In Excess

Degraded African farmland"'In Excess' describes the lifestyle of many affluent people, a lifestyle that is purchased with money, a lifestyle some think they are entitled to. This lifestyle entails wastage, excess consumption and the purchase of items not wanted or needed. Yet over a billion people cannot even meet their basic needs for food, shelter, clothing, and health care . . . The Earth does not need more people, more energy usage, more food consumption or more markets to sell useless items. We need non-contaminated water, air and soil to sustain life in the biosphere and to produce food."

 

 

from Trevors JT, Saier MH Jr. 2006. Editorial: In Excess. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 174:1–2.

Image from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/science/nature/4860694.stm

Published 05 December 06 09:30 by Andrew.Rate
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# Krys.Haq said on December 7, 2006 11:44 AM:

I think some see hydroponics as an answer to the problem of growing food in degraded soils. What are your thoughts?

PS I was interested when visiting the Cocos Islands a few years ago, to see that the hydroponics faciltities that had been set up by outsiders to help the locals grow a wider range of vegetables than they could on their impoverished coralline soils, had fallen into  disrepair and were barely being used.

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About Andrew.Rate

I have worked at UWA since 1995, coming from New Zealand to take an appointment as Lecturer in the Soil Science group in the former Faculty of Agriculture. I completed my PhD, from Lincoln University in New Zealand, in 1991. If you really want to find out about work stuff go here. In real life I love my wife, daughter and guitar. Occasionally, I wish I had chosen a career as a carpenter, counsellor or poet.

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