The other "Inconvenient Truth"

Longing for fresh vegetables

The world's population growth is placing a huge stress on our natural environment to feed all of its citizens.  Growing food is dramatically reducing our forests and draining water resources.  An 18 minute TED video, The other inconvenient truth, by IonE director Jon Foley provides greater detail on this global challenge.

Did you know that Agriculture is the single largest emitter of green house gasses? Not only does modern farm equipment require considerable use of fossil fuels, expansion of agriculture is reducing forested land, while farm animals are tremendous emitters of methane gas.

With 7 billion people in the world, heading towards 9 billion there will be a need for additional crop production.  The need for meat and dairy products is also rising as people of many traditionally impoverished nations become more financially resourceful.

There are no simple solutions. It will take a lot of creativity and collective action across nations to solve this great agricultural and environmental dilemma.  Those of us living in the affluent United States can  eat less meat and learn to grow more of our own fruits and vegetables locally.  Dare I say, we might also be better environmental stewards by using less water for extravagances like golf courses in arid Arizona.