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Agriculture and the environment
Solar radiation, temperature, and precipitation are the main drivers of crop growth; therefore agriculture has always been highly dependent on climate patterns and variations.
Since the industrial revolution, humans have been changing the global climate by emitting high amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, resulting in higher global temperatures, affecting hydrological regimes and increasing climatic variability.
How Climate Change Effects Agriculture
Climate change is projected to have significant impacts on agricultural conditions, food supply, and food security.
Overall, climate change could result in a variety of impacts on agriculture.
Some of these effects are biophysical, some are ecological, and some are economic, including:
- • A shift in climate and agricultural zones towards the poles
- • Changes in production patterns due to higher temperatures
- • A boost in agricultural productivity due to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
- • Changing precipitation patterns
- • Increased vulnerability of the landless and the poor
How Agriculture Contributes to Climate Change
However, agriculture is itself responsible for an estimated one third of climate change. It is generally agreed that about 25% of carbon dioxide emissions, are produced by agricultural sources, mainly deforestation, the use of fossil fuel-based fertilizers, and the burning of biomass. Most of the methane in the atmosphere comes from domestic ruminants, forest fires, wetland rice cultivation and waste products, while conventional tillage and fertilizer use account for 70% of the nitrous oxides.
Main Causes of Climate Change
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the three main causes of the increase in greenhouse gases observed over the past 250 years have been fossil fuels, land use, and agriculture. Over the past centuries, human ingenuity has led to technological advances in agriculture that have allowed substantial increase in crop yields, in part stimulated to meet population growth. Intensive agricultural methods are reported to have detrimental effects on the environment.
How Agriculture Emits Greenhouse Gases
The agricultural sector has become one of the main driving forces in gas emissions and land use effects. For example, agriculture contributes to greenhouse gas increases through land use in different ways: carbon dioxide emissions linked to deforestation in temperate regions where forests and woodlands are cleared to make room for fields and pastures- methane emissions from rice cultivation and enteric fermentation in cattle nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer applications
The Big Picture
Together, these agricultural processes comprise 54% of methane emissions, roughly 80% of nitrous oxide emissions, and virtually all carbon dioxide emissions tied to land use. Deforestation for land cleaning purposes also affects regional carbon reuptake, which can result in increased concentrations of carbon dioxide, the dominant greenhouse gas.
Worldwide, livestock production occupies 70% of all land used for agriculture, or 30% of the land surface of the Earth.
Alternative energy
Alternative energy refers to energy that is derived from non-traditional sources. Hence, alternative energy includes compressed natural gas, solar power, hydroelectricity, biofuels, and wind power. In order to help stop climate change and build a more sustainable future, alternative energy must be harnessed. In the context of climate change, alternative energy refers to any source of energy that could replace fossil fuels such as oil and coal which are responsible for producing greenhouse gases.
Alternative Energy vs. Renewable Energy
Essentially, alternative energy is an umbrella term that includes renewable energy. In other words, all forms of renewable energy are considered alternative energy but not vice versa.
Types of Alternative Energy:
- • Biofuel
- • Biomass Energy
- • Geothermal Energy
- • Solar power
- • Tidal Power
- • Wave Power
- • Wind power
Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest
The deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest is amongst the world's worst environmental disasters. Since the beginning of human history, people have cut down trees to make way for agricultural or commercial production, the construction of houses or to supply the required demands for timber. Deforestation in Latin America results from problems associated with overpopulation, which has been occurring since the mid-twentieth century. The tropical rainforest is fading away quickly and is at risk of disappearing forever. Since colonization, which started in the 1960s, deforestation was a threat to the Amazon rainforest. It once covered 14% of the Earth’s surface in land, but today it barely covers 6%. Experts believe that the rainforest could disappear in a matter of forty years. Also, approximately half of the world’s animal and plant life will become extinct or severely endangered in the next 25 years.
Natural Health Benefits
The Amazonian rainforest is essential to the health of the planet and its inhabitants. It is a storehouse of plant and animal species which represent a vital source of biodiversity. Over a quarter of all pharmaceutical products come from rainforest produce. They have provided treatments for diseases like leukemia, Hodgskin’s disease, snake bites, along with breast, cervical and testicular cancer, and are presently used in research for a possible treatment for AIDS.
