Castro criticises America's ethanol plans

**Parihaka** · 03-29-2007, 18:42 PM

Castro ends 8-month silence to slam US ethanol plans

Quote:

Havana - Ending eight months of silence, ailing Cuban President Fidel Castro published an article in Cuban state media Thursday criticizing US environmental policies, and in particular plans to boost the use of ethanol.

'The sinister idea of converting food into fuel has definitely been established as an economic lineament in US foreign policy,' the Cuban leader wrote, arguing that US President George W Bush's support for using crops to produce ethanol for automobiles in rich nations could deplete food stocks in developing countries.

The article published in the Cuban Communist Party daily Granma was the first attempt by Castro, 80, who is recovering from intestinal surgery, to comment on international issues since he was taken ill in July 2006 and handed over power to his younger brother Raul.

Fidel Castro has only been seen in half a dozen videos and several pictures since the surgery, the last ones published in March where he appeared with Colombian Nobel Laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

'More than 3 billion people in the world condemned to premature death by hunger and thirst,' read the headline of Castro's article.

Castro's health has been treated as a state secret in Cuba, which has not revealed the exact cause of his illness. Over the past months, rumours of the imminent death of the Cuban leader have been strongly denied by the authorities. However, over the last few weeks the expectation of his return has increased, owing to several hints by Cuban and international officials.

A few weeks ago, Bolivian President Evo Morales announced the possibility of that Castro would appear publicly on April 28. This would mark the first anniversary of Bolivia's joining the Alternativa Bolivariana para las Americas (ALBA), the Cuban and Venezuelan alternative to the US-sponsored Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

Cuba has not yet confirmed Castro's appearance. The island is entering its ninth month without its socialist leader of almost half a century.

In the article, Castro warned that the plans to convert products like corn, sugar cane or soy into ethanol for use as fuel additives could cause serious ecological damage and would adversely affect the third world population.

Castro referred to a meeting Bush had Monday with leading US automotive groups, in which he urged them to double the number of vehicles fuelled by alternative combustibles such as ethanol, in an attempt to combat climate change and US dependence on oil.

'I think that reducing and recycling all the electricity and combustible consuming motors is an elemental and urgent necessity for all humanity. The tragedy does not consist in reducing the costs of energy, but in the idea of converting food into combustibles,' Castro said in the article.

Bush strongly promoted the production and use of biofuels in Latin American countries in a regional tour earlier this month, with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as his main ally. The US and Brazil together produce around 72 per cent of the world's ethanol.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said he 'respects' the Cuban leader but defended the position of Lula's leftist government.

'I think everyone is free to express their opinion. But I do not think that was meant against the Brazilian government or Brazil. Our opinion on ethanol is that ethanol's success has been proved in practice,' he said.

Amorim pointed out that Brazil produces ethanol from sugar cane, while the United States uses less energy-efficient corn.

'Brazil is today looked at as almost an object of pilgrimage, or a Mecca - to use two different religious examples - by all developed or developing countries, who come to seek in ethanol and (other) biofuels a way out of energy problems, not to remain totally dependent on oil. Everyone knows that oil is going to run out,' the minister said.

According to the Cuban leader, even if the US dedicated its entire corn production to the production of ethanol, there still would not be enough ethanol for its fuel needs.

'If you apply this recipe in Third World countries, you'll see how many people of the hungry masses of our planet will stop eating corn. Or even worse: finance poor countries to produce ethanol from corn and there won't even be one tree to defend humanity of the climate change,' Castro wrote.

The Cuban president said instead of these policies, countries should concentrate on other ways of saving energy, as Cuba does.

'All the countries in the world, poor and rich, could save millions and millions of dollars just by changing all incandescent light bulbs into fluorescent ones, something Cuba has been doing in all homes. That would give climate change a break without starving the poor masses of the world,' said Castro, who in the past few years has made ecology one of his major interests.

