PrintThe Food Energy Water Nexus:
Humanity depends upon the Earth's resources to provide key resources needed for human well-being and economic growth: food, energy, and water (FEW). In the face of growing pressure on our planet (see Lesson 1 - Planetary Boundaries), decisions about where and how to produce each of these must be considered carefully. There are clear trade-offs between the three, and multiple interdependences. In the face of these challenges, it is essential that we learn to think about the production of these resources in an integrated way. Geography has long excelled at thinking about such complex issues, as you have learned over the past weeks. We must find ways to best integrate social, ecological, physical and built environments to provide all three of these resources in a sustainable and just manner. The Food-Energy-Water Nexus is a new way of looking at things, and now supported by funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Research publications proposing, testing and using FEW frameworks are only recently starting to emerge.
The NSF notes "Known stressors in FEW systems include governance challenges, population growth and migration, land use change, climate variability, and uneven resource distribution. The interconnections and interdependencies associated with the FEW Nexus pose research grand challenges. To meet these grand challenges, there is a critical need for research that enables new means of adapting societal use of FEW systems." (Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy and Water Systems (INFEWS))
Agricultural Impacts on the Environment, the Pesticide Example:
We have known of the potential risks of pesticides used in agriculture since the publication of Rachel Carson’s 1962 book, Silent Spring. In her book, Carson details the extensive harm the pesticide DDT poses to humans and non-humans alike; after DDT has been sprayed, it persists in the environment, circulating through soil, water, bodies, and food. Carson’s work challenged industry and government groups for promoting DDT spraying programs despite mounting evidence of its deleterious effects. Her analysis, expanded on by many scholars in the 50 years since the publication of Silent Spring, draws strong connections between environmental harms and political and economic policies, programs, and institutional structure. Many consider Carson’s book to be a major turning point in environmental politics in the United States, laying the ground work for the environmental movement in the United States and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Should you choose to read this excerpt, pay attention to her description of daily interactions with chemicals and her analysis of government and industry actions as her insights relate back to what we covered for Environmental Justice in Lesson 4.
Optional Reading: Carson, R. (1962). Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Since the publication of Rachel Carson's book, the use of pesticides in developed countries has become much more highly regulated (check the WHO map, and think about if the regulations are equally cautious in developing countries?). While few of us today are careless when applying pesticides to our lawns (if we do at all), and many of you may have never even heard of moth prevention treatments (used by your grandma to keep moths from eating holes in woolen clothing and blankets), there are new and evolving risks that we are exposed to. For example, many carpets are sprayed with fire retardants that are now emerging as a potential health risk. And the chemical used to make your stylish new jacket waterproof are being questioned and linked to health risks.
Below are links to two sources which highlight the dangers associated with agricultural pesticide use. The first link is to an article by The Guardian which provides a synopsis of the UN Human Rights Council report condemning major manufacturing corporations for distributing misleading information on pesticides use. Then the second link from the World Health Organization's page on Agri-chemicals provides a map showing the number of chemical poisoning in each country around the world. When exploring these pages, consider where your own food comes from and how your own consumptive patterns might be implicated in these exposures.
Optional Readings:
UN experts denounce 'myth' pesticides are necessary to feed the world - The Guardian