I was reading the Internet version of the April 7 2008 issue of Time Magazine, the article titled “The Clean Energy Myth” about how the big rush to grow corn to use for biofuel is actually worsening the global warming problem and raising the cost of food. Apparently the demand for corn for producing biofuel is so high that the farmers are selling their corn to the companies that will be turning it into fuel instead of selling it to the companies that will be using it to make food. So much of the world depends on corn as a staple; this is causing hardships for them. And the profit for growing corn for fuel is so high that the Amazon jungle, which has already been in jeopardy from deforestation for years now, is being destroyed even faster than ever so that it can be used to grow corn.
I think that this is a shame on so many levels. There are other, better and cheaper plants that could be used for creating fuel than corn. So many farmers are paid subsidies to NOT grow crops, I think that those subsidies should be stopped so that the farmers will actually farm their land, or lease it to someone who will farm it. The Amazon forest needs to be protected, I don’t understand how the ownership of that works, who actually owns that property and why is he/she allowing it to be destroyed? Can’t the government of the country it is in buy it with some kind of eminent domain power and protect it from destruction?
Dilemma solved
Yesterday my cousin Chrissy dropped in, her kids Amanda and Heather in tow. She stopped in to invite me to her place for Christmas dinner, and noticed that the tree was still sitting there, naked as a jay bird. So she and her kids took off their coats, placed a request for some hot chocolate and Christmas music, and we rolled up our sleeves and decorated the tree together. That was really nice of them to do that with me. I had a good time; it was good to have some family time putting up the tree. Thanks Chrissy, Amanda and Heather! You did a great job!
Good turnout
The local fire & rescue department held a fund-raising pancake breakfast with Santa Claus this morning down at the community center. They asked me to help out, so I went down there and helped serve the pancakes and sausage. It was a nice time, seeing a lot of neighbors that I haven’t seen since my parent’s funeral. I got a lot of invitations to come drop by and see them during the holidays. Of course I said I’d try to work it into my schedule. It was fun seeing how excited all of the children got when Santa arrived to hand out a few gifts that parents had brought in ahead of time. Of course Santa arrived (and left) on a fire truck, sirens blaring! I’m thinking about learning to drive an ambulance and volunteer to be a driver for them since I live so close by to the station. I’ll have to make a point to talk to them about it more when we’re not busy serving up breakfast!
Little by little
Well I did find the perfect little tree to cut down last weekend. I decided on a three foot tree to put on a small table in front of the parlor window so that people can see it when they drive up the driveway at night. I don’t want a larger one because I don’t think I’ll have a lot of time to decorate it. After cutting the tree I brought it up to the house and let it rest for a few days before bringing it into the house. I couldn’t find the tree lights that we used last year, so I had to go to the store and buy some new. That was annoying, I KNOW I had hundreds and hundreds of them, but I can’t find them anywhere! Anyway, I strung the lights on the tree last night, I hope to get the decorating finished by the end of this weekend.