06/03/08 Back to Work & S Korea Reneges

Back to Work & South Korea Reneges plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. The Memorial break is over and legislators are back on Capitol Hill this week. So what about that last trade section of the Farm Bill that was left out? There may be an attempt to pass the entire Farm Bill again this week. The only section that is not currently law is the section that really matters to northwest specialty farmers. So the plan as I understand it, they will pass the whole Farm Bill again, send it to the President who will more than likely veto it again and then they will override that veto again. Just another day on the Hill. U.S. cattleman had hoped that South Korea would relax import rules that would have been the final step in complete resumption of beef imports. But yesterday the South Korean government decided not to publish the new rules. Korea has had the barrier in place for the last four years and according to National Cattlemen's Beef Association Executive Director of Legislative Affairs Colin Woodall, it's frustrating that South Korea continues to put dates in front of the U.S. government only to back away from them in the end. WOODALL: We were under the assumption that all of the protocol and their version of the import rule was to be published in what they call their government gazette Tuesday, but the fact of the matter is they are not going to do that and so now we have another delay. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. More and more people over the age of 70 will tell you that the economy is starting to resemble the depression era of the 1930's. And most of us under the age of 60 are well aware of the stories of food, steel and rubber rationing during the World War II years; therefore we really shouldn't be surprised when the suggestion of gas rationing is brought to the table. The conservative party in the UK is seriously considering carbon rationing, stating that "a personal carbon allowance is the best way to cut CO2 without hurting the poor". But would this really be an answer or just another bandage on an already gaping wound, and in effect create some serious societal issues of its own? Environment Minister, Hilary Benn, says "It's got potential but, in essence, it's ahead of its time." In reality I feel rationing is a step backwards; been there, done that. The solution to the world's fuel crisis remains in creating non-carbon based fuel alternatives. Let's continue to focus on discovering a cure, not just treating symptoms of the disease. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.