Consumption of energy, food, gas and pollution effects

In the storm is when you know the good pilot greenhouse crisis is growing concern with regard to its effects, what it represents to humanity, something that governments should not neglect if you want to ensure no deterioration environments and avoid the negative effects it can cause. In one written about by William Austen Bradbury, on this issue and provided by EcoPortal. Net, there are relevant data that can not be ignored because of what it represents and the warning that we must be attentive to a reality that is there, that should take the necessary measures to prevent a catastrophe. Outlined, that globally, the rate of energy consumption is estimated at 15 terawatts (TW), or 15 terajoules (TJ) of energy per second (1 T = 1 trillion). If a conventional light bulb consumes 60 W, this is the equivalent of 37 light bulbs burning continuously for every person in the world. More than a quarter of this consumption is lost in generation and transmission of energy. About 86% of this energy is produced by fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal).

The use of these fuels has increased almost unabated since the first oil drilling in the mid-nineteenth century. This growth contrasts with the decline occurred in the discovery of deposits from the late 70's. Fossil fuels are a limited energy source, operated in the last decades of exponential, accelerating its inevitable depletion. Consider that the prevailing system of power is highly dependent on energy consumption. The energy consumed by agriculture itself is estimated at only 4% of global energy consumption, but according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change directly contributes 11% of total greenhouse gases emitted, or 6.1 Gt carbon dioxide equivalent. Almost all emissions are in the form of methane (3.3 Gt) and nitrogen oxide (2.8 Gt). About two thirds of global emissions of methane and most nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture

Take into account Austen indicates that there is a multitude of processes that comprise the power system in the world and require energy to operate, growing food, storage, transport, processing, processing and packaging, distribution, sale and treatment of the waste. The production of most agricultural inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, drugs) is processed fossil fuels as feedstock (natural gas to produce nitrogen fertilizer to produce oil and pesticides). From the original Green Revolution of the sixties, the use of agrochemicals and irrigation water has increased tremendously. Take into account that the industrial food system, greatly dependent on fossil fuels, is responsible for an enormous amount of greenhouse gases. An estimated one third of global emissions of these can be attributed to the global food system]. However, there are many different ways of eating that have different energy consumption and therefore emissions of greenhouse gases. The most basic and traditional food production and shifting agriculture and hunting and gathering, consume much less energy than you get.

The more modern methods such as cattle Intensive and industrial fishing are very inefficient in energy consumption, and sometimes consume up to 15 to 20 times more energy than is obtained in the form of food. No doubt, says Austen, energy consumption of the food system of the most industrialized country in the world, the United States has increased dramatically over the past 100 years from less than one calorie per calorie of food collected, up to more than 10 calories today. In recent decades, as an alternative response to the great industrialization of food production and distribution throughout the world, there has been a major movement of farmers and environmentalists in support of food production in an ecological and distributing them in Based on local markets, linking producers with consumers. Austen tells Finally, if organic agriculture, agroecology or better, add a local food system, food production for local markets-rather than agro-export model imposed on most countries of the world by institutions as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, can reduce even more the energy consumed to feed the population.

This is what I proposed 10 years ago the Via Campesina, an international movement which represents millions of rural peasants, indigenous peoples, small farmers and rural workers in 69 countries around the world. In their struggle for food sovereignty, the Via Campesina demands the right of peoples to define their own policies on the production, distribution and consumption of foods to ensure healthy food to its population. If they choose policies that develop organic farming and food and energy systems located, there is the potential to save over 50% of energy consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases. Incorporating renewable energy could provide more energy than needed and eliminate dependence on fossil fuels should be noted that the most basic and traditional food production as agriculture displacement and hunting and gathering, consume much less energy than they are. The more modern methods such as cattle Intensive and industrial fishing are very inefficient in energy consumption, and sometimes consume up to 15 to 20 times more energy than is obtained in the form of food. www.entorno-empresarial.com