The Big Three of the 21st Century--Food, Energy and Water

Here at the beginning of the 21st century, the challenges are clear: the growing population is stressing the Earth's resources to the breaking point. The "big three" are Food, Energy and Water--whose initials ominously spell FEW. Looming shortages make human misery more likely as time passes without finding solutions. Will the 21st Century be known as the Century of Scarcity? Or will we find new technical, political and economic approaches to free humanity from want and discontent?

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Monday, April 23, 2012

Market forces spreading profit and deprivation

[After two dormant years, it's time to revive this blog! News and solutions for the Century of Scarcity are showing up all the time.]

BOOKS

FOOD: I highly recommend "Endless Appetites" by Alan Bjerga, agricultural reporter for Bloomberg. During the food market swings of 2010, Alan traveled the world for months, trying to make sense of it. What was causing the swings--"speculation," as some naively asserted, or were more complex factors involved? What innovative approaches are being put in place to feed the planet?

WATER: In our local library, I came across "Introduction to Water in California" by David Carle. The incredibly complex system that provides water for massive urban regions is explained clearly and memorably. It really enhanced my appreciation for how artificial the entire Southern California area is. All of the region's water comes from hundreds of miles away. Moving the water requires a huge amount of energy, and ecosystems throughout the state have been (and are being) disrupted to achieve a steady supply for the big urban regions.
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