Importance to the Biosphere
The Amazon rainforest plays a fundamental role in the overall health of the planet by helping regulate climate, hydrological services, carbon sequestration, fire protection, pollination, and disease. It provides about 20% of the world’s supply of oxygen and absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide. It represents approximately 54% of the rainforest left on Earth and is one of the most important ecosystems in the world. Over half of all plant and animal life on Earth lives in the Amazon rainforest. It is also home to many different tribes of indigenous people.
The Rainforest At Risk
Global warming is not only a consequence, but also a cause of deforestation. The overall global warming caused by various human activities such as factory production and transportation contribute to the deforestation affecting the Amazonian rainforest. Factors such as temperature changes, droughts, and forest fires all cause deforestation.
Temperature Changes
Latin America, like anywhere else in the world, is suffering from the effects of climate change. Due to a higher concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide caused by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, the world's average surface temperatures are rising. In fact, the climate of the Amazon rainforest is changing drastically because of the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the air. Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have increased by over 40% because of the pollution caused by automobiles, industries, and many other human activities. This causes a problem to the indigenous people whose livelihood depends on the natural resources provided by the Amazon rainforest. In the Andes, several glaciers are quickly melting, due to the increase in surface temperatures. Large blocks of ice from the Antarctic are breaking off, which increases the water levels of the ocean. This in turn influences the water cycle of the Amazon River which is connected to the Atlantic Ocean.
More Frequent Floods
Every year, the water level of the Amazon River rises over thirty feet andfloods the nearby forests. Over the last few years, it flooded more forests then this natural phenomenon was used to, causing deforestation. With global temperatures increasing because of pollution in the atmosphere, it will result in even more rainforest floods.
Droughts
Researchers believe that the increase in carbon dioxide concentrations is affecting plant life in the Amazon rainforest. Since plants use the carbon dioxide in the air for photosynthesis, this increase in carbon dioxide is fertilizing the vegetation to the point where plants are lacking room and have to compete for soil, light, and water. The larger and faster growing trees have an advantage over the smaller trees. This change in tree growth causes deforestation, mostly because the younger and smaller trees do not survive as easily.
As a result, the forest is no longer growing the way it is supposed to, and less trees are being created. At this rate, it looks as if one day there will no longer be a new generation of trees to replace the previous one.
Not Enough Water
The Amazon rainforest reacts in times of great rain by absorbing water which it then stores for later use during the dry season. Unfortunately, as the environment gets drier, the trees cannot hold in enough water to survive. It is predicted that there will be a 2 to 8 degree Celsius rise in average global surface temperatures in the next century, and this may eventually cause the rainforest to be replaced by dry tropical grassland and bare soils.
Forest Fires
The Amazon rainforest is especially at risk of accidental forest fires during the dry season. Due to global warming, the plants are getting drier making them most vulnerable to fire.
During the drier conditions, especially during an El Niño year (a cyclical disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system), fields used for agriculture could easily catch fire and spread into the rainforest nearby.
In fact, the majority of forest fires occur during an El Niño year. The strong El Niño years of 1997 and 1998 contributed to enormous forest fires, causing over 400,000 square kilometers of forest to go up in smoke.
The fires not only destroy the forest, but also kill wildlife and discharges even more carbon into the atmosphere (this carbon binds with oxygen to form carbon dioxide) causing more global warming, making it a vicious cycle.
If these changes in temperature, droughts, and forest fires continue to increase as they do, then there will be a dry deserted land where the Amazon rainforest once stood.
Cattle Ranching
One of the key players in the deterioration of the Amazon rainforest is the usage of the land by cattle ranchers. Livestock occupies about 70% of the converted forest (see meat industry for more information on the effects of cattle ranching).
The cattle ranching system is based on grazing. It relies on cultivated and native pastures, which are used for grazing all year round.
