Yesteday I saw people making food from paste made from dust, and today I hear of the petrol profits, it makes me sad

[piratecat]

I am not particularly world newsy wise, nor intelligent about how the world works, but this has just disgusted me. I know its going on each day, but the diversity of these tow news samples just makes me so disenchanted with the world.

Seeing those kids eating dirt, made me feel bloody helpless, and ashamed.

snap

In which case, you can check this site out & sign the petition if you want . They're calling for Biofuels standards, amongst other actions. The whole biofuels thing seems like a sick joke being played on the 3rd world at the moment. Wondering where Bob Geldof is!

"Subject: Global Food Crisis

Dear friends,

Have you noticed food costing more when you shop? Here's why -- we're plunging headlong into a world food crisis. Rocketing prices are squeezing billions and triggering food riots from Bangladesh to South Africa. Aid agencies say 100 million more people are at risk of starvation right now. Fears of inflation stalk the whole world, and the worst could be yet to come.

We need to act now before it's too late. As Ban Ki-Moon holds a high-level UN meeting on the crisis, we're launching an urgent campaign with African foreign minister and human rights campaigner Zainab Bangura. We are calling for immediate action on emergency food aid, speculation and biofuels policy, while asking forthcoming summits to tackle deeper problems of investment and trade. Click below to see Zainab's video message and add your name to the food crisis petition we will deliver the signatures by the end of this week in a massive global outcry to leaders at the UN, G8 and EU:

www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/50.php

This tsunami of hunger for the poor is squeezing citizens in the rich world too, but solutions are on the horizon if leaders act fast.

With hope,
the Avaaz team"

doh - clickable link here

Was that the ITN news piratecat? I saw it too, and was especially saddened when the journalist (I forget his name) said "The biofuels industry is saying to the third world - our fuel is more important that your food" or words to that effect. He was in a corn field somewhere,a dn saying how the corn maize, which is a food staple for some parts of the world is now being used to make biofuel instead. There was a couple interviewd in haiti and they said that 80% of their income is now spent on food becasue prices there have gone up so much

yes that was the one I saw saltire. The reporter showed that there was food at the market, but noone could afford it, and I mean it was extortionate. A beaker size of cornmeal was 80 cents, and most families only have $1.00 a day to live off, for everything.

will look at the link florence.

TBH I'm not sure whether signing petitions makes a whole lot of difference, but at least it makes you feel you're doing something. God knows we have little enough influence over the powers-that-be & the corporations that have created this sorry mess. It doesn't even appear as if there's a shortage of food, simply that rocketing prices are creating starvation conditions. We all know our own food prices have gone up, but it doesn't mean the difference between life and death to us, does it? And the fact that one of the causes is so that we westerners can put fuel in our cars (not mine, I don't drive!) makes me want to spit blood...it's impotent rage though, which means all I can do to make myself feel a little better is sign a petition..

Those kids were eating dirt made into biscuits We are so lucky it is untrue

I read the papers everyday and get more and more depressed about the state of the world. The starvation, particularly, is just devastating...we really, really don't know how damn lucky we are!

Yep, saw that report too - pretty sickening, wasn't it?

here is an interesing article in the Indy on what's causing the problem & things we can reasonably do to help the situation..

Actually there are things we can do about this, we are not helpless.

There are many factors behind the food crisis but they include rising energy costs, increased demand and climate change.

Reducing our consumption of meat and dairy is a good place to start, as it takes loads of grain and soya to feed livestock. If more of that went straight to feed humans there would be no problem.

Take a look at your energy consumption/ carbon footprint, and see what you can do to reduce it.

Trade inequalities need to be adressed. People in Africa are being royally screwed by these, and by the very same oil companies that have just announced such huge profits. They are backed by our governments in the west, because nobody gives a fuck, basically.