I think the author makes a great point about the numbers of people emerging from poverty worldwide. One of the huge benefits of our trade with China has been the increasing wealth among the Chinese people, increasing demand for everything, including food.
However, I would debate this author over the reasonableness of ethanol.
First, with oil at $100/barrel, ethanol still cannot be produced without a subsidy....the ethanol crowd pushed for ethanol at $30/barrel with all sorts of competitive claims.
Second, if ethanol does become competitive to manufacture, it must be sold approximately 25% CHEAPER than gasoline to offset the reduced fuel economy delivered by ethanol.
Third, ethanol is turning out to produce emissions far more dangerous than gasoline. This will need to be addressed via more expensive automotive emission systems, costing the consumer even more.
Lastly, those hedging their bets on biodiesel are facing similar financial obstacles.
Oil is still cheaper to obtain and refine than anything else.
The author is correct, the world’s populations are emerging from poverty and consuming more. They will need oil on a far larger scale than what is consumed today. However, the United States refuses to explore and drill for oil, putting us in the position of being left behind the rest of the world.
The author doesn't even mention the lack of domestic oil production; in fact, he writes as if it doesn't exist. He bases a large part of his argument on the expense of using the military to keep foreign oil flowing, but domestic oil production doesn't require the military. Instead, he points to biofuel as our only hope. It makes all his other arguments disingenuous.