incredibly some of the rules have only
gotten looser since then under the
current farm bill that per Farm payment
limit has been scrapped and while there
is technically a limit of $125,000 per
year per person crucially there is no
cap on how many people can reach the
payment limit so in addition to more
immediate family members like parents
siblings and adult children cousins
nieces or nephews also qualify for
payments the only real requirement is
that you must be actively engaged in
farming but it turns out even that
doesn't really mean much the definition
of actively engaged in farming is very
vague so you can call into a shareholder
meeting every now and then a few times a
year or do things like have some small
Financial Risk in the farm in order to
receive payments so you don't have to
ever set foot on a farm to receive these
payments that's true you don't have to
even set foot on a farm you can just be
the farm owner's cousin which as we are
all aware can be someone you barely know
a normal relationship with your cousin
is get their holiday card announcing
their third pregnancy think didn't they
say they hated kids hang the card on
your fridge and then throw it away once
you stop feeling guilty all of which in
my opinion doesn't entitle you to
$125,000 a year and look it is not like
corn is the only crop that we subsidize
in this way you could make similar
criticisms of wheat or soybeans but the
biggest share of these subsidies in
recent decades have gone to Corn far
surpassing that of any other crop
basically in the world of agricultural
products corn is the unquestionable
Superstar beans want to be it oats want
to it and and as the corn industry
has ballooned some of the biggest
beneficiaries haven't actually been the
farmers themselves but enormous
corporations from these four companies
that now dominate the nitrogen
fertilizer industry to these two that
now dominate nearly three quarters of
the supply of seeds for corn and the
production of corn has become
increasingly Industrial the methods that
we've used to supercharge its growth
have taken a toll on the environment
take nitrogen fertilizer it is needed to
intensively Farm one crop over and over
again especially if Farmers don't take
steps to protect the soil's natural
fertility and corn uses the most
fertilizer of all major US crops and
that can have consequences that many
scientists including that guy that you
saw earlier are very concerned about
because nitrogen fertilizer is the
biggest contributor to a problem that
happens when contaminated water on
agricultural land leeches into
groundwater or runs off into rivers and
streams and eventually gets into our
drinking water which can cause a
condition with a truly horrifying name
since the 1940s scientists have warned
that exposure to excess nitrates can
inhibit oxygen circulation in an
infant's blood consuming high nitrate
water will tend to strip oxygen out of
the blood and that's produces this blue
baby syndrome it's true there is a
condition called blue baby syndrome
where excess nitrates deprive kids of
oxygen and it can be fatal it is so
horrifying you're not even registering
that that man is called Randy beavers
which in any other situation would be
all anyone cares about and I do hope we
can all at least agree no child should
ever be turned blue unless they
disobeyed Mr Wonka's clear instructions
about not trying the chewing gum and now
suffering the only slight L
disproportionate consequences and it's
not just humans at risk here because
when that contaminated runoff eventually
washes into the sea it can cause serious
problems in there too as this local news
reporter chose to tell people in a
totally normal way here is a little bit
what it's like to be a fish this time of
year in parts of the Chesapeake
Bay can't breathe I can't
breathe that's because in the hottest
part of the summer as much as 15% of the
Bay has no oxygen in the water it's
called The Dead Zone bre what are you
doing the number one thing you are
taught as a child is not to put a
plastic bag over your head and he's
doing it on TV which is hugely Reckless
everyone has a plastic bag it's not hard
to get I've got one right here but I
know I know I shouldn't put it on my
head not even to make a point about the
lack of oxygen in the be Bay or about
how you shouldn't put a plastic bag on
your head on TV I I I could do it but
but but I shouldn't it's
tempting but I won't I won't children
are watching not
mine they said you couldn't pay us to
watch which for what it's worth I kind
of do all their money was first my money
but that said it's a no for my kids
anyway I I won't do it but this isn't
goodbye it's see you
later and it's not just the Chesapeake
the Gulf of Mexico has a dead zone that
at one point was the size of New Jersey
with studies finding Farm fertilizer is
the single largest contributor over
farming of corn is also led to severe
erosion in some areas which can lead to
hazardous dust storms in fact this storm
from last year in Central Illinois
killed seven people and was directly
tied to Farmers tilling their land to
plant corn and soybeans so we've talked
about how our subsidies for corn have
caused an increase in production and
we've talked about how we grow it which
brings us to the third set of problems
here what we put in in and remember 40%
of the Corn that we grow is going to
feed cows Hogs and poultry and while
livestock has always been fed some corn
the use of it has been turbocharged by
the fact that it is now so cheap as one
journalist has written taxpayer
subsidies for corn have served as
Financial jet fuel for a new breed of
industrial meat producers because feed
is their biggest cost but the thing is
these animals aren't evolved to have a
diet that is predominantly corn it's bad
for their digestive system as this man
in the car explains to those two
documentaries that you saw earlier in a
weirdly cheery way what are you eating
for lunch or uh today cornfed
beef do you actually know anything about
cornfed bee do you know what it does to
them what is it to the cabin um it's a
good thing they slaughter when they do
because it actually kills them to feed
them to make the meat like that so
they'd be dead in 6 months anyway eating
that stuff so it's just as well that
they slaughter really yeah it's terrible
where is this
every major confinement feed lot
everywhere honestly I kind of love that
guy he should be the mascot for every
fast food chain Ronald McDonald
this is the most accurate mascot
imaginable an impossibly American man
who thinks the food tastes good knows
it's tied to suffering and ultimately
