Tom Andel

Warming and salmonella crises hyped?
July 14, 2008

Supply chains are being sullied by our dirty carbon footprints. That’s what the newspapers tell me, anyway. They’re quoting the talking-head environmentalists who make a living being quoted. Many in this quote choir are scientists. But there’s another choir of scientists singing in dissonance. One of them is John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel. He sang a less-heard tune before the San Diego Chamber of Commerce recently.

“The battle against fossil fuels has controlled policy in this country for decades,” he said. “So now the shortage they created has sent gasoline prices soaring. And, it has lead to the folly of ethanol. ...  The ethanol folly is also creating a food crisis throughout the world – it is behind the food price rises for all the grains, for cereals, bread, everything that relies on corn or soy or wheat, including animals that are fed corn, most processed foods that use corn oil or soybean oil or corn syrup. Food shortages or high costs have led to food riots in some third world countries and made the cost of eating out or at home budget-busting for many.”

And now we hear the food remaining in our supply chains is endangered by salmonella bacteria. First tomatoes were to blame. Then peppers. Now the talking heads are saying all food may be compromised by our dirty handling processes. They don’t know which distribution points are to blame, but the hunt is on. Maybe the culprit is an unsanitary tote-cleaning process. Maybe a filthy conveyor. Maybe it was some tiny critter that rode in on the pallets.  How many cases of salmonella were reported out of the U.S. population? More than a thousand! Out of a population of hundreds of millions.

I’m not saying these concerns aren’t real—just that the talking heads could learn a lot if they’d talk to some experts who know something about supply chains—materials handling professionals. Our industry’s talking heads–including lift truck manufacturers and alternative power source providers--have been debating the effects of internal combustion powered lift trucks on the environment for a long time. And members of the Material Handling Industry of America have been working alongside their customers in the food and grocery industries on securing those supply chains. When was the last time you heard any of them quoted on CNN or in the Wall Street Journal.

It’s time our people were heard over the din of politicized hyperbole being broadcast by the mainstream media supply chain. Those talking heads might learn something.

What do you think?

Posted by Tom Andel on July 14, 2008 | Comments (0)