Biofuels – Are they a Valid Alternative?

Many great things are being said about Biofuels – where they are depicted as ‘the solution’ to traditional carbon polluting oil. When hearing the word ‘biofuels’ – picturesque images pop up in one’s mind of beautiful corn, soya and sugar cane fields.

It’s plants, it’s green, and generates anywhere between 50 to 90% less carbon dioxide when being used than gasoline – so it must be good, right?

Let us investigate what goes on ‘behind the scenes’ – meaning – ‘how are these biofuels produced’ – to get an idea of the implications of replacing our current oil consumption with new ‘green fuel’.

Corn

First, we’ll have a look at the manner in which corn is processed to become a usable fuel:

-          First, the corn is ground and mixed with water
-          This mixture gets heated
-          Added enzymes convert the starch into sugars
-          Then, the mix gets transferred into a fermentation tank
-          In the fermentation tank the sugars gradually transform into alcohol
-          The alcohol gets separated from the water by a process of distillation
-          The leftover which are known as “distillers’ grain” are fed o the cows
-          Some of the wastewater being high in nitrogen are applied to fields as fertilizers

This whole process gives off large amount of carbon dioxide. Most ethanol plants (=biofuel) make use of natural gas and coal to create the heat and steam which is necessary for the process of distillation.

The growing of corn also uses up a lot of natural gas and diesel. This is because in the planting and growing process of corn nitrogen fertilizers and farm machineries are used – which run on diesel. Some studies even reveal that the amount of carbon dioxides released during the process of creating ethanol pretty much cancel out the later ‘carbon dioxide reduction’ through replacing oil with ethanol as an energy source.

If this isn’t already bad enough, considering the rising prices of corn crops which give incentive to farmers to expand their production -- there’s as much as 35 million acres of marginal farmland which was actually set aside for soil and wildlife conservation which will be used for corn production for farmers. This may potentially cause an increase in the release of more carbon in fallow fields. Corn is also a highly erosive crop which means a lot of time and energy will have to be placed in rehabilitating the soil.

Furthermore, we are directing food crops towards an energy consuming industry and society while everyday 25 000 people die (of which most are under 5!) of hunger – which is completely unacceptable. In addition, we cannot simply shift our dependence from oil to ethanol as current and future climate changes may very well undermine this type of agricultural activity. The soya story goes much the same way, although is maybe a bit less disastrous.

Sugar Cane

Brazil seems to have had some success in using sugar cane as medium for biofuels.

Unlike corn, sugar cane already contains 20% of sugar in an entire sugarcane stalk, and it already start to ferment the moment it has been cut. Sugar cane fields also yield much higher rates of ethanol per acre compared to corn: 600 – 800 gallons an acre, which is almost twice as much as corn. In general sugar care seems to have much higher and better benefits than corn – though again, it is not without its implications and side-effects.

Most Brazilian cane is cut by hand. Although this type of labour is well paid, the conditions are hot and extremely strenuous to the back. To facilitate the cutting by hand of the cane fields, the fields are mostly burned before harvesting to kill any looming snakes and to make the canes easier to cut. This process fills the air up with soot while releasing methane as well as nitrous dioxide – which are both potent greenhouse gases.

Similarly as with corn, as biofuels will boom and thus the prices as well – this will push farmers to take up more land. This in turn will drive cattlemen deeper into territory such as the Amazon and the ‘cerrado’ (biologically diverse savannahs). So even though all these biofuels are deemed as ‘clean’ and ‘environmental friendly’ – the process behind their creation tells us quite a different story.

Replacing oil with any other ‘alternative energy source’ is always going to end up in a disaster at this point. We simply cannot replace oil with any other fuel at the rate that we are producing and consuming things. The rate at which we are producing, consuming and creating waste, is so disproportionate in relation to the resources available on Earth – that we’re always going to end up with some undesirable consequence that we want to ‘fix’ – but won’t be able to fix. The problem is not the fuel/energy source itself – it’s us humans and our ridiculous obsession with consumption and greed. As long as we do not fix the core problem – which is us – we’re not going to get anywhere (except maybe our own annihilation as a race and the destruction of our home planet).

Times is running out and we must decide NOW, act NOW. We must consider an alternative socio-political and economical system within which we live our lives. We must design and implement a system that is in total balance and equilibrium with planet Earth, nature and all its living beings. The Equal Money System is this new system. It is the only way through which we are going to be able to sort out this mess and ensure a safe and secure future for the children to come.

