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Kathrine Mangu-Ward Discusses the Economy and Offshore Drilling on Freedom Watch

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss the recent standoff between Exxon and the Department of the Interior over offhsore drilling as well as America's response to the European economic crisis. Airdate: July 18, 2011.

Approximately 7.13 minutes.

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Ron Bailey Discusses Corn Subsides and Oil Prices on Russia Today's The Big Picture

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Science Correspondent Ron Bailey appeared on Russia Today's The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann to discuss how corn subsidies have lead to higher oil and food prices. Air Date: May 10, 2011.

Approximately 9 minutes.

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Ethanol

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Ethanol advocates claim that the biofuel is a cheap, renewable energy source that reduces pollution and our dependence on foreign oil. It sounds too good to be true—and it is.

Ethanol, especially the corn-based variety, is bad for taxpayers, bad for consumers, bad for the environment, and horrible for the world's poor. In fact, even environmentalists are critical of ethanol subsidies these days. The ethanol craze has distorted markets and increased the price of food worldwide. The only people who still support ethanol subsidies are the ethanol producers—and politicians from both sides of the aisle. Together, they make sure the subsidies keep coming.

In a recent interview about the current food crisis, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) said, "If part of our problem is that the Chinese are going to eat meat and you've got to have corn and soybeans to feed the Chinese their meat, then why isn't it just as legitimate for the Chinese to go back and eat rice as it is for us to change our policy on corn to ethanol?"

Let them eat rice? So that American taxpayers can continue to pay people to turn corn into fuel?

Silly senator, corn is for food.

This seven-and-a-half-minute video explores the case against ethanol subsidies. Hosted by reason's Nick Gillespie and featuring Science Correspondent Ronald Bailey, it was produced by Paul Feine and PF Bentley.

For an audio podcast version, go here.

What We Saw at the Mortgage Bailout Demonstration...

dan.hayes@reason.org (Dan Hayes) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:35:00 EDT

On April 16 in Washington, D.C., the Ad Hoc National Network to Stop Evictions & Foreclosures organized a demonstration outside a meeting of the Mortgage Bankers Associaton at the Washington Court Hotel.

reason.tv's Dan Hayes and Michael C. Moynihan checked out the demonstration and talked with some of the activists, who quickly changed the subject from home loans to Castro's Cuban paradise, the need to free Mumia Abu Jamal, forgiving student loans, the Rothschilds (!), Haitians eating a mixture of dirt and oil (!?!?), and much, much more. Approximately six minutes.

For the full song used in the intro and outro, go here.