| Matt Yglesias uses a discussion of Brazilian sugar ethanol as an excuse to veer off into a diatribe about American sugar policy: [T]he ridiculous tariff on Brazilian sugar ethanol is just one small slice of the larger set of terrible sugar policies in the United States which are aimed at making sugar cane expensive in order to boost the fortunes of America's beet sugar producers and, indirectly, the high fructose corn syrup industry. What kind of justification one could mount for this perverse effort at sweetener autarky are couldn't quite say, but I have a longstanding dream of a politician handing out bottles of Mexican Coke (made with real sugar) at rallies, drawing vast crowds and powering a massive grassroots campaign for proper sugar.
I've always wondered why European Coca-Cola simply tastes better. Now if only someone could explain to me why candybars like Snickers sold in Europe are far tastier. Ex-pats tell one another that it's because European standards for chocolate quality are higher and enforceable. I've blogged about the potential for sugar-based ethanol to transform Latin American politics. Cuba, for example, is turning more and more to a democratic and moderate Brazil for its energy needs, while Venezuala's oil-based influence is declining. Latin American countries, with their abundance of sugar, could be prime innovators in producing higher-quality (and cheaper) ethanol than American corn could ever do. And green energy could just remake the geopolitical map. |
