From the Scholars Strategy Network, written by Debra Javeline, University of Notre Dame.
Overfishing is a problem that has become more acute as global populations have increased, technology has improved and the environment has degraded. Until recently most management efforts have focused on limiting fishing days or areas, yet fishing stocks have continued to decline precipitously.
Humans have been working to increase crop yields since agriculture began, and major advances were made during the “green revolution” that began in the 1940s. Genetic engineering has been portrayed as the latest step in this process. The majority of approved engineered seeds are aimed at decreasing losses due to pests and weeds; a primary example is Bt corn, produces a bacteria that kills the European corn borer and other insects.
A sustained period of fast economic growth nations such as China, Japan and South Korea has corresponded with an ever-increasing demand for energy. To meet this demand, these countries have invested significantly in green technology. The significant progress made is underscored in 2009 as China is reported to have passed the U.S. in clean energy investment and finance.
Housing and automobiles in the United States generate almost 40% of the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions. Emissions vary with an area’s population density and weather patterns. These in turn affect automotive and transit use, home heating, air conditioning and electricity usage.
Plastic trash is a potential — and plentiful — fuel source, but up to the present many regions of the United States have been reluctant to adopt waste-to-energy technologies. Among the reasons are the availability of relatively cheap land for trash disposal, recyclers who viewed such programs as potential threats, and resistance by local homeowners.
Recent studies have shown that wind power has tremendous potential to meet growing electrical needs. Because wind patterns do not always correspond with electrical use, this potential can only be realized if a way is found to balance supply and demand.
Press coverage of energy, whether from fossil fuels, nuclear, or renewables, tends to be dominated by talk of production. Production is only half the story, though: Every energy equation is a balance between generation and consumption, and both count equally.
