A debate questioning the merits of renewable biofuels is sweeping across the country as Americans spend more and more of their weekly budgets on gas and groceries. Unfortunately, most of the reasons as to why food prices have skyrocketed are laced with misinformation intended to portray biofuels as the culprit. That simply is not the case.

Biofuels play a significant role in reducing costs for consumers, starting at the gas pump. In fact, reports from Merrill Lynch and Iowa State University suggest ethanol kept gasoline prices 29 cents to 50 cents per gallon lower than they would otherwise be.

Corn is the primary feedstock for ethanol production in the U.S. According to the backlash against biofuels, a scarcity of corn caused by increased ethanol production is to blame for world food shortages and skyrocketing prices.

In 1995, before the ethanol boom began, American farmers produced 162 million metric tons of corn for food, feed and export. By 2007, ethanol production was taking 62 million metric tons of corn, but the supply of corn available for food, feed and export was 308 million metric tons - 82 percent more than before the ethanol boom, thanks to higher yields and more land planted to corn.

A University of Wisconsin study suggests ethanol demand increased corn prices by only 41 cents per bushel, yet corn prices actually increased by $1.22 over the same period, suggesting other factors are contributing to higher commodity prices.

USDA Chief Economist Joe Glauber pointed out that on the international level, the President’s Council of Economic Advisors estimates only three percent of the more than 40 percent increase we have seen in world food prices this year is due to the increased demand of corn for ethanol.

According to USDA foods using corn as an ingredient make up less than a third of retail food spending. Retail food prices would rise less than one percentage point per year above the normal rate of food price inflation when corn prices increase by 50 percent.

Despite increases in food costs, American consumers are still billions of dollars to the good due to ethanol’s positive role on the fuel side - something that seems to get left out of the dialogue.

At the present there are discussions by many, including Congress, to lower or waive the renewable fuel standard (RFS) that was a part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 passed by Congress. It is unlikely waiving the RFS requirements would cause any reduction in corn prices, let alone food costs for reasons stated above.

The anti-biofuel lobby also suffers from shortsightedness. Corn ethanol is only the beginning of biofuel development. It is creating a market, attracting private investment and stimulating research that will lead to the next generation of cellulosic biofuels produced from other sources.

Missouri has a major stake in current and future biofuels production. Biofuels, made from home-grown, renewable sources, are America’s best alternative to continued dependence on foreign oil. Biofuels stretch our motor fuel supply and keep U.S. dollars at home.

Criticism of biofuels is certainly fair game, but there needs to be an obligation to stick to the facts.

With oil prices in excess of $130 per barrel, the economics of feed and food grain production in this country and around the world has changed substantially.

SEMO Health Network Tip # 63
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

It may begin with a swollen knuckle, a spiking fever, or an unexplainable rash. Nevertheless, no matter what symptoms appear, hearing the word "arthritis" in a diagnosis for your child can be unexpected and confusing.

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints that is characterized by swelling, heat and pain. Nearly 300,000 children in the United States have some sort of arthritis. Arthritis can be short-term – lasting for just a few weeks or months, and then going away forever – or it can be chronic and last for months or years. In rare cases, it can last a lifetime.

The most prevalent form of juvenile arthritis is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or JRA. It affects approximately 30,000 children in the United States.

Typically, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis appears between the ages of 6 months and 16 years.

The first signs of arthritis can be subtle or obvious. Signs may include liming or a sore wrist, finger or knee. Joints may suddenly swell and remain enlarged. Stiffness in the neck, hips, or other joints can also occur. Rashes may suddenly appear and disappear, developing in one area and then another.

There are three important things for every child or adolescent with arthritis. First, is proper recognition and diagnosis of the disease. Second, is proper treatment by an experienced medical provider with a multidisciplinary support, including physical and occupational therapists and orthopedic surgeons. Third, is proper education of the patient and family. People with arthritis are no different from everyone else in the world.

Take your child to your primary care provider if your child shows signs of joint swelling, stiffness or pain or limps for no obvious reason. Also. If your child has a fever of 102 F that persists for longer than two or three days, take him or her to the doctor. A fever that signals juvenile rheumatoid arthritis may come and go one or two times during the day and last a few hours each time. It is frequently noted in the afternoons or evenings.

With proper therapy, children with arthritis will usually improve over time.