What Are American Food Transport Vulnerabilities? Only 2 Railroads Transport Bulk Of Grains

[hatrack]

EDIT

So far, Americans are mostly bystanders in the game, content to grumble at the gas pump and complain in the grocery aisles. As a “First World” nation, the United States so far has not been subject to the food riots, which we have seen in Haiti and other parts of the world. Americans have more per capita income than much of the world; hence the crisis of the Third World, so far, is inconvenience in the “First World” and in developed nations such as the United States.

That said, however, we must understand that this situation is not sustainable. While Americans do have more disposable income than the rest of the word, that income is not unlimited and our food supply is much more vulnerable than we think. When it comes to food security, both in terms of supply and accessibility, this country is much more vulnerable than we think. As one retired grain salesman noted, most of the nation’s grain is moved around the country by just TWO railroads. Little is stored in the event of disaster and the whole system is extremely vulnerable. While we in the United States look at the food riots in other countries with a sense of disbelief, we are not immune. Under the right circumstances, we could be in the same boat. (Ibid)

In order for riots to break out the whole food supply doesn't have to be wiped out. It just has to be threatened sufficiently. When people realize their vulnerability and the fact that there is no short-term solution to a severe enough drought in the Midwest they will have no clue as to what they should do. Other nations can't make up the difference because no other nation has a surplus of grain in good times let alone in times when they are having droughts and floods also. (Robert Felix, “US Food Riots Much Closer than You Think”)

Critics say the US is currently too preoccupied with foreign excursions and oil to pay attention to food security, particularly how concentration of suppliers and processors threaten the food chain. The highly concentrated meat processing industry has generated millions of pounds of recalls this year. Outbreaks in e.coli and other food borne pathogens continue to haunt the headlines, as food prices rise around the world.

The concentration of food processing, cultivation and distribution into the hands of a few companies is wrecking havoc around the world. A Canadian reporter noted the connection between market concentration and price increases around the world: in Mexico and most other countries, a handful of international companies is controlling more and more of the food production line—from growing crops to purchasing crops from farmers, to warehousing, processing and distribution.

EDIT

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/04/12/18492403.php

[JitterbugPerfume]

1. the last time I went grocery shopping

I noticed that certain items that buy regularly were missing from the shelves.

Our only salvation is to buy locally when possible and plant a garden . I canned and froze eveything I could get my hands on last year , and I intend to do even more this year.

[NMDemDist2]

2. good (but scary) article n/t

[grasswire]

3. devastating

"Economist Dr. Hazell has said that filling an SUV tank once with ethanol consumes more maize than the typical African eats in a year."

[pscot]

4. Electric railroads

powered by vast, high plains wind farms.

[madrchsod]

6. the milwaukee roads electric line from chicago to the coast

was very efficient and cheaper in it`s day than diesel but they ripped it down anyway..course the milwaukee road is no more..it`s part of the Canadian rail system

[happyslug]

8. Electric Railroads replaced by Diesels at the same time as Steam

Electric Railways were the wave of the Future from about 1890 till 1930. Milwaukee roads was the big one on the West Coast, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the big one on the East Coast. The primary reason was do to the need to build long tunnels. For the Milwaukee it was to get through the Cascades. Prior to the 1920s the line went over the Cascades and was subject to being snowed under. To solve this problem snow blocks were built to keep most of the snow off the tracks. When these needed to be rebuilt in the 1920s, it was decided to drill a tunnel through the Mountains instead. The problem was a steam engine's fumes would kill its crew and passengers in any tunnel long enough to go under the Mountain. To solve this problem the Railroad opt for electric drive. No fumes in the tunnel It was converted to Diesels in the 1950s? by making sure one side of the tunnel is always open and prior to the train going in a huge blast of air goes in to keep the tunnel clear of fumes.

The Pennsylvania had a similar problem, but it was NOT a tunnel under a Mountain but 14 miles approach and tunnel into Manhattan. Prior to construction of the tunnel, the Pennsylvania Railroad had to unload its passengers and fright in new Jersey and ship them by barge across the Hudson into New York City. The tunnel permitted a direct connection in town, but again the tunnel was to long for Steam engines, thus electric drive was used. Electric Drive is still used by the passenger trains into and out of New York City (And the entire east coast as far West as Harrisburg PA). Till the 1960s Fright trains also used electric drive, but then the conversion to Diesels took place. The conversion to Diesels permitted the trains to operate on tracks that had no electric service (Basically PRR lines west of Harrisburg and New York Central lines once the Pennsylvania Railroad {PRR} and the New York Central merged in the mid 1960s and the resulting Penn Central went Bankrupt in 1969).

