The U.N. Secretary General spoke today in Ghana about the effect biofuels are having on food prices around the world and how they could set back world anti-poverty efforts. So what happened to this fuel that was supposed to help the United States renounce our dependency on foreign oil?

Think of it like this, we are not driving smaller cars, we are not raising taxes, and ethanol production consuming so much of the worlds crops that it is raising the cost of food all over the world. Ultimately, ethanol has not helped reduce the price of oil in any way. If ethanol was made out of garbage or a byproduct of something that is already consumed wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Since the likeliness of us reducing dependency on ethanol is most likely going to happen. How do we look to changing directions again and moving away from ethanol production? Let’s think about the transfer of wealth from one society to the next, and how can prevent it.

So how do we avoid the rising price of oil in the interim with policy? A gas tax: those who drive the enormous sport utility vehicles which consume more gas will pay more to fill up their tanks than the consumers with smaller more fuel efficient cars. The earnings would then be transferred back to the consumers in the form of an income tax credit. Think of it, a gas tax makes political sense and is gaining support of both the democrats and the republicans. As a global community, we need to use logic and deduction more to our advantage and think longer and harder about using precious commodities like corn, rice, and soy to make ethanol.