Was it Dale who said that Bush would be vilified if he invented a cure for cancer?

gunnut · 03-29-2007, 19:49 PM

Now I'm curious to see if the useful idiots in Hollywood jump on this bandwagon. After all, most of them want to have Castro's babies.

pdf27 · 03-30-2007, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gunnut

Now I'm curious to see if the useful idiots in Hollywood jump on this bandwagon. After all, most of them want to have Castro's babies.

Much as I hate to say it, Castro actually has a point on this one. Producing Ethanol from Maize is incredibly energy inefficient - you burn nearly as much oil to produce and distil it in the first place. Furthermore, the effect is already being felt in Mexico where food prices for the poorest have risen substantially (enough for it to start becoming a political problem).
Turning sugar cane into Ethanol makes more sense, but only where you have a lot of land and can harvest it mechanically. It's worth noting that Brazil's final independence from imported crude oil came not from the Ethanol programme but from an offshore oilfield.

Dreadnought · 03-30-2007, 09:03 AM

Castro can kiss our American ASS! Hey FIDEL...THE WORLDS GONNA BE A BETTER PLACE WHEN YOUR DEAD! Which from what we understand wont be to far away!

Ray · 03-30-2007, 11:43 AM

Producing fuel out of maize reminds me of a German firm selling its multi fuel trucks to India.

They claimed it would also run on vegetable oil, apart from many others.

If the truck ran on vegetable oil, then it would have consumed a month's ration of vegetable oil of an infantry battalion to run it a mile!

Fidel seems to have taken the mickey out of the US! He remains a bogeyman even though he is on his last legs!

I wonder why the US gives him so much of importance. Is he that scary?

Bush would not be vilified if he indeed found a cure for cancer, However, if he went around stating that birth control pills would ensure that the world would be rid of cancer because there would be no population being added and thus there would be no danger of a non existing population getting cancer, he sure would be laughed at!

Guess what? The peasants say that Moon emanates light!

Dreadnought · 03-30-2007, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray

Producing fuel out of maize reminds me of a German firm selling its multi fuel trucks to India.

They claimed it would also run on vegetable oil, apart from many others.

If the truck ran on vegetable oil, then it would have consumed a month's ration of vegetable oil of an infantry battalion to run it a mile!

Fidel seems to have taken the mickey out of the US! He remains a bogeyman even though he is on his last legs!

I wonder why the US gives him so much of importance. Is he that scary?

Bush would not be vilified if he indeed found a cure for cancer but if he went around stating that birth control pills would ensure that the world would be rid of cancer because there would be no population being added and thus there would be no danger of a non existing population getting cancer, he sure would be laughed at!

Sir,
No he isint scary at all. He boasts no army or any other force that would stop the U.S. from plowing him under. We strongly considered taking the island after the Cuban Missle crisis and by rights we should have. But we didnt and allowed him to remain.There are plenty of his own people here that absolutely HATE him and the way he treats his/their people. They are waiting for the day he dies they will celebrate with great enthusiasim. We as the U.S. give them sanctuary if they reach our shores otherwise they are returned to Cuba. The people are looking forward to when Castro is gone. Perhaps his brother will give the people what they want and Cuba will return to what it was before his rule. The world awaits his death to open a new beginning with Cuba and its people and for some to be reunited with their families that were left behind.

Ray · 03-30-2007, 12:38 PM

Dreadnought,

If that be the case, then forget about him and Cuba.

Does Patagonia bother you? No.

So, forget Cuba and Castro.

Let them stew in their own!

I wonder why you all waste so much time on Cuba and what's going on there. Actually, little that I know of Cuba, very little happens there!

However, I sure hope it does not return to Batista's days. He was just a manager of US companies.

All nations must have their own destiny and not be a surrogate of companies!

I would hate to be an Indian, if India were a surrogate taking dictates from General Motors or Deutsch Bank!

Everyone, no matter how poor one is, has some self respect!

Dreadnought · 03-30-2007, 12:56 PM

Sir,
There are two primary concers with Cuba that I know of...