Beef production in the tropical rainforest is well-known for its poor productivity. This is due to the over-exploitation of the grasslands, poor management, and the low fertility of the soil, which contains low levels of phosphorus and high acidity.
Brazil contains over two hundred million heads of cattle making it the world’s second largest herd, with India currently ranking as the first. Over a third of its herd is located in the central-west of Brazil, predominantly in the state of Manto Grosso, which contains 13% of Brazil’s herds.
The production of cattle has increased over the last fifteen years. The production areas have also moved from the south-east to the north of Brazil. This is mainly due to the displacement of ranchers because of the expansion of soy. From 2001 to 2005, the cattle herd increased by 37% in the northern regions of Brazil.
Logging
Timber extraction is one of the primary forms of deforestation, and contributes greatly to the economic development of the nation.
In spite of the improved logging techniques and awareness for the endangered rainforest, logging still happens in the Amazon. Unfortunately, forty percent of logging that occurs is assumed to be illegal.
In Brazil, much of the wood is used domestically. In 1998, 14% was exported and by 2004, 36% was exported. It is estimated that 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers square of forest are exploited each year by logging.
Part of the logged forest gets converted to agricultural and pasture land. Most of it remains as logged forests, with no use. Unorganized logging creates larger spaces between the canopy trees making the forest more prone to natural fires, which usually start in agricultural areas and pastures.
Oil and Mining
The Brazilian Amazon is a dream come true for many gold-diggers who seek fortune. It contains a wide variety of minerals such as bauxite, diamonds, gold, iron, oil, and ore. Mining is linked with the degradation of ecosystems caused by soil erosion, runoff, infrastructure development, and environmental pollution. Brazil contains a long history of gold mining with numerous people working in dangerous conditions. For example, between 1550 and 1880, gold mining has released more than 200,000 metric tonnes of mercury into the environment. Sadly, mercury takes a long time to degrade, and while it remains in the environment, it affects the health of anything exposed to it. Today, Latin America earns the largest share in mining profit. Brazil, Chile, and Peru are the main mining countries. Unfortunately, mining in forests causes deforestation and also releases chemicals that pollute the rivers located nearby mines as well as farmland downstream.
Promoting Awareness
Deforestation in the Amazonian rainforest is caused by global warming, colonization and economic development.
People should not have to resort to settling in land that is unsuitable. Clearly, they should not exploit the land, but try to conserve it instead.
If things continue as they do, the Amazon rainforest will only exist in history books. It is our duty to promote awareness of the situation and to try to educate people in order to make a difference. By taking action to stop climate change, we can save the Amazon rainforest for future generations. Special thanks to Cynthia Cousineau for the great research involved in this article.
The atmosphere
An atmosphere is a gaseous envelope that surrounds a material of sufficient mass and is held in place by gravity. When discussing climate change or environmental issues, it is implicit that we are referring to the Earth’s atmosphere. In our planet, about 78.1% of the dry atmosphere is made up of nitrogen and around 20.9% consists of oxygen. The remaining 1% consists of trace gases such as argon (0.93%), helium, and several greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide (0.035%). Moreover, the atmosphere also contains water vapour, clouds, and aerosols along with some particulate matter.
Main Layers:
- • Exosphere
- • Thermosphere
- • Mesosphere
- • Stratosphere
- • Troposphere
Other Layers:
- • Ozone Layer
- • Ionosphere
- • Homosphere and Heterosphere
- • Planetary Boundary Layer
Biofuel and biomass
Biofuel is essentially a liquid or gas fuel made from biomass.
There are many types of biofuels including:
• Agricultural waste
• Ethanol blended into motor gasoline
• Fish oils
• Landfill gases
• Municipal solid waste
• Other waste
• Peat
• Railroad ties
• Sludge waste
• Spent sulfite liquor
• Straw
• Tall oil
• Tires
• Waste alcohol
• Wood, and wood liquors/sludge/waste
Biofuel and the environment
Since biofuel is a form of alternative energy, it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Hence, biofuels are a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and thus help stop climate change.
For more information, please see biofuel as alternative energy.
Biomass and the environment
Biomass is a renewable energy source that consists of organic materials.
