The Importance of Topsoil, Water, & Food

I have begun the growing in significance topic of water scarcity. Combine that concept with severe top soil erosion around the world and what do you get? Food scarcity.

I didn't write in this blog to scare, intimidate, and have no intention to neglect other very important issues. For me, the most fundamental thing to all our lives is water, wood, and shelter.

Water: We are tapping our groundwater and snow pack reserves at alarming rates around the world. As the world population continues to grow it will use more water. As countries continue to develop in developing regions such as Africa, and Asia the pressure on their water resources will continue to increase. This is not just a African or Asian problem where huge populations are growing at alarming rates, but also an American problem. Given I am writing this from the New York City area and we have basically spent the last 30 days under water, the largest problem lies in the west. From extensive irrigation in California, arid land city population rise such as in Phoenix, and continued and extensive water waste in infrastructure and agricultural use; we driving ourselves off a cliff. I just read an interesting article in the December 2008 issue of National Geographic which highlighted the issue of damming up the rivers in Northern California and southern Oregon and its effect on Chinook Salmon populations. We recently had a "30,000" salmon die off from 1 river valley (Klamath River) alone. Environmentalist are trying to remove the dams and farmer's are asking for more water. Both have very valid points, but I wish to point out the one big flaw in the farmer's point. Most farm in the US and world are huge centers of waste regarding water. Farming techniques have developed over the past few years and most significantly Israel, the land of little water developed the drip irrigation system. The most efficient way to water a crop, providing enough water to the roots to optimal growth. Our great American farms mostly use significantly more water than they need, so why fight for the overuse of water when the market (price) should force you to become more efficient.

Topsoil: What is better than digging in a garden, planting a variety of crops watching and waiting while you watch the mature? Better? Well how about being gone for a week to find that all your beans have been eaten by an animal. Very annoying. But seriously, Top soil erosion & fertile soil aeration is becoming an increasing problem in areas with very larger population such as China and India. China I believe is seeing the largest problems regarding this. The Gobi Desert is growing, fast. Hillside farming through unsustainable practices and eroding, fast.

What this means for food: Less water + less soil + larger appetite = ??? You don't have to be a scientist to figure this one out. My greatest concern is what happens when China cannot feed it's population anymore? There will be political unrest, death, and I hate to say it but political conflict. I don't mean to single out the Chinese, but there is a list of countries that face severe problems. Haiti has some of poorest individual in the world, that lack basic freedom of water and food. Why? For a period of 5 or 10 years the population grew with the market or government offering a sustainable method of energy and heat. Haitians went into their forests and cut down almost every tree in the country. Since then soil erosion has been a huge issue, without any trees and a hurricane coming how will the soil stay in place? Soil erosion turned into water scarcity because the trees and soil held in the water to be release slowly in rivers. Which meant severe flooding and famine.

No more doom and gloom from me. The tools are at our disposal to correct the inefficiencies in the world. What is lacking is education. I hope this post made 1 person interested in learning more (not from a grammatical point of view though :) )

Water Shortage

Water scarcity will be a problem well before global warming, oil, energy, will be. Water and our food system go hand in hand. Right now in California, they are in the 3rd year of drought. Bad enough that farmer's are cutting down orchards and letting the land go baron. On average a farmer in the central valley is receiving 30% less water than they were 5 years ago. With the lower of water tables all over the west, pumping it yourself is now not becoming an option.

Treehugger.com recently published a article titled: Water Shortages Rising Across the Globe, But Especially India showing how and why Water shortages are occurring all over the globe. Aside from our western states, China, India, and Africa are being hit really hard. "By 2025, India, China and select countries in Europe and Africa will face water scarcity if adequate and sustainable water management initiatives are not implemented, and an estimated 3 Billion people will be living below the water stress threshold".

There is an inevitable wall about to be hit. Population growth & pollution are growing so fast, that I believe sooner than later we will be having serious water issues. In the article, they say "By 2050, per capita water availability in India is expected to drop by about 44% due to growing populations and higher demand, as well as higher pollution levels". This is scary.

Pick up the movie or book titled: Blue Gold. Both a great source of information concerning water issues.

A great resource to avoid using plastic disposable water bottles is getting a reusable water bottle at ECOBAGS.COM. There are many styles to choose from.

Top 50 Green Energy Purchasers

I am as shocked as you probably are. The E.P.A. announced it Top 50 green energy purchasers HERE. Of the top 5 companies I owned 4 of their stocks and didn't even realize it. It obviously makes me feel better with new realization of the information. I think the most shocking must be that Whole Foods(#5) purchases 100% of energy from renewable resources and Wal-Mart(#15)purchases 8%. That sheer volume of difference is exacerbating the 'Wal-Mart' effect. Whole Foods, while they are progressive only throw a drop in the bucket of what Wal-Mart has the capability to complete. Next most shocking, City of Oil (I mean Houston) right up there as the largest city purchaser of renewable energy. As I continue to read I have to retract my previous statements because Kohl's Department Store is # 3. Kohl's. I connect Kohl's with cheesy 30-60 year old woman's clothing. And now this. Wow.

This was as shocking as is was enlightening. I suggest for all to amuse and educate yourselves.

Earth Day 2009

A few days late, but the meaning is the same.  The day is meant for people to be more aware and celebrate environmentalism and the plant's health.  This is something I am concerned about everyday.  I heard a report stating that 'Corporate ad's concerning greening their brand occur on average 4% of total ads played, and on Earth Day they account for 10%'.  What does this say to you?  For me it means that 'greening' has no real meaning at all.  Brands who push popular ideas as they come week to week are just trying to jump on the tips of the tongues on customers.  Brands that push sustainability in their business and not just their Earth Day message are exactly the brands we should be buying from.

Monsanto to try and outlaw Organic Farming

I couldn't even make this one up. H.R. 875 PLEASE Read.

Main backer and lobbyist is Monsanto – chemical and genetic engineering giant corporation (and Cargill, ADM, and about 35 other related agri-giants). This bill will require organic farms to use specific fertilizers and poisonous insect sprays dictated by the newly formed agency to "make sure there is no danger to the public food supply". This will include backyard gardens that grow food only for a family and not for sales.

The Purpose of this bill is to

• (1) the safety of the food supply of the United States is vital to the public health, to public confidence in the food supply, and to the success of the food sector of the Nation’s economy;
• (2) lapses in the protection of the food supply and loss of public confidence in food safety are damaging to consumers and the food industry, and place a burden on interstate commerce and international trade;
• (3) recent ongoing events demonstrate that the food safety program at the Food and Drug Administration is not effective in controlling hazards in food coming from farms and factories in the United States and food and food ingredients coming from foreign countries, and these events have adversely affected consumer confidence;
• (4) the safety and security of the food supply require a systemwide approach to prevent food-borne illness involving the integrated efforts of Federal, State and local agencies; a thorough, broad-based, and coordinated approach to basic and applied science; and intensive, effective, and efficient management of the Nation’s food safety program;

There are in total 12 purposes. This seems to be right out of the documentary: The Future of Food. To all that have not watched this movie, please put it on your netflix queue. It will change the way you think about food, inherently we are what we eat. Monsanto is estimated to own 11,000 patents on different seeds; 11,000

How can we as a society mess with the genetic diversity of the very foundation on civilization, food? I hope that this entry, movie and bill will motivate you to go to you farmer's market and support local farming. If not, you didn't watch the movie. This is the same fear marketing that the Bush Administration 'patented' so well. If the USA passes this bill, we will have regressed in the advancement of human civilization. I fear that these large seed bank pockets are too large to divert our politicians.