Why
Are people in Haiti eating clay?  Why are food riots raging across the earth?  Let's Examine the diagram for a lesson in supply and demand.

1. Population has increased from 1 Billion 140 years ago to 6 Billion plus today.
2. The result, food availability per person declines, BUT there's more.
3. Here's the corker, land planted in Bio Fuel Crops has increased 40% in two years.
4. Therefore, land planted in food crops is diminishing rapidly.  Consequently:
5. The price of food has risen dramatically, In Haiti - up 40% in 6 months.
6. Thus, the ability to purchase spirals down.  the result:
7. Starvation increases exponentially.

Since Humans can't eat the petrol being made from corn and beans, grown at enormous profits and farmers can't turn down huge prices paid for their new NON-eatable harvest, American's are forced to eat "cheaper cuts" and the world's poor eat clay and die.

            I am not suggesting that we Americans are somehow to blame for this horrible situation, there are just too many factors, including an exploding developing world economy now demanding cars instead of donkeys. However we continually ignore the fact that we 12% of the world's population consume 47% of the world's energy. What is abhorrent to me is our complete lack of consideration coming out of our "Me - mine - and all of it now" mentality.  While many of us have been warning of this exact condition for the last decade, no one would listen.    Most Americans simply take the food shortage in stride.  The Today Show's (NBC) remedy last week: Lessons in buying cheaper cuts of meats.  We fail to consider the price for our glutinous attitudes; the world's poor can't drop to cheaper cuts, their drop-down is eating dirt and watching their families starve.

            Typical of our arrogance a new TV spot from Cadillac:  (Interior SUV cab full body shot of well dressed middle-aged male - camera on floor panning up.  Car is moving, it is night.) Voice over - voice of driver:

"I live in a comfortable home.  I work in a comfortable office.  I have a comfortable life.  Why should I go to a smaller car?  If I can afford it I have the right to a Cadillac..."  The question isn't what we can afford, its how much of the world's food land must be sacrificed to enable our over stuffed life styles.  How many millions must eat clay that we might feed our toy lots of petrol - For God's Sake 

Renaissance Project 2008