Innovation and Sustainability: Devastation after 2030?

One thing that is talked a lot about is the need to buy American in order to boost our economy.  This is very true, but what is the impact on our country and the world as a whole if we only continue to support mega-corporations like Monsanto?  Has innovation really helped sustainability, or has it harmed it?  Do we really need everything that we consume as a country?

Two of the biggest problems today regarding the environment are overproduction and over-consumption.  These two actions by humans, the dominant species of our planet, are causing our resources to deplete at an alarming rate and are causing an imbalance in our world population’s ability to sustain itself world-wide.  Using projections surrounding the year 2030, this article will show how over-consumption of food and groundwater, along with overproduction of consumer goods and mass crops to sustain these over-consumptions, are putting human life in a cycle that is destroying our planet.

Consumption in general is expected in any species population; in order to truly see how consumption affects our environment, we must divide it into over-consumption and under-consumption, and then look to see if there is an imbalance and what causes it.  Concerning the human population as it stands now, there is major over-consumption found in rich countries such as the United States and France; where under-consumption is found is in poor nations such as those in Africa.  In currently developing countries such as China and India, there are new trends starting where the “wealth of a sizable minority is permitting them to acquire the consumption habits (e.g., eating a lot of meat and driving automobiles) of the rich nations” (Turk & Bensel, 2011, Sec. 2.3, para. 13).  In overpopulated nations such as those in Africa that are experiencing under-consumption, or the inability to meet their basic consumption needs, this creates a large number of people who are unable to help create sustainability that could help the entire world; it takes everything for them to just survive.

According to the I = PAT equation, in overpopulated nations such as China where the economy is beginning to accelerate and over-consumption is becoming a habit for those who have the means to do it, it is only a matter of time before these large populations will over-consume and begin to devastate the entire planet. The equation is that if one takes into consideration the population size (P), the affluence factor that leads to more consumption (A), and the technology increases to meet the increased consumption (T), the impact on our planet will be greater (I) (Turk & Bensel, 2011, Sec. 2.3, para. 2).  The projected population in 2030 in China is 1,393,076,000 (United Nations, 2010).  The projected economy of China for 2030 is that the gap will be close to closing between China and America, with a 6% per capita income increase in China.  Population increase (P) + an increase in per capita income (A) + increase in technology to meet the demands of a better economy for a large population of people (T) = an extraordinarily large impact on the environment from the world’s largest population.

Food and groundwater for populations such as the example above will need to be immense.  One answer to the issue meeting the consumption demands of such large affluent groups of people is mass crop and livestock production.  Mass crop production has been introduced to the U.S. and other countries in the form of genetically modified organisms.  One example is Monsanto’s Roundup Ready Soybeans. 

Roundup is an herbicide that is highly toxic; unless a plant is genetically modified to withstand the herbicide, it will be killed by it.  While testing has yet to be done on the safety of these crops for consumption, there is the issue of toxic chemicals being put on the crops and into the soil.  Roundup is made with glyphosate.  “Glyphosate poses a danger to wild and native plants from aerial spraying of fields. When sprayed from the air, the herbicide can drift 1,200 to 2,500 feet past fields or other target areas where it quickly kills plant life and settles in water. Studies have shown that Roundup added to ponds will result in a 50 to 100 percent death rate of all tadpole life within the water, according to Scientific American. Trees exposed to Roundup show dieback and lack of winter hardiness” (Sharpe, 2012, para. 5).  As of right now, 90% of soybeans in the U.S. are Roundup Ready.  The increase in demand for these and other large production crops are leading to a large amount of chemical application to our soil, with more toxic chemicals being created due to weeds becoming resistant to the current treatments. 

If we continue to over-consume and allow poorer countries no choice but to under-consume, the imbalance of the planet will eventually destroy it.  The U.N. predicts that food production must increase by 50% by the year 2030 just to meet increasing demands of those already consuming average or above average amounts, with the under-consumption of poor nations being considered an emergency (AP, 2008, para. 1-4).  We must change things now before it is too late and the only way that we can save our planet will be to starve.

 References:

AP. (2008).  UN: 50 percent more food needed by 2030.  Associated Press.  Retrieved from:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24942035/ns/world_news-world_environment/t/un-percent-more-food-needed/#.UJhinMXA-_4

Sharpe, K. (2012).  Roundup weed killer safety.  Garden Guides.  Retrieved from:  http://www.gardenguides.com/131167-roundup-weed-killer-safety.html

Turk, J., & Bensel, T. (2011). Contemporary environmental issues. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

United Nations, Department of Social and Economic Affairs. (2010).  Probabilistic projections (total population).  Retrieved from:  http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/P-WPP/htm/PWPP_Total-Population.htm

© 2012 Anita Brown, do not copy without permission.

            

Recipe: The Best Tuna Salad on the Face of the Planet

With warmer weather coming, this is one you definitely do not want to miss out on!

