'Modern Agriculture: Its Effects on the Environment' Precis

Author(s): Nancy M. Trautmann, Keith S. Porter and Robert J. Wagenet
URL: http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/facts-slides-self/facts/mod-ag-grw85.html

Modern Agriculture: Its Effects on the Environment, an extension by Nancy M. Trautmann, Keith S. Porter, and Robert J. Wagenet, examines the ‘evolution’ of American agriculture in brief and details the effects of modern agriculture. It focuses mainly on the problems of soil erosion and contamination of water.

American agriculture is highly efficient, as only 3% of the labor force produces all the food needed to meet domestic requirements and a percentage of international requirements. This efficiency is the result of the use of fertilizers, pesticides, the introduction of advanced farming machinery, the development of hybrid strains of a crop, and the increase in knowledge about farm management. Therefore, higher crop yields can be achieved on smaller field areas with a smaller work force. However, these modern practices have had a greater negative impact on the environment.

Soil erosion is one such problem. The removal of natural plant cover can lead to the erosion of the top soil (which holds the vital nutrients, fine soil particles and organic matter) by wind, leaving only the less fertile and absorbent subsoil behind. Certain agricultural practices, such as increased use of farm machinery and the lack of windbreaks or drainage contours on large fields contribute to the problem. However, farmers are reluctant to implement countermeasures, as the short term costs of this exceed the economic benefit to the farmer. Instead, they counter the problems of erosion, the decrease in fertility and productivity of the soils, with an increase in fertilizers and irrigation.

Soil erosion has a direct impact on water quality, as eroded soils run into rivers, clogging lakes, rivers, and reservoirs; this leads to increased flooding and to the destruction of natural habitats. The nutrients, fertilizers and pesticides the soil carries with it additionally affect water quality. This has negative health effects both on aquatic species, as well as humans, who use it as drinking water. For example, the nitrogen in soils that enter bodies of water causes an increase in algae growth; lakes are then ‘choked’ by the decaying algae. Pesticides themselves have negative effects on the environment, as they kill off both the pest and other natural species, and can lead to the development of pesticide-resistant pests.

However, rising awareness of these issues, as well as the rising costs of pesticides and fertilizers have led to an increase in research to develop more beneficial agricultural practices.

'Tokugawa Shoguns vs. Consumer Democracy' Precis

Author: Nathan Gardels
URL: http://www.digitalnpq.org/archive/2005_spring/02_diamond.html
Date Published: 2005

Nathan Gardels interview with Jared Diamond, titled Tokugawa Shoguns vs. Consumer Democracy, is about the book Collapse: How Societies choose to Fail or Survive. The interview focuses most on how societies today are responding to the environmental factors that, in the past, have led to the collapse of many societies.

According to Diamond, the risk of environmental collapse is worldwide today, as we have access to modern technology and are all interconnected due to globalization. The challenges to global sustainability all need to be addressed simultaneously, within a time frame of 50 years, in order to successfully avert environmental collapse. There are numerous environmental problems that we face today that are all interrelated; for example, deforestation and fresh water availability are major challenges today.

Currently, there is a mix of responses to these problems. For example, air and water quality in the US has improved considerably in the last 30 years. According to Diamond, ‘the ability of certain countries to adapt to new circumstances bodes well.’ Australia, for example, has planned to eradicate 99% of its agriculture and to import food from elsewhere, as their infertile soils make agriculture unproductive and expensive.

However, we live in consumerist times. Third world countries aspire to reach first world living standards; if they succeed adopting these living standards, there would be a huge increase in total human impact on the environment. As more and more Chinese families, for example, purchase cars, air pollution levels rise drastically. A country’s political system does not determine whether or not it will address environmental problems or not, and if it would succeed or not. Neither can we rely on the market to act as an instrument of change. Though it could be that a higher demand for hybrid cars would lead to an increase in the supply of hybrid cars, people and industries do not act in predictable ways, nor do they always make rational decisions.

People act against their own interests for a number of reasons. The changes that would occur, for example, conflict with their values. In addition, many do not perceive the problem as it poses no immediate threat, or because they are insulated from it. In order to successfully address these environmental problems, there needs to be a widespread need for change by the public. Though technology could solve some of these problems, it also causes a lot of them. In the end, it is up to us to make the necessary changes, to choose to avert the crisis of unsustainability, in order to avoid collapse.