Run on rice - Global rice panic

License this rice photo at Alamy.

Countries that normaly export rice (India, Vietnam, China, Egypt and Cambodia) have reduced their exports in order to alleviate their domestic prices. The chain reactions of restricting the amount of rice on the global market has made it to the US. Worried shoppers are buying up rice in California's Asian supermarkets and prices have risen almost 70% since the start of 2008.

Food vs. Fuel

License this soybean pod photo at Alamy.


The global food supply crisis is causing many countries to rethink the biofuel mandates. Crop production for bio-fuel means reductions in grain and soy growing, which (along with market speculation) leads to an increase in prices.
New attention is being given to affordable grains versus the need for renewable energy from biofuels.

Cost of air travel

License this Aircraft parked at gate photo at PhotoShelter.


Greenhouse gas emissions from international air travel are not restricted under the Kyoto Protocol. Yet air travel is a large carbon dioxide producer.

Terrapass is one of the carbon offset companies funding clean energy and other projects designed to decrease carbon emissions in other industries. It funds projects throughout the U.S., including wind farms, biomass energy, and electricity from animal and plant material.

Record prices for gasoline

License this Refueling auto photo at Alamy.

Crude-oil inventories, growing demand and refinery capacity are driving the market. Refineries always perform maintenance in the spring which is compounding the problem .

Crawfish Pricing

License this crawfish photo at PhotoShelter

Some farmers suspect wholesale price-fixing on the part of buyers, causing the price paid to farmers to drop below production costs in the pond.