Or according to the Iowa City Gazette, for the first time, more corn is being used for ethanol than livestock. Certainly for Christians around the country, this is a moment of truth. A Moment of Truth is a cultural commentary about things in the news, and it's sponsored by the Knowing the Truth radio broadcast. Check us out on the web at www.knowingthetruth.org. Well, the article goes on to say this, for the first time ever, more of the corn crop may go into gas tanks than into the stomachs of cattle and poultry designed for kitchen tables. That particular article is drawing the attention of many critics of the ethanol program from around the country. The article goes on to say this, That's a first-time-ever type of change, quote-unquote, from the University of Missouri Extension economist Ron Plain said in the article. He said forever, quote-unquote, feed was the largest single use of corn, unquote. Now, of course, that has changed. More corn is being used in order to provide ethanol than actually to go into the stomach of livestock. Joining us now via the phone is the founder and the national spokesman for the Cornwall Alliance. Dr. E. Calvin Beisner joins us for a little bit of commentary about this particular news item. Dr. Beisner, when you read this story, I'd love to get your feedback as to what you see in this important story that has just come out. Well, to me, it is just amazing that we have put uh... fuel for automobiles above fuel for human human life uh... essentially what we're seeing here is blood for oil uh... the justification of ethanol is purely a matter of trying to substitute that for oil imported from overseas sources and people talk of it in terms of energy security this is not a matter of energy security because as a matter of fact our ethanol uh... displaces less than six-tenths of one percent of all oil demand in the world so it cannot have a significant effect on the world price of oil but it has a very significant effect on the price of food all around the world and particularly of corn obviously uh... the price of corn has more than doubled in the past year to seven dollars it's likely to hit eight dollars shortly uh... and uh... and the claim uh... in the article that you referred to uh... by the uh... by the uh... the president of the iowa renewable fuels association that the effects of ethanol policies is negligible on the price of corn is absolutely incredible the whole of the basic laws of economics would all have to be set aside for that to be true when demand grows relative to supply price rise and that's exactly what we have observed what this means is that we are forcing up the cost of food which hurts the poor more than anybody else's matter-of-fact one very important study by uh... indira kutlani who is a resource economist long time with the u.s. interior department uh... his study indicates that america's biofuels subsidy and mandate policies over the last eight years have caused and excess one hundred ninety two thousand premature every year in developing countries around the world this is absurd it's morally criminal and it must be stopped americans need to need to clearly tell their representatives Stop spending our money subsidizing a fuel that takes more energy to produce than it delivers. Stop starving the poor. Stop the subsidies to ethanol. Well, clearly then, as we look at this subject, along with your comments, we can see for Christians around the country, this is certainly a moment of truth. Dr. Beissner, thank you for joining us today on the program. Thank you, Kevin. Glad to be with you. You've been listening to A Moment of Truth. A Moment of Truth is a cultural commentary sponsored by the Knowing the Truth radio program. Check us out on the web at www.knowingthetruth.org.