Local Food- Another reason we are doing it

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A NATION BUILT ON UNSUSTAINABILITY - FUEL, FOOD, AND DEBT

With trucking diesel fuel prices now over $4 per gallon in many locations, food

prices are

reaching an all time high, since the average grocery store item has traveled

1500-3500

miles.

Over the past year, alone, consumers have been forced to pay significantly more

for

staples like eggs (25 percent), milk (17 percent), cheese (15 percent), bread

(12 percent),

and rice (13 percent). This is partially due to increased costs of

transportation and partially

due to massive amounts of cropland being converted to biofuel production. As a

result,

consumers are paying more for their food and paying $15 billion in increased

taxes per

year for biofuel subsidies.

Fuel prices have nearly doubled the expenses of commuters over the last year.

Recent

polls show a strong majority of U.S. citizens are in favor of allocating a

larger portion of

the federal budget for mass transportation.

In contrast, the amount of federal money earmarked for mass transit projects

(example:

rail and bus) has been reduced by nearly 70% since the Bush Administration took

over in

2001.

A record number of consumers are using credit cards to pay for increased fuel

costs.

Although the recession has negatively impacted employment, the New York Times

reports

one of the few booming occupations in the current job market is as a Debt

Collector.

Since 2001, the top five oil companies have increased their annual profits by an

average of

500%.

Source: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11013.cfm