These organic materials can be either living or dead, below or above ground.
Examples of biomass include:
- • Animal waste
- • Crops
- • Grasses
- • Roots
- • Trees
Biomass is indeed a form of alternative energy as it will replace fossil fuels which produce greenhouse gas emissions.
Without doubt, developing biomass is a great way to help stop climate change.
Biosphere
The Biosphere Contains All Life on Earth. The biosphere is the sum of all ecosystems worldwide. An ecosystem consists of all living organisms and the abiotic or nonliving environment which supplies the energy and nutrients necessary to sustain life.
Essentially, it is the zone of all life on Earth, from the smallest bacterium to the largest whale. It extends from the polar ice caps to the Equator, covering the entire planet.
Furthermore, life exists on Earth several kilometers under the ocean floor to many kilometers in the atmosphere, from very cold to very hot environments.
Web of Interdependent Relationships
Moreover, the biosphere also includes the relationships between living beings and the elements of the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere.
In effect, all organisms within the biosphere depend on each other and this is the basis for deep ecology.
Biomes
Moreover, the biosphere is divided into many biomes that are either terrestrial or marine.
These biomes are large geographic regions with similar kinds of communities and climates. Hence, each biome is made up of many ecosystems which are made up numerous species.
Origins
Finally, the biosphere is believed to have begun 3.5 billion years ago (the Earth is about 4.54 billion years old) through a process called biogenesis and has evolved ever since.
Destabilization of the Biosphere
However, mankind's contribution to climate change will have severe effects on the biosphere and thus will impact every single living organism and life supporting system on the planet.
In order to help protect the biosphere, we must understand not only the causes of climate change, but also the effects of climate change.
Only then, we will truly know how to help stop climate change and start building a sustainable future for generations to come.
Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle refers to the flow of carbon through the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere.
There are five main reservoirs of carbon which are all interconnected:
• The atmosphere
• The terrestrial biosphere
• The oceans
• The Earth’s interior
• And sediments (including fossil fuels)
Also, there are many chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes which account for the exchange of carbon.
Furthermore, of all the reservoirs near the surface of the Earth, the oceans are the ones which contain the most carbon.
However, most of this carbon does not flow rapidly to the atmosphere. Hence, the oceans act as carbon sinks.
Carbon Cycle and Climate Change
Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, mankind has altered the carbon cycle via anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. Unfortunately, these emissions cause global warming. In order to stop climate change, we must reduce our carbon footprint.
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary anthropogenic greenhouse gas responsible for global warming.
Although carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring gas, it is also released into the atmosphere as a result of:
• Biomass
• Fossil fuel combustion (as a by-product)
• Land-use changes
• Various industrial processes
• Moreover, carbon dioxide is given a global warming potential of 1 and all other greenhouse gases are measured against it.
Greenhouse Gases:
• Carbon Dioxide
• Chlorofluorocarbons
• Hydrochlorofluorocarbons
• Hydrofluorocarbons
• Methane
• Nitrous Oxide
• Ozone
• Perfluorocarbons
• Sulfur Hexafluoride
• Water Vapour
Carbon Footprint
The carbon footprint is the total set of greenhouse gas emissions we individually cause.
Often, when considering someone's carbon footprint, it is usually in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide they directly or indirectly produce. The carbon footprint is a means of determining someone's environmental impact that is often used.
Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
There are many things that can be done to reduce one's carbon footprint:
- • Use alternative energy
- • Drive a hybrid, an electric car, or even a hydrogen fuel cell
- • Use public transit, walk more or use a bike
- • Buy locally and buy organic
- • Consume less meat or go vegetarian
- • Reduce, reuse and recycle
- • And much more......
To decrease your carbon footprint and help build a sustainable future, learn more on how to stop climate change.
Carbon Offsets and Carbon Neutrality
In addition, not only can we reduce our carbon footprint, but in fact, we could purchase carbon offsets. Essentially, a carbon offset is a credit for greenhouse gas reductions achieved by one party that can be purchased and used to compensate (offset) the emissions of another party. Eventually, by reducing your carbon footprint to zero, you could become carbon neutral. Learn more about carbon offsets at the David Suzuki Foundation.