It’s time to let go of our greed, it’s time to let go of our self-interested obsessions and start considering Life as a whole. You can play a part in this transformation for a better life and future. Investigate Equal Money and let your voice be heard!

Sources:
National Geographic Magazine, October 2007, “Green Dreams”, pp 38-59

The Scarcity Fallacy

One of the main points that makes people 'back off' from hearing and being interested in an Equal Money System is the concept of scarcity. For some reason people think that because we speak of Equal Money that we hold the illusion that our resources are not limited/scarce.

What is actually happening in people's minds is that they've made an incorrect connection between scarcity and limitation. This connection has been quite cleverly placed by the way economists and the media write about resources. They will deliberately use the term 'scarce resources' and 'limited resources' interchangeably as if they mean the exact same thing – while they don’t – imprinting a false image of world affairs.

‘Scarce resources’ has got a connotation of there being a ‘shortage’ of a particular resource.

‘Limited resource’ simply means that the resources are not infinite.

The catch here is that now people immediately assume that because something is limited, that it therefore necessarily is scarce and that there is a ‘lack’ involved. This is however an incorrect presupposition as something that is ‘limited’ does not necessarily imply a shortage – something can be limited but still be ‘enough’ or be present in abundance.

This is how the current Capitalistic System is being justified, where inequality is simply ‘inevitable’ due to our “scarce resources”.

However, if we have a look around, we can observe a world of decadence where things such as golden toilet seats, diamond padded vacuum cleaners, decadent houses, cars – etc. exist. And another world where a few billion people are living in a chronic state of poverty and starvation.

Walk into any mall or shopping centre and see how many totally completely useless products get produced in the name of profit and capitalism. If we live in a world where resources are scarce – is it not simply irresponsible to spend our majority of resource on these products which are not necessary for our subsistence, but only here for our entertainment?

Be responsible, Educate Yourself – Investigate Equal Money

Famine Caused by Excess of Food – Only in Capitalism!

When hearing about the Somalia being stricken by famine, I immediately had to think of Ethiopia’s history with famine.

Whenever something disastrous happens, whether it is a political crisis in Libya or a famine in Somalia --- I’ve learnt to ask myself: ”Who is benefiting from this situation?” – from there, all you got to do is follow the money…

First thing I did was check out what natural resource lie in Somalia, is this is usually the number one trigger for economic disruption. No surprise, Somalia has an abundance of natural resource. These resources have mostly been left untouched since half of the Somali population live a nomadic lifestyle. The usually way the fat cats go about getting what they want, is by creating a problem and them coming around has the hero’s with the solution. In economic terms, this would mean that one would destabilize a stable economy and bring a whole nation into a debt that cannot possibly be repaid. When the shit hits the fan, those who are “expecting” their money back – will go and demand that which they wanted in the first place: natural resources (= oil).

Currently the media is creating the impression as if Somalia’s famine is the cause of a drought. But when Somalia was pretty much self-sufficient – the droughts had no effect to their stability. So what changed?

The IMF came into the game, and imposed its infamous “structural adjustment” unto the nation. This “structural adjustment” means basically that if a country wants to be in the international game and get funding from the IMF, they must restrict their governmental influence and allow the private sector to take over (enforcing capitalism). The imposition of a free-market system will then disrupt a stable economy as people are no longer being supported by the government and are left at the mercy of the private corporations (if there are any at all to step in to replace what the government used to do – if there is no private sector, then the people are simply at a complete loss and left with no support whatsoever).

The economy destabilises as local farmers get no more support of the government. They can no longer afford to produce and the entire nation becomes depended on importing grains from overseas. Everyone just gets poorer, the US starts bombing the place with food-aid (created from surplus food produced in US), no-one wants to buy locally produced food because food-aid’s for free and thus the local economy keeps slopping down. The IMF and World Bank start throwing around more restrictions and other countries stop importing from Somalia - and voilà = you’ve got yourself an entire country at the feet and mercy of the wealthy capitalist.

This is downright criminal – yet a logical and justified thing to do within the world of Capitalism.

It is time to wake up and see this madness for what it is … MADNESS!!!!!

Investigate the EMS (Equal Money System) and end this atrocity.

Capitalism – A Deadly Disease

When I was young I always wondered why our current economic system was called ‘Capitalism”. From the vocabulary I had back then, I thought it had to do something with “the economy of cutting off heads” [from decapitating and ‘capital city’ which in Dutch would be translated as ‘Head City’]. This first impression of the word has never really left me – and 10 years later I find that I was not far away from the truth.

