Bet you never thought a dinosaur skeleton, popcorn, and steak would ever have anything in common? I know I sure didn’t. But to anyone that has followed the flooding in Iowa now knows they have a good deal in common. The common thread they all share, not being seen around the average house anymore.

With the Iowa flood waters came the rise in price of corn. The crop is now being charted at a record high of eight dollars a bushel. Some market insiders do not expect the price to just sit at eight dollars. They now project that before the end of summer we could see prices upward of seventeen dollars a bushel! That’s bad news for all you corn lovers out there.

But corn will not be the only thing to suffer, remember anything that has anything to do with corn will go up in price. Milk, steak, and fuel just to mention a few things that could and more than likely will be affected by the flooding. If there are a few of you out there scratching your heads as to what corn has to do with milk or fuel you’re not alone. A vast majority of all the corn grown is fed to live stock which produces or becomes what you and I sit down at our tables to eat. It then becomes clear that if farmers have to pay more for the corn then that cost is put right on our plate as consumers right next to that steak. That only leaves fuel and we all get screwed onthis one no matter if your car uses ethanol or not. You will feel the pain. In ever y gallon of gas you pump there is a percentage of ethanol which is a fuel additive made from corn. So no matter if you use 100% gas or you use E-85 ethanol your price is going up.

It has never been clearer that we as a people need to diversify our energy sources. As we are currently seeing, one problem can be set us back very easily. That is why the only real option on the table is a blending of solutions. In a way we need to put as many eggs in as many baskets as possible, so if one is knocked over set back or just plain destroyed as in the case of the corn in Iowa we have other places to turn and prices can stay about the same as they were before. That needs to be a focus for our country, not only finding new power but preserving what we have. Are we as safe energy and food wise as we all think? Just ask yourself that the next time you pick your kid up from soccer practice in that SUV or when you’re looking at prime cuts of meat at the store. Till then pass the fish and green beans, I am eating cheap and saving up for the pump.

Tags: Iowa Floods, National News by Michael Prutzman
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