Will alternative fuels deplete global corn supplies?
If you’ve ever read Stephen King’s short story “The Children of the Corn,” or watched any of the eight (yes, eight!) horror films it spawned, then you know just how creepy a vast field of corn can be. The titular children in the story go on a murderous rampage, terrorizing and murdering hapless adults in the name of “He Who Walks Behind the Rows.” In the past, you may have laughed at the prospect of a corn-based entity spreading chaos and death. But amid current headlines about corn-based ethanol, global food shortages and the dietary effects of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), it’s easy to feel a little apprehensive about living a life so increasingly dependent on those monotonous fields of swaying gold. To break down the situation into the simplest terms, imagine a family of four living in the suburbs. Each week, they receive two commodities: a tank of gasoline and a crate of corn. In the mornings and afternoons, they use th
