Global food prices may be soaring, but scarcity of food is not the root cause, according to Eric Holt-Gimenez, Executive Director for Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy, who spoke at the 2008 Ecocity World Summit. Globally prices for basic foods have increased 83% in the last 3 years, and 45% of that increase has occurred in the last nine months alone, said Holt-Gimenez, citing data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This inflation has lead to protests around the world.

However, this year, there were record harvests and record profits. In the 2007-8 harvesting year, more corn was produced than ever. Factors that may appear to compound the food shortage include drought, rising meat consumption, higher oil prices, and agro-fuels in demand of maize, but Holt-Gimenez presented different root causes.

He cited the imposition of harmful Structural Adjustment Policies by the IMF and World Bank that remove tariff barriers and dismantle food economies of Latin American countries as contributors to the food run-up. With the "Free Trade Mania" that began in the 1990s, Holt-Gimenez says that we are seeing heavy subsidizing of products from the global north, which are then shipped to the global south for consumption. Often, this means imported food is less expensive than locally produced food for global southerners.

I was surprised to learn that these subsidies total $1 billion a day. He says that halting subsidies to our farmers would more than cover the cost of foreign aid to struggling countries. An additional problem is that large companies such as ADM, Cargill, and Bunge have formed powerful partnerships that concentrate wealth and form a monopoly within the industry

The remedy? Holt-Gimenez says we need to combine the agro-fuels and food management systems and to "develop the regulatory structures, programs, and incentives for conservation and food and fuel development alternatives," according to a paper he authored for Brazil's Landless Workers Movement.

Additionally, we must address the myth that agro-fuels are the answer to our energy problems; growing agro-fuels does not lead to the creation of rural development and good jobs for global southerners.

Holt-Gimenez believes a moratorium on agro-fuels would halt the creation of an artificial market and push the development of second-generation, more efficient agro-fuels. We cannot "consume our way out of over-consumption."

California's central valley is having an agricultural crisis of a different nature, according to Carol Whiteside, Founder and President Emeritus of the Great Valley Center. Rapid urbanization is endangering this highly productive and fertile area of farmland. Growth pressures from an influx of immigrants, relocating coastal residents, and high birth rates are creating demand in the housing market.

One of Whiteside's first plans was to create easements on farmland, directing urbanization to less delicate soils. This was unsuccessful, as farmers could profit over $400,000 for an acre sold to a developer, versus $25,000 for an acre of peach orchard.

Whiteside says that the support community around farmers is crucial, providing water, labor, and public policy. Without such a system, the temptation to sell for profit becomes greater. If you cannot prevent the growth of cities, Whiteside thinks you should control and slow it instead.

Sacramento's Blueprint project is one example. The idea is to generate a strategic growth plan that will direct urbanization to more appropriate areas. She expressed concern for this plan, as it is highly dependent on constituent participation and cooperation from politicians.

Whiteside spoke of several other obstacles within the region. Central food distribution points are needed. Farmers must have access to the large markets like Safeway where most consumers shop, and they also need assistance in meeting food safety requirements.

Future city and county planning should include nearby farmland to ensure that food transportation to large urban areas is not only affordable, but feasible given the short shelf-life of many products. Whiteside believes that resource needs should be addressed on a regional scale to ensure food safety and security, and that cities and rural areas can be designed to be mutually beneficial. We may not be successful in the very first round of attempts, but "if we start the process, we will have a basis for improvement."   

Three Great Lakes developers have proposed plans to install hundreds of wind turbines on Lake Michigan, according the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Planning for the farms is in early stages, but state agencies in Michigan and Wisconsin are churning with efforts to crank up the first seaworthy windmills. Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle recently kicked off a year-long study to check out the potential for wind energy on the lakes.

The Department of Energy says there's enough offshore wind capacity to power the entire United States. For all its potential, though, wind farming on America's coasts has run aground so far. Concerns about cost sank a try in Texas and Not In My Bayside Overlook (NIMBO) attitudes have stranded the Cape Wind project off Martha's Vineyard. Europe has had better luck, with several farms operating just off their continent.

Getting a Great Lakes project off the ground could prove daunting as permitting in those waters involves a tangle of federal and state agencies. For example, the U.S. Interior Department's Minerals Management Service has jurisdiction over national offshore wind projects, but not in the Great Lakes, where the Army Corps of Engineers has that honor.

One of the proposals, called Radial Wind, envisions 390 turbines placed smack in the middle of Lake Michigan, on the shallow Mid-Lake Plateau (map) about 18 miles offshore from Milwaukee. That ought to be far enough from breaking waves to protect the views of lakeside residents, but the technology to erect turbines in the 200 feet deep plateau waters isn't quite ready for prime time.

The other two proposals would keep the breeze burners within a few miles of shore, much more visible, but also more feasible technically. These developments would comprise between 200 and 600 turbines each.

