When he spoke at UT recently, Eric Schlosser broke down the following proportions for our national grain consumption: 80% goes to feed animals, 13% goes to make ethanol (i.e. to feed cars), and of the remaining 17% that feeds people, half goes to waste. I don't know where he got his figures, but I'll trust his numbers on the strength of his other writing.
Where does the other 15% go? Tobacco? Timber?
ReplyDeleteI'd also be interested to see what percentage of the grain subsidies goes to grain for human consumption, as opposed to animal consumption.
ReplyDeleteWhen he spoke at UT recently, Eric Schlosser broke down the following proportions for our national grain consumption: 80% goes to feed animals, 13% goes to make ethanol (i.e. to feed cars), and of the remaining 17% that feeds people, half goes to waste. I don't know where he got his figures, but I'll trust his numbers on the strength of his other writing.
ReplyDeleteSomebody's math is wrong, as you've got 110% there.
ReplyDeleteOops. That's probably my math and not Schlosser's. I think I meant to type 7% instead of 17. Thanks Big Man.
ReplyDelete