What is your Carbon Footprint?You could now calculate your carbon footprint.
However, it should be noted that carbon footprint calculators are not always that accurate, and they sometimes make assumptions regarding your lifestyle which could skew results.
Carbon Intensity
Carbon intensity refers to the carbon emission per unit of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Climate Change and Carbon Intensity
In the Copenhagen Accord, China and India pledge to reduce their carbon intensity rather than their emissions.
This is because of the fact that China and India are still developing countries and as their population becomes more industrialized, more greenhouse gas emissions will occur.
The Kyoto Protocol did not include developing countries because they could not reduce their emissions but now, thanks to the concept of carbon intensity, developing countries will directly take part in international treaties.
With countries reducing their emissions and/or carbon intensity, we are surely on our way to help stop climate change.
Carbon Sequestration
Terrestrial or biologic carbon sequestration refers to the process in which carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants. Subsequently, trees and other plants will then release oxygen and store the carbon. On the other hand, geologic sequestration entails the process of injecting CO2 deep underground where it will remain permanently.
Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change
With increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, carbon sequestration is vital in mitigating climate change. In effect, growing forests or developing peat bogs will help reduce global warming as they will reduce CO2 levels. Moreover, carbon sequestration is a great way of reducing your carbon footprint. In other words, growing trees will help you reduce your ecological impact on the environment, an important step in ensuring a sustainable world for future generations.
Climate
Climate refers to the average weather of an area over a period ranging from a few months to thousands or even millions of years. The World Meteorological Organization defines the climate as the average weather over a period of 30 years. Often, scientists will use 30 years as a standard when discussing climate. Furthermore, climate includes temperature, precipitation and wind.
Climate Change
Due to an increase in greenhouse gases, the global average temperature will rise.
In turn, this will cause climate change.
Although similar, climate is different from weather, a subset of climate.
Climate Change
Climate change may refer to three different things:
Firstly, climate change could be used to denote the study of the variations within the climate across different time scales ranging from a few decades to millions of years, as well as the causes of these variations.
In general, climate change is used to designate any differences between the long term data for temperature, wind or precipitation calculated during different periods within the same geological area.
This can be caused by:
- Fluctuations in solar activity
- Changes in the Earth's orbital elements over long periods of time (e.g. eccentricity, obliquity of the ecliptic, precession of equinoxes)
- Natural internal processes of the climate system (e.g. El Nina and El Nino)
- Anthropogenic forcing (e.g. increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases)
These changes have to be important enough to have serious economic, environmental or social effects and the average values are taken over a period of a decade or longer.
Climate Change Global Warming
Finally, climate change should not be confused with global warmingdespite their similarity.
Learn more about the difference between climate change and global warming.
Climate change mitigation
Fortunately, there are many ways we can stop climate change. In a nut shell, we need to reduce our carbon footprint which is the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions we personally cause.
Often, when considering someone's carbon footprint, it is usually in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide they directly or indirectly produce.
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
We can reduce our carbon footprint by reducing our consumption of fossil fuels. This can be done by having a car with better fuel economy or simply getting a hybrid, electric or hydrogen fuel cell car. Moreover, we can simply take public transit, bike more or walk more. This is of course good for our health as well. In addition, we can always offset our emissions by doing acts such as tree planting (also known as reforestation). The reality is that trees produce oxygen and reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (they even moderate ground temperatures). For this reason, tree planting is a very popular method of reducing one's carbon footprint.
Energy Consumption
Food consumption
We can buy food locally and organic food as well (or both). This is known as a low carbon diet and it not only promotes your health but supports local economies as well. We could reduce our meat consumption and eat more plant-based foods. Large amounts of carbon dioxide are released as a result of the meat industry. This is mainly done through the deforestation of forests in order to create livestock fields, producing the meat itself and transporting it. Switching to mainly plant-based diet is good for our own health as much as it is for the planet.
The 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Of course, recycling is a great way of helping the environment. Also, reducing and reusing goods is another way you can help build a sustainable future.
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