All of these plans are preliminary, with no funding arrangements or a single permit app filled out. Radial Wind hopes to break ground by 2012. That should give the developers just enough time to beat out Cape Wind.

Dan Beard, Chief Administrative Officer for the U.S. House of Representatives, took the stage on the first day of the 2008 Ecocity World Summit. Based on the description in the conference booklet, I thought I could expect to learn about a few initiatives put in place by Nancy Pelosi to "Green the Capitol" of the United States. I never could have imagined that I was about to hear of extensive changes made to the House in order to attain carbon neutral status by December of 2008. Beard started with an impressive explanation of the thought process behind the green changes and never looked back.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi set forth the goal of achieving carbon neutral status by the end of the year, and Dan Beard, with collaborators, put forth an action plan in just 30 days. Beard made use of the "best and brightest" resources -- professionals from many different backgrounds who are experts in such projects. The move came for several good reasons. Greening the campus would save taxpayer dollars; between 2004 and 2006, the cost of electricity rose 50%.  Beard said the idea was to turn the House green before asking the same of US citizens, setting an example for environmental stewardship not only in this country, but around the world. 

Inevitably, there were obstacles. The House endures a constant flow of staff, constituents, and guests. An average of 10-15,000 people coming and going every day makes change difficult, Beard said. The only option of retrofitting constantly used buildings became a necessity. Also, given that the oldest House building was constructed in 1793 and the newest in 1965, old infrastructure presents a problem. I was shocked to learn that the old buildings simply didn't have meters to gauge energy use, and the heating and cooling systems ran for 24 hours a day. Lights stayed on at night, and there was no recycling.  

Decreasing energy use as much as possible would lessen the impact of the Capitol power plant, which is already the second largest source of pollution in the District of Columbia. Beard likened the House of Representatives to not one organization, but a group of about 500 small businesses. Partisan conflict and the constant glare of the media put the operation inside a fishbowl.

In spite of these challenges, Beard was able to demonstrate that the project was well-received. He insisted that today's employees support greening; about 200 have volunteered to be a part of Beard's "Green Team," and over 1500 people attended the Capitol's exposition launching its involvement in the Zipcar program which enables staffers to share vehicles when needed during the day so that they can take mass transit to work. It was refreshing to hear that Beard thinks more employees are looking to their employers for direction in greening practices. 

Meeting the goal meant eliminating the House's carbon footprint of 91,000 tons this year through renewable energy purchases and offsets before undertaking the long-term strategy of reducing consumption. By employing wind power, 57,000 tons were eliminated. Natural gas then knocked off another 10,000 tons of carbon. Those two changes have the astonishing combined effect of taking 12,900 cars off the road. What remained totaled 24,000 tons. Beard and his collaborators explored every option to eliminate them. In the end, the decision was made to purchase carbon offsets on the reputable Chicago Climate Exchange. The offsets purchased were permanently retired, used only for domestic projects, and kept anonymous. Beard argued that the purchase of carbon offsets was likely necessary for any organization looking to zero its footprint. 

Beard admirably knocked out the belief that "allows us to make excuses" and discussed the goal to reduce energy consumption by 50% in the next decade. He mentioned one benefit of switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs: saving $1.2 million on energy in the next 10 years. Beard says efforts are underway to reconfigure the lights of the US Capitol Dome, which use a high amount of energy and generate heat. Old computers have been replaced with cooler systems; this reduces electricity use by 40% because air conditioning is no longer required to offset operational heat. 

Hearing about the changes in the House cafeteria made me proud of Congress. Styrofoam and plastic plates and cups were replaced with 100% compostable corn starch and sugar cane products. The House even has a pulper to shred waste for composting, and liquids are pressed out before it's transported to a nearby facility to decompose within 75 to 90 days. Local food is consumed whenever possible, decreasing both transportation costs and emissions at the same time. 

The House's supply store also saw great changes. By selling only 100% post-consumer recycled paper, the House saves 29,000 trees, 3.5 million gallons of water, 400,000 lbs of waste, and eliminates 775,000 pounds of greenhouse gases a year.

Employees were targeted as well. Not only are they encouraged to ride public transit or bike to work, but they will soon have a bike-sharing program at work to promote fitness and greening. Recycling and composting bins are now available in every office.

Beard concluded with some encouraging remarks, saying the technology for making these changes in our own lives is readily available and proven to work. With support from higher-ups (like Nancy Pelosi in his case), he argued that we can all be successful in setting goals and deadlines to reduce our carbon footprints.  

Beard stepped off the stage to a hearty round of applause. Maybe there were other attendees who, like me, were giddy to hear concrete examples of our government demonstrating environmental responsibility. I'm more than excited to have Dan Beard in office. As for Nancy Pelosi, my respect for her is nothing new and I would love to see what she could achieve at an even higher level.