Yesterday on Fox News’s Hannity’s America, host Sean Hannity attempted to blame Al Gore for skyrocketing global food prices:
But how did the food shortage become so acute so fast? The growing consensus is that the crop deficit is directly related to the increased demand for production of, quote, “earth friendly” bio fuels, an effort pushed by none other than the vanquished vice president Al Gore and all in the name of quote, “saving the planet.”
Fox News also promoted the segment on its website with the headline, “Gore’s Grocery: Blame Al Gore for your rising food prices.” Watch it:
Hannity pins ethanol production — and hence, the entire food crisis — on Gore by pointing to a 1998 statement in which the then-vice president said he was “proud to stand up for the ethanol tax exemption when it was under attack in Congress.” But as Ellen at News Hounds points out, Hannity failed to mention that more recently, Gore has endorsed cellulosic ethanol over corn-based ethanol.
Additionally, there is no one cause for the food shortage. Biofuel production has been a factor but is not solely responsible. The real culprits are: changing diets, global warming and drought, high energy costs, and investors fleeing the dollar and going into commodities.
Later in the segment, Hannity once again attempted to smear Gore by falsely stating that he said Tropical Cyclone Nargis was a consequence of “global warming.” As The Wonk Room’s Brad Johnson pointed out, this allegation is based on a doctored clip of an NPR interview with Gore.
Transcript: (more…)
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