1) 90 miles from U.S. shores.
2) Gitmo is of great concern to us.

Castro & Chavez can pal around all they want but both Casto and Chavez know that when Castro dies his brother may swing the opposite direction for the island nation and not be so stand off ish with the U.S. Which would open better relations for his people and economy and as a bonus would greatly piss Chavez off.

wkllaw · 03-30-2007, 14:47 PM

If Fidel is going to die soon like many people say, then it'll make sense for him to make as many comments and with the way the population is increasing, they food supply won't be able to keep up and all the lands capable are pretty much already used for crops and food, people are going to die from starvation anyways.

03-29-2007, 19:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
gunnut *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 01-27-06 Location: DPRK, Democratik People's Republik of Kalifornia Posts: 9,867 Country:	Now I'm curious to see if the useful idiots in Hollywood jump on this bandwagon. After all, most of them want to have Castro's babies. __________________ "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

03-30-2007, 09:03 AM	#4 (permalink)
Dreadnought *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 05-12-05 Posts: 5,534 Country:	Castro can kiss our American ASS! Hey FIDEL...THE WORLDS GONNA BE A BETTER PLACE WHEN YOUR DEAD! Which from what we understand wont be to far away! __________________ Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

03-30-2007, 11:43 AM	#5 (permalink)
Ray Postmaster General *Military Professional* Join Date: 08-20-03 Posts: 27,195 Country:	Producing fuel out of maize reminds me of a German firm selling its multi fuel trucks to India. They claimed it would also run on vegetable oil, apart from many others. If the truck ran on vegetable oil, then it would have consumed a month's ration of vegetable oil of an infantry battalion to run it a mile! Fidel seems to have taken the mickey out of the US! He remains a bogeyman even though he is on his last legs! I wonder why the US gives him so much of importance. Is he that scary? Bush would not be vilified if he indeed found a cure for cancer, However, if he went around stating that birth control pills would ensure that the world would be rid of cancer because there would be no population being added and thus there would be no danger of a non existing population getting cancer, he sure would be laughed at! Guess what? The peasants say that Moon emanates light! __________________ "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination." I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to. HAKUNA MATATA Last edited by Ray : 03-30-2007 at 11:57 AM.

03-30-2007, 12:38 PM	#7 (permalink)
Ray Postmaster General *Military Professional* Join Date: 08-20-03 Posts: 27,195 Country:	Dreadnought, If that be the case, then forget about him and Cuba. Does Patagonia bother you? No. So, forget Cuba and Castro. Let them stew in their own! I wonder why you all waste so much time on Cuba and what's going on there. Actually, little that I know of Cuba, very little happens there! However, I sure hope it does not return to Batista's days. He was just a manager of US companies. All nations must have their own destiny and not be a surrogate of companies! I would hate to be an Indian, if India were a surrogate taking dictates from General Motors or Deutsch Bank! Everyone, no matter how poor one is, has some self respect! Last edited by Ray : 03-30-2007 at 12:42 PM.

03-30-2007, 14:47 PM	#9 (permalink)
wkllaw Contributor Join Date: 03-07-07 Location: New York City or Hainan, China Posts: 589 Country:	If Fidel is going to die soon like many people say, then it'll make sense for him to make as many comments and with the way the population is increasing, they food supply won't be able to keep up and all the lands capable are pretty much already used for crops and food, people are going to die from starvation anyways. __________________ Those who can't change become extinct.

03-30-2007, 12:56 PM	#8 (permalink)
Dreadnought *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 05-12-05 Posts: 5,534 Country:	Sir, There are two primary concers with Cuba that I know of... 1) 90 miles from U.S. shores. 2) Gitmo is of great concern to us. Castro & Chavez can pal around all they want but both Casto and Chavez know that when Castro dies his brother may swing the opposite direction for the island nation and not be so stand off ish with the U.S. Which would open better relations for his people and economy and as a bonus would greatly piss Chavez off.

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