Electric Drive may still come back on the old PRR main line from Boston to Washington DC, it is already electric, all the present owner, Norfolk and Southern, needs to do is is buy some electric engines (Or a converter for their Diesels, remember Diesels are really Diesel-Electric i.e. the Diesel runs generators that provide electrical power to the electric motors on the wheels, it is possible to convert the electric source from the generators to the overhead line, not easy but possible).

More on the Milwaukee line:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago%2C_Milwaukee%2C_St._Paul_and_Pacific_Railroad#Electrification

I made a Mistake above, I as thinking of the Great Northern Pacific Railroad and its electrification program:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascade_Tunnel

Pennsylvania electrification:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Railroad

Other Electric Railroads:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroad_electrification_in_the_United_States#Pennsylvania_Railroad

[madrchsod]

5. we really have a very effienct way to move and proceess

food stocks in the usa. we have enough land and ability to produce food for our nation. if we are faced with a long term drought in the western plains grain growing belt then it`s going to be interesting

two things concern me - the governments plans to move the animal disease lab into the center of the nation and the idea that corn should be used for transportation instead of food production.

the future markets are being manipulated by the traders who have tapped out oil and gold futures

[happyslug]

7. Two rail lines? When most is transported by Barge?

People forget how big is the Mississippi/Missouri/river system. It is massive. It starts as far away as Morgantown West Virginia (Monongahela River) East Brady Pennsylvania (on the Allegheny River), Montgomery WV (Kanawha River) Minneapolis MN (Mississippi River), Ft Smith Arkansas (Arkansas River), Chicago Ill (Chicago River) Shreveport LA (Red River) Sioux City Iowa (Missouri River). These are the NAVIGATION limitations of these rivers for barge traffic.

Second, just having two Rail lines operate in an area is NOT a problem, now if it was only two railways that be different, but while the BNSF and UP rail-lines dominate the area, both operate multiple railways in the area (Defining Rail-lines as a Company operating a railroad company and a "Railway" as the actual railroad that goes through an area).

Is American Food valuable? Yes, but not because of a shortage of transportation facilities. There is sufficient facilities to transport the food, thus transportation facilities is NOT a problem (Fuel and energy may be, but NOT the actual facilities).

For more on the Allegheny River:
http://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/nav/all_rivbro.pdf

More on Minneapolis lock and Dams:
http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/navigation/default.asp?pageid=145&subpageid=144

On a Kanawha River:
http://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/projects/locks/lon/

For overview of Rivers with Locks and dams (Almost all are in the Mississippi water shed, through some exceptions are in the list):
http://www2.mvr.usace.army.mil/NIC2/LDPhoneNumbers.cfm#Kanawha

For more on the Missouri River:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_River

For more on the Red River:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_River_(Mississippi_watershed).

AS to Rail traffic here is a rail map for Iowa, showing FOUR east to West rail lines and Six North to South Rail lines. Now the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Union Pacific (NP) control most of these (Thus the comment of just two rail lines) the Canadian National (CN) has some lines and there are small independent lines:

http://www.iowarail.com/railroads/maps/Base_07.pdf
Source:
http://www.iowarail.com/railroads/maps/maphome.htm

Rails to Trail map, showing the number or railways abandoned since 1970:
http://www.iowarail.com/railroads/maps/RR_to_Trails_07.pdf

[depakid]

9. We have a railroad system that the Bulgarians would be ashamed of.

Kunstler sometimes has a way with words that just can't be denied....

[amandabeech]

10. Kunstler may be right for passenger rails.

Freight is another matter altogether. Trucking never killed freight the way autos killed the passenger lines. In fact, there is actually rail construction in many places now to add lines and to improve others.

Running freight on rails with diesel-electric engines is at least 4 times as fuel efficient as shipping by trucks over the long and medium haul. I live within hearing distance of the lines (double track) going into DC from the west along the Potomac. There are a LOT of trains going almost all the time. I hear one coming now, as a matter of fact.

If gas prices keep going up, and as new tracks are laid, I think that short and medium distance rail travel may catch on again. Long distance overnight travel with sleeping and dining cars isn't much more efficient than long-distance flights, if any. However, trips of an hour to a day may come back along with buses, which are not too bad in fuel efficiency either when relatively full.

I read Kunstler and like him, but he has his slant on things and he doesn't know everything, even though he thinks he does.

[depakid]

11. I take Kunstler with a BIG grain of salt

He envisions pirates as a problem in the Pacific Northwest, for example....



I agree with you about freight rail- you can see old lines and right of ways throughout the Western states that were abandoned to trucking, due to the economics of cheap petrol.

Same with light rail and commuter rail- though it's damned expensive to rebuild those in the 21st Century. Seattle in particular has blown many chances to create a workable mass transit system- and that's coming back to haunt them.