Maxbumpo
04-19-2007, 01:48 PM
Perfect example of the law of unintended consequences.
For various reasons (including global warming, man-made or not, and dependence on foreign powers for American energy), ethanol use has increased dramatically in recent months.
Ethanol is most commonly made from corn in the U.S. Corn, however, is also used for food, for animals and humans, and so companies that use corn in their food products have been forced to deal with increasing costs.
Answer: buy corn from overseas, from a country not plagued with global-warming angst and guilt: China.
Result: Pet food makers purchase, unknowingly, tainted corn from China, and hundreds (perhaps thousands) of beloved family pets are poisoned and die.
Lesson: whenever the government attempts to control a market (in this case the energy market) many unexpected and unintended things can happen, and some of them can be devestating.
For various reasons (including global warming, man-made or not, and dependence on foreign powers for American energy), ethanol use has increased dramatically in recent months.
Ethanol is most commonly made from corn in the U.S. Corn, however, is also used for food, for animals and humans, and so companies that use corn in their food products have been forced to deal with increasing costs.
Answer: buy corn from overseas, from a country not plagued with global-warming angst and guilt: China.
Result: Pet food makers purchase, unknowingly, tainted corn from China, and hundreds (perhaps thousands) of beloved family pets are poisoned and die.
Lesson: whenever the government attempts to control a market (in this case the energy market) many unexpected and unintended things can happen, and some of them can be devestating.