Ingredients:
2 cans chunk white dolphin free tuna in water, drained
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 small package organic cherry tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup jarred black olives, drained and chopped or sliced
1/2 container Mediterranean style feta cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
6 whole grain pita pockets or 12 slices whole grain bread

Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir with a fork until tuna is broken up well and all ingredients are mixed together thoroughly.  Serve in pockets or as sandwiches.  This makes a great light dinner in warm weather with chunks of fresh melon or other fruit on the side!  Enjoy!

Serves 4-6

© 2012 Anita Brown, do not copy without permission.

Recipe: Eggs in a Mediterranean Basket

Ingredients:

4 large slices fresh baked organic multi-grain bread
4 large organic eggs
Mediterranean feta cheese
Olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper

Optional: Diced tomatoes, onions, black olives, diced mushrooms

Coat a large iron skillet generously with olive oil and set on medium heat.  Tear a hole in the center of each slice of bread.  Once skillet is heated thoroughly, lay each slice of bread in skillet and crack one egg into the center of each slice.  Top with crumbled feta cheese and pepper (and any of the optional ingredients if desired), cover, and cook until egg whites are done through and yolks are to desired consistency, being careful that the bottom does not begin to burn (if this starts to happen, just reduce the heat, but if you are using an iron skillet this shouldn't be a big problem).  Remove, drizzle with a bit more olive oil if desired, and enjoy!

Serves 2.

© 2012 Anita Brown, do not copy without permission.

Recipe: Wild Mushroom Angolotti with Mediterranean Chicken

Ingredients:

8 organic chicken tenderloins

2 packages Buitoni All Natural Wild Mushroom Agnolotti

Olive oil

Sliced jarred black olives

Jarred capers

1 small package organic cherry or plum tomatoes

1 clove organic garlic

Lemon juice

Feta cheese

Rosemary

Thyme

Oregano

Basil

Fresh ground black pepper

This is one of those recipes that you just have to play with.  All of the ingredients are important, but it is up to you how much of each ingredient that want to use, so some of them are listed without measurements.  Be creative, and enjoy!

Toss chicken with olive oil and some of each of the seasonings in a skillet and cook until done.  Remove, and set aside.  Add more olive oil to the skillet, some lemon juice, seasonings, garlic, olives, and capers and saute until hot.  Add tomatoes and feta cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted and tomatoes are hot.

In a large pot, bring water to a rolling boil. Add agnolotti and reduce heat to medium-high.  Do not let the agnolotti roll around in the pot.  Cook for about 5-6 minutes.  

On each plate, lay equal amounts of agnolotti and chicken.  Cover with the olive mix from the skillet, and enjoy!  You can serve this with sliced bread and seasoned dipping oil if desired.

Serves 4

© 2012 Anita Brown, do not copy without permission.

Non-organic Foods Linked to Obesity, Diabetes in Children

Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the United States that needs to be addressed, and is leading our children to develop dangerous and deadly diseases such as diabetes.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “When diabetes strikes during childhood, it is routinely assumed to be type 1, or juvenile-onset diabetes.  However, in the last 2 decades, type 2 diabetes (formerly known as adult-onset diabetes) has been reported among U.S. children and adolescents with increasing frequency” (CDC, 2011, para. 2).  This is a frightening problem but is one that the researcher has found to be easily preventable with an approach using three key components.  One component is ensuring that the child is eating well-balanced meals.  The second is increasing physical activity and exercise.  A third component that is lesser known but just as equally important as the former two is the removal of non-organic and processed foods from the diet.  Removing these harmful foods from the diet is the key factor in making the exercise and balancing of meals actually work in reducing weight and the occurrence of diabetes in children.

With diabetes in children already being shown as on the rise since the 1990s, a correlation that seems to be more than mere coincidence needs to be explored; this is the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the United States food industry right around the same time, along with all of the products that have resulted because of the use of GMOs. Many of these foods are touted as safe by the Food and Drug Administration, but research shows otherwise, revealing shady studies and products not thoroughly tested for safety being used in almost all of the foods we buy.  While some of these products could be potentially damaging to our bodies, others have changed the way our bodies process foods and have even altered our metabolisms. 

Some of my preliminary findings suggest that these foods were allowed to pass into the market even though they should have been further tested right from the very first genetically modified food development.  In 1994, the first genetically modified food hit the market.  According to Timothy Rockey of Iowa State University,

The finished product, the FLAVR SAVR tomato, could be allowed to fully ripen on the vine and develop a more homegrown flavor. However, the introduction of the FLAVR SAVR tomato into the market in the mid-1990’s created a good deal of controversy and consumer resistance. Much of the hype surrounding genetically altered crops was created by public misperceptions and fears of "mutant veggies" that were encouraged by various organic and environmental groups. However, the safety of new substances introduced into a food product was a real issue that was brought to the attention of the government and the public. However, after extensive safety research by Calgene and dialogue with the FDA, the FDA found Calgene’s tomato to be safe and approved the FLAVR SAVR tomato on May 17, 1994. (Rockey, 2000, para. 6)

Rockey continued by concluding that “Transgenic plants ought to be tested for safety and regulated by the FDA, but considering the possibilities that the genetic engineering of crops offers and that a demonstrably safe genetically engineered crop (the FLAVR SAVR tomato) has been developed, the public and the government should set aside their concerns, educate themselves on this issue, and give genetic engineering a chance” (Rockey, 2000, para. 11). 

