Re:The return of nature
by Bartweiss on Friday September 04, 2015 @05:45PM
(#10172988)
Honestly, that first graph showing the de-link of corn production and land use should be at least as alarming as it is inspirational. That sort of breakaway from a limiting factor doesn't come for free.
In this case, it represents the outcome of GM monocultures and intensive irrigation.
GM crops are, so far, a nearly consequence free gain. The use of monocultures presents a bunch of risks, but until and unless they pan out, it's a simple gain.
The aggressive irrigation required to produce so much corn from so little land is rather more hair-raising. In the midst of a serious drought, we're finally facing the question of whether the Ogallala Aquifer is going to give out on us altogether. At current consumption rates, the answer appears to be 'yes'. This isn't about using the world more efficiently, it's about diminishing land use in favor of massively unsustainable water use.
When we see our production break away from it's usual constraints, that's not a time to celebrate the preservation of nature. It's a time to ask what we're consuming instead.
In this case, it represents the outcome of GM monocultures and intensive irrigation.
GM crops are, so far, a nearly consequence free gain. The use of monocultures presents a bunch of risks, but until and unless they pan out, it's a simple gain.
The aggressive irrigation required to produce so much corn from so little land is rather more hair-raising. In the midst of a serious drought, we're finally facing the question of whether the Ogallala Aquifer is going to give out on us altogether. At current consumption rates, the answer appears to be 'yes'. This isn't about using the world more efficiently, it's about diminishing land use in favor of massively unsustainable water use.
When we see our production break away from it's usual constraints, that's not a time to celebrate the preservation of nature. It's a time to ask what we're consuming instead.