just wants to bring his Wild Card energy
to the parking lot this is my Burger
King right here and the problems corn
causes for the digestive systems of
livestock can leave cattle more
susceptible to liver abscesses which is
a major reason why antibiotics are often
added to the feed of entire herds of
beef cattle a practice that the who has
discouraged and of concerned that it's
contributing to expanding antibiotic
resistance and I admit it is much less
fun to learn about that from me than it
would have been from that guy absolutely
housing his cheeseburger yeah medicated
feed might give us all antibiotic
resistant UTI bonap te cornfed
beef but maybe the most ridiculous way
that we use corn is ethanol which
remember accounts for 45% of our
domestic corn use ethanol used to be
known as gahle and while it's been
around since the 30s it was during the
1970s energy crisis that it really took
off with boosters like this Illinois
Agriculture official Leading The Way
with an unfortunate historical analogy
Mr Mavis why are you so high on gasal
well if you can tell I have some age on
me Charlene and it's probably since
Pearl Harvard the only thing that I've
seen that's been good for all of
America that's a pretty weird way to
characterize Pearl Harbor the surprise
attack that killed over 2400 people and
led to the US entering World War II but
you know what let's give that guy a
break he probably just misspoke I'm sure
he won't say it again it burns without
use of tetra ayad eliminates an EPA
problem it employs people in America it
takes an agricultural Surplus as kill us
and turns it into Dollars instead of the
storage it's it's that Pearl Harbor
we've needed okay
okay the first time he said it I thought
I don't think Al Mavis knows what Pearl
Harbor is the second time I thought
maybe I don't know what PE Harper is cuz
what is going on there was Al Mavis of
the Illinois Department of Agriculture
and Admiral in the Japanese Navy cuz I
don't know what the other explanations
could be I'm just saying it this point I
can only assume that the people in knew
him spent 911 tifully going Al would
have loved
this but Al maybe got his way basically
in an attempt to reduce our dependency
on foreign oil we passed the energy Tax
Act of 1978 which encouraged the use of
gahol or ethanol but what really set the
wheels in motion for our huge ethanol
industry today was the 2005 Energy bill
that created the Renewable Fuel standard
which mandated that a certain amount of
renewable fuel had to be blended into
the domestic gasoline Supply essentially
every gallon of domestic gasoline now
legally has to have at least a little
bit of ethanol in it the same way that
every pop album currently has to have at
least a little bit of Jack antinoff it's
just the law now understandably that
mandate created even more demand for
corn in the domestic market and some
like this Iowa farmer were thrilled by
that we've seen our yields rais quite a
bit in the last several years and and we
needed a place for this extra corn to be
going and and ethanol has filled that um
for us um I'm sure there's some
negatives but I guess I I I'm not
thinking of them right now yeah I'm sure
you're not but to be fair that is not
really your job unfortunately though it
is mine thinking of the negatives is
pretty much all I do here along with
speaking the negatives out loud and
making jokes about the negatives or one
modeling the latest suits from Sir
Michael gamon's habitatery for oddly
long gentlemen
and the truth is there are lots of
negatives when it comes to ethanol
mainly because the positives have been
so wildly overstated while ethanol
lobing groups have long argued that it
slashes Greenhouse emissions one recent
study found that thanks to the
fertilizer and land use changes needed
to grow the corn for it corn ethanol
produced under the Renewable Fuel
standard has a carbon footprint at least
24% higher than regular gasoline on top
of that the demand for ethanol is now
expanding production to areas where it
is much less suited to be grown places
like Texas and Western Kansas where the
shortage of water means that corn fields
need to be irrigated but that is a real
problem because corn is a water
intensive crop and it can take hundreds
of gallons of water to produce a single
gallon of ethanol and this is all
happening even as groundwater is being
dangerously depleted Nationwide and that
brings us back to our larger Point here
well well for some big farm operations
and especially the big companies that
benefit from corn there may be no
negatives to the current way that we
produce it for everyone else there
really are from dust storms to sick cows
to blue babies to this reporter from
your absolute
nightmares so what can we do well for
starters I would argue that we have to
rethink the Renewable Fuel standard
because it just makes no sense but on
top of that we might want to
significantly reset our farm policy one
idea that's been floated is to make the
federal safety net for Farmers
contingent on them having a strategy for
things like preserving top soil
controlling chemical runoff and reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and the good
news is the farm bill is actually
currently up for Renewal and we could do
all of that the bad news is as you have
seen there are powerful interests with
no reason to want the status quo to
change at all but it just has to and let
me be clear here this is not a takeown
of corn I know for large swats of
America it's an understandable symbol of
Pride and source of jobs and I also get
that it is frustrating to be lectured
about it or be panded to by a politician
pretending to be fascinated by its ears
but I do think it is long past time that
we shift our farming policy when it
comes to America's number one crop and
maybe the best way to drive this home is
to explain it in the way that people
seem to most enjoy being educated about
corn and that is watching someone be
absolutely assaulted by it because look
corn is as beautiful to watch grow as it
is to eat slathered in butter but unless
we force the
government and the handful of large
companies that control this industry to
change their priorities we're going to
be stuck where we are like a bunch of
fifth graders in the world's largest
corn maze begging for our lives
that is our show thanks so much for
watching we're off next week we're back
the week after that we'll see you then
good night how the
do I get out of
here is it
is it this
way and get off me get off me give me
some personal
space I don't like to be touched by
corn or honestly anybody
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