Capitalism is the economy of “cutting of heads”. It is an economic system that harvests the capital of humans – money – that which keeps them alive, and by cutting and chipping at their capital, it is like you are severing their roots with the earth, with life and leave them to die.
Capitalism is an aggressive and intrusive system. We do not need to gage ourselves in war for territory to expand empires. We use economy, we use debt to enslave everyone around us. It’s just a more sneaky and silent way. We all bought into to biggest scam in History – where we believe that Capitalism is that which raises our living standards and allows us to enjoy the luxuries in life. These ‘luxuries’ and ‘raised living standards’ are nothing but bribes to keep engaged in the current system and allow it to become our very lifestyle. It’s time to stop this corruption. While we pick the fruits of Capitalism the other half of our brothers and sisters of the human race are dying. We are putting them in that position, we are the ones keeping them in that spot.
Unless we change and take up the courage to implement change in our lives – innocent beings will keep on dying at the hands of our greed and cowardliness.
Investigate Equal Money.
The clock is ticking
www.equalmoney.org

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Our Economic System, a Recipe for Disaster & The Real Bad Effects of ‘Good Intention’ Government Interventions

Profit and Self-Interest is that which lies at the very core of our Current Economic System.
It is the very baseline of any equation from which economical mechanisms are derived from.
It is the venom that seeps through every inch of our society of which no-one remains unaffected.

It’s a venom that kills.

*Beep*                                   * Beep*              uuuugh..................

Our Economy falls back on two basic ‘powers’ / ‘laws’ interacting with each other:
               
                1. I want to sell stuff expensive so I can get lots of money
                2. I want to buy stuff cheap cause I want to have lots of money

(These two are the trademark of Capitalism and Free Market)

But now – just looking at these two points together, it is obvious that you cannot have both happening at the same time. For example: You want cheap milk, but they only want to sell you expensive milk – both parties want to score.
 So even though this is not practically possible – these are the rules the Economy lives by.

Now, these two essentially self-interested laws, make up ‘Supply’ and ‘Demand’ (first one being supply [giving], second one demand [receiving]).

And even though these ‘laws’ have no practical consideration whatsoever - but the one for profit – it is accepted and enforced as status quo.

So we have established that both two ‘laws’ are drenched in self-interest  - and ‘combat’ each other.  But the combat between these forces creates a ‘vacuum’ – as both of these points are just eating up all the money – and these vacuums are then represented by manifestations such as poverty and scarcity.

Now – people start complaining and when the moaning starts getting to the Government they feel that maybe they should do something about it.

The Government will then implement some rules to try and create some sort of balance so that the poor people don’t get too angry and get it in their heads to maybe revolt against the government.

These rules can take the form of for instance protecting moaning Farmers by setting a particular minimum price for their goods. This minimum price will be above the ‘equilibrium price’ [*the equilibrium price is where supply perfectly meets demand,  there’s no excess or shortage. For example, a farmer supplies 50 000 litres of milk at the local town market – at a particular price – and at this price all of his milk is bought. There is no excess but also no shortage of milk. ]

By setting a minimum price that is above the equilibrium price (at the price that people are willing to pay) -  an excess supply is created because people don’t want to buy the expensive stuff!

So if the Farmer now for instance sells his milk at 3 euros a litre - less milk is going to be bought, and there’s going to be many litres left unsold.

 So the higher the price – the less people will buy it (can buy it) which means = less people have food. So now okay, the farmers get some extra cash but now we’ve created a new problem as more people are without food. On top of that, we’re still sitting with all this excess of supply (the unsold milk) that’s just lying around, and now the Government’s got to get rid of it. If they give the food to the poor people then they’re not gonna buy the food on the market and then the farmer’s not going to get their money and then the whole minimum price thing was useless from the beginning. And obviously the Governments Ego cannot admit to that, so then they rather buy the food with TAX MONEY (yes that’s right, they take your money so now you’re still losing) and then destroy the excess supply.

I mean – if you look at it – it’s really pretty freaking insane right? I mean, twenty first century? Evolution?  LMAO

Then there is minimum wages / basic income!

The people’s gone moaning again and the government feels it should respond to this threat (yes threat instead of common sense responsibility – in our world literally EVERYTHING is in reverse).

So now the government goes ‘Let us implement minimum wages/basic income!’ – because they see that people are complaining because they are looking rather skinny and beaten up by their slave labour.

 Because remember:  BUY CHEAP – SELL EXPENSIVE. This translates into PAY PEOPLE CHEAP (buying labour) – SELL THE STUFF THEY MAKE EXPENSIVE – KEEP MONEY IN MY BIG FAT POCKETS. That’s how we’ve designed our system.

