Biofuels Threatening German Gummy Bear Habitat
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 08.15.07
Tortillas in Mexico. Beer. Popcorn. Now Gummy bears are under threat as the price of glucose rose 30%. Der Spiegel warns that if crops continue to be more lucrative as biofuels than foodstuffs, then gummy bears could soon become a candy only the rich can afford.
"We're going to maintain current prices through the end of the year," Marco Alfter, a spokesman for Bonn-based gummy bear-maker Haribo, told SPIEGEL. But afterwards, the golden bears could get more expensive. "The decisive factor will be if the government continues to subsidize the burning of food," said Alfter, in reference to government subsidies given to farmers who produce biofuels using crops traditionally used for food.::Der Spiegel via Katie at ::Earth2Tech
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I happen to be a reformed gummy bear addict and the cover picture of this story is severely tempting me to go glucose crazy. Luckily reading the points of your article that say that prices for gummy bears will probaly rise helps keep me under control.
I'd happily give up my gummi bears for cheaper and more ecofriendly gas.
Cheaper gas? Ya right. Ethanol currently costs $6 per energy equivalent of a gallon of gas.
I'd rather ride a bike and live locally than go without gummy bears! The bigger picture: biofuel is not all it's cracked up to be. With the water issues the world is facing, using the ridiculous amount of water it takes to convert corn to fuel is just absurd.
I only use gummy bears as slingshot ammo.
(They hurt but don't break the skin.)
Bring on the biofuels from algae, switchgrass, crop wastes, genetically modified bacteria, or any EFFICIENT, NON-FOOD SOURCE of carbohydrates-which simply RULES OUT the SUBSIDIZED BOONDOGGLE of CORN.
so what? gummie bears and other junk food isn't good for people anyway.
Frozen gummy bears are awesome. If you've never tried it, go buy some Haribo gummy bears, freeze, eat, and then I'll consider you qualified to post on this topic. When faced with the choice of a future that involves increased global warming WITH gummy bears, and a future without global warming and gummy bears, give me the gummy bears.
It's not just gummy bears- Mexicans can't afford to buy their biggest staple- corn, because we're using it for biofuel- which I've also heard isn't necissarily all it's cracked up to be. Sure we can live without gummy bears but it's hardly fair to ask our southern neighbours to live without tortilla flour.
My car is out of gas...
Here you can use my gummiebears!
Another victim of global warming. Does this put them on the endangered list?
I really wonder if the organic market will be hit by bio-fuels or not. Cash hungry farmers are not going to grow organic corn for fuel (I'm guessing), although energy and transportation are obviously part of the equation.
i dont get it
Green Haribo are the best! If an employee is reading this - please make bags of the green bears or just green alhpabet letter's.
The cola bottles are a personal favorite (it would be fun filling up my tank ot those) - followed by the blue and pink octupus, followed by the strawberry & cream's!!!!