What Rockey failed to discover in his research, however, is that the studies done by Calgene showed less than desirable consistency and follow-up.  My research has discovered that according to Jeffery Smith,

Calgene tested two separate Flavr Savr tomato lines. Both had the same gene inserted into the same type of tomato. The process of insertion and the subsequent cloning of the cells into GM plants can cause lots of unique and unpredicted consequences. The two lines, therefore, were not considered identical.

The rats that ate one of these Flavr Savr varieties probably wished they were in a different test group. Out of 20 female rats, 7 developed stomach lesions—bleeding stomachs. The rats eating the other Flavr Savr, or the natural tomatoes, or no tomatoes at all had no lesions. (Smith, 2011, para. 6 & 7)

Smith continues to show how some rats were further affected by the genetically modified tomatoes, noting that several of the rats had died.  All but one had eaten the line that caused the stomach bleeding.  Regarding how Calgene’s study explained this, Smith says “the endnote summarily dismissed the cause of death as husbandry error, and no additional data or explanation was provided. The dead rats were simply replaced with new ones” (Smith, 2011, para. 11).  Smith’s article goes on to show how it is generally expected that a study not explain fatalities such as this with a generic footnote, and that said test subjects should have been isolated and the product should not have been approved until a cause of death in the rats had been determined.

Genetically modified corn changed the food industry far more than the tomato, however.  When Monsanto developed round-up ready soybeans and corn, the crop results increased dramatically, making U.S. corn one of the most utilized crops in the world.  The amount of corn being produced lead to the widespread use of corn in almost everything that we consume.  One of these products is high fructose corn syrup.  According to Vanessa Barrington of EcoSalon (2009), many health experts and activists have thought for quite some time that there was a connection between the addition of high fructose corn syrup to our foods and a rise in obesity, particularly in children.  The rise in obesity in the United States and the introduction of high fructose corn syrup into our food supply seems to correlate.  Barrington goes on to state that a study done at University of California not only supports this connection, but also shows us why high fructose corn syrup affects our health differently than glucose (sugar).  According to the study, not only does high fructose corn syrup find its way into the majority of our foods, it also damages human metabolism due to being digested differently than glucose.  The Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics published an article proclaiming the following statement:  “[An increase in] Obesity has led to a dramatic increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) among children and adolescents over the past 2 decades. Obesity is strongly associated with insulin resistance, which, when coupled with relative insulin deficiency, leads to the development of overt T2DM" (Hannon, Rao, & Arslanian, 2005, pp. 473 -480).  This statement backs up the previous information presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and provides insight as to the causes of type 2 diabetes.

While research has shown that not only are genetically modified foods potentially harmful to us and that products derived from them can cause obesity and diabetes (such as high fructose corn syrup), the question remains as to how processed foods over all are related to the problem of obesity and diabetes.  According to Bo MacInnus and Gordon Rausser of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Berkeley, there is indeed a direct connection between childhood obesity and the increased use of processed foods.  Presenting the idea that “There is evidence of immaterial change in children’s total energy intakes and an overall decrease in their dietary fat intakes” (MacInnus and Rausser, 2004, pg. 2), they go on to state that “Concomitantly, Americans spend 90 percent of their food expenditures on processed foods, creating a dramatic rise in children’s consumption of processed foods” (MacInnus and Rausser, 2004, pg. 2).  Just how does the change cause obesity?   MacInnus and Rausser show this process by explaining the following:

The human body produces energy from food, and the amount and the type of food eaten determines the efficiency of bodily energy production. Processed foods such as refined sugar and white flour raise blood sugar levels quickly and produce high levels of glucose in the blood, which in turn stimulates the pancreas to release high levels of insulin to transport glucose to the cells for immediate energy use. When these immediate energy needs are met, the liver converts excess glucose into glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscles for later energy use. Once this need is met, the liver converts any remaining glucose into fat. (MacInnus and Rausser, 2004, pg. 2)

MacInnus and Rausser also show that there is a dangerous cycle here.  The process as described above leads to obesity, and also a condition called insulin resistance.  Insulin resistance leads to becoming more obese.  With a constant intake of these processed and refined foods, children become stuck in a cycle that is impossible to get out of without eliminating processed and refined foods altogether (MacInnus and Rausser, 2004, pg. 2-3).

The only way it can be broken is by switching to an all organic diet, allowing the body to begin processing foods the correct way without the presence of insulin resistance.  This is not limited to just refined sugars and flours or carbohydrates.  Chemicals such as preservatives and nitrates are also a contributing factor, according to Suzanne de la Monte of Rhode Island Hospital.  "