Back to the Government – so now they implement ‘minimum wages’ – which is really the same principle as setting a minimum price for the farmers. Corporations do not want to buy expensive labour [it is seen as ‘expensive’ because this minimum wage is above the ‘equilibrium wage’ where supply & demand meet (because people will do anything to gain some money to survive, so they are willing to work for almost nothing)]. So Corporations have to now implement this minimum wage – but they don’t want to spend that amount of money.
As a result they start firing and cutting back on their staff. Which results in more people being unemployed – but heeeey at least those few people who have a job get a minimum wage, right? Yay? No?

So the very people the government is “trying to help” are the ones that end up being off worse. As you have seen from the examples, you either end up without food and/or without a job.  And the knowledge that these type of interventions are absolutely not effective – is Economy 101, it is one of the first things you learn in studying economy, imagine what else we might encounter down the road!!

And then obviously if one tries to look at other ‘solutions’ = there are none. Each move you will do that approaches ‘care’ will be catastrophically as what the System breathes in and out is Self-Interest. It is repulsed by ‘care’ and will simply spit out anything that is not serving Profit & Self-Interest.  Thus there are no possible solutions within our current system. As long as we want to create / provide solutions within the current framework of our Economic System = it is going to fail.

Because as the very Starting Point of our System is that of Self-Interest – it will only cherish and harvest that singular point. There is simply no space for anything else. It is a Formula, an Equation which is not Equal [and for an equation to be effective there must be EQUAlity, you know EQUA-TION it is implied in the word]. So no matter what you place into the formula – it will always end up in disaster as that is the way it’s been designed.

So understand that when you read or hear things in relation to Equal Money Solutions – that we are talking about a whole new system, a whole new formula – it is beyond our current system, it’s a whole new world! Because, we cannot save our current system, it is done for.

So if you can see , just like me the absolute fucked-up-ness of our current Monetary and Economic System – Investigate Equal Money! It is the only solution !!!

The Principle of Economy... Or what it Ought to Be

The other day I was watching one of the DVD’s that goes with my Economy module for this Semester and an interesting point opened up.

The guy in the video was explaining how the ‘basic’ Principle of Economy in essence works with three point:

1.     We have a certain amount of limited resources.

2.     There’s a certain amount of Beings that require these resources

3.     How do we get those resources to those Beings?

But now the interesting thing is that in real life this is not really how it works.
Instead it follows the following Principe:

1.     We have a certain amount of limited resources

2.     There’s a certain amount of Beings that require these resources

3.     Not everyone can pay for these resources

4.     How do we get the resources to the people that can pay for the resources

So – we’re not looking at basic common sense practicality where you know if a child were to set up an economy it would look at “okay how much is there of this, there’s so many that need it, how do I get to there’. That seems to be the most simply way of dealing with the situation.

Though in reality this is not how it is applied . No, instead we’re playing a game of win and lose where if you have money you are part of the winners and if you have none well then you’re not even a loser, you don’t even have the privilege to ‘play’ the game.

So how did it get this far that we allow basic points such as the allocation of basic resources that everyone needs be directed by only money. Why does money decide where what goes? Why can’t we just decide from a starting point of Common Sense and what is best for all?

Obviously the solution is already outlined in the initial principle mentioned – but since we are in a current World System that works with Money to move every single point – the only possible way to correct this “mistake” is to give everyone Equal Money! Because – if everyone has Equal Money then everyone can access the Basic Resources = Problem solved!

Also – if we have a look at the current System and what our “limited resources” are being used for = it’s a whole lot of bunch of CRAP: technology with an expiry date, shoes that fall apart in a matter of months, clothes that look pretty but require a manual for you to know how to put it on, make up, shampoo, food that is not food – basically most of the things that you see in your everyday mall are products of consumerism that support the profit making money game. They have no other practical use whatsoever.

So instead of moaning about ‘our limited resources’ and ‘we’re gonna have to up the prices, because the resources are getting more scarce’ – we should have a look at what we are spending our precious resources on and if it is really worth it. Because if I look at all the crap in this world that is being produced – 98% is all just for profit – where foods are being produced in masses and get thrown away, where there’s hundreds and thousands of designs and brands for a single object, just so you can have your ‘choice’. It’s too much and we don’t need it.

So Imagine in an Equal Money System, where we stop wasting our resources on useless crap – just imagine what is possible and what future we can secure for those still to come.

Support Effective Use of Resources - Support an Equal Money System!