[Jack]

Last night, I came across an interesting piece on a local station, during the weather. I think the numbers are right, but please bear in mind they are based on recollection. The final number is what was broadcast - it was attention-getting.

According to the item, the Earth has a large area, but only about 25% is land. And of the land, only about 10% is viable to grow crops.

Now - the bottom line, which I do remember clearly - is that the Earth supports 1,000 people with every ONE square mile of viable cropland. Which means about two-thirds of an acre per person.

This brings into focus the upcoming problem with bio-fuels competing with crops. We don't have much margin. Still worse, as the various fisheries are depleted, we have little to fall back on.

As I mentioned, this was broadcast on a network station, during the 10PM weather-cast.

What does it mean? I'm not sure. Perhaps the message about a coming dieoff is being sent?

Your thoughts?

[hubbertspeak7777777]

Bio-fuels are a joke, we'll never have enough crops to simultaneously provide adequate amounts of fuel and adequate amounts of food. It's one or the other. It's always funny when someone says, "I'm not worried about peak oil because we have a solution... bio-fuels." So what they are basically saying is that they'd rather drive than eat. Morons.

[Jack]

Sure, that's certainly true - but the point is....

There are two-thirds of an acre per person to grow crops.

Supplemented, I suppose, by pastured animals and seafood.

What happens when natural gas based fertilizers become less available?

What happens as the population grows?

[NEOPO]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', 'S')ure, that's certainly true - but the point is....

There are two-thirds of an acre per person to grow crops.

Supplemented, I suppose, by pastured animals and seafood.

What happens when natural gas based fertilizers become less available?

What happens as the population grows?

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', 'S')ure, that's certainly true - but the point is....

There are two-thirds of an acre per person to grow crops.

Supplemented, I suppose, by pastured animals and seafood.

What happens when natural gas based fertilizers become less available?

What happens as the population grows?

[eastbay]

Q: What happens when a significant portion of that 2/3 of an acre per person is diverted from food production to producing fuel for personal vehicles??

A: A costlier and less penetrable wall between Mexico and the US must be built, for starters.

[NEOPO]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dinopello', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', 'S')ure, that's certainly true - but the point is....

There are two-thirds of an acre per person to grow crops.

Supplemented, I suppose, by pastured animals and seafood.

What happens when natural gas based fertilizers become less available?

What happens as the population grows?

[Jack]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NEOPO', '
')Meaning, we will eat people?

[hubbertspeak7777777]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', 'S')ure, that's certainly true - but the point is....

There are two-thirds of an acre per person to grow crops.

Supplemented, I suppose, by pastured animals and seafood.

What happens when natural gas based fertilizers become less available?

What happens as the population grows?

[SevenTen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', 'W')hat does it mean? I'm not sure. Perhaps the message about a coming dieoff is being sent?

[Ayame]

Well, all we need to do is look at a graph like this one to see that there is a problem and that growth in population like we have been experiencing is definitely not sustainable. It's not just because of people reproducing like rabbits it's also because people stopped dying like flies from disease due to medical advances over the past 100 years.

Concerning the land situation, yes it's very very tight. We humans are very good at exploiting resources to the maximum.

[TT]

How much of the arable land has been used to build extensive housing estates?

[killJOY]

Isn't it funny?

We sit here, watching this happen right under our noses.

We calculate yields & carrying capacities with our calculators.

We discuss it here on the internetss on fancy machines.

It keeps happening right under our noses.

Our helplessness is charming.

[Jack]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SevenTen', 'I') think that if the message were received by the bulk of the masses, there would be widespread panic.

[TheTurtle]

China has had extensive experience with famine and mass starvation.

China is losing arable land by the minute (due to desertification and their newfound penchant for constructing miles and miles of super highways).

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'B')ut worried over surging crop prices China is now clamping down on the use of corn and other edible grains for producing biofuel. While it wants to support the growth of alternative energy sources, Beijing says the issue of national food security should take precedence over the country's green agenda.

[SevenTen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SevenTen', 'I') think that if the message were received by the bulk of the masses, there would be widespread panic.

[Jack]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SevenTen', 'I')t just occurred to me, would widespread panic provide a benefit to anyone? Would it be a better alternative than some other outcome? Could it be purposefully initiated, so that it could be dealt with in a planned, managed way, instead of letting it happen randomly at some point in the future?

[greenworm]

2/3 an acre is way off.


I feed myself and my wife on roughly 7000 sq. feet, which is roughly a quarter of your two thirds.

[Jack]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('greenworm', '2')/3 an acre is way off.

[Chaparral]

We'll be eating lower on the food chain: those of us that are still around that is.

I suspect the CAFOs will be the first local casualties of the food to fuel conversions. Why feed the unclean masses real cows when you can feed them cow-flavored corn and soybean mush? Why feed them chickens when you can feed them chicken-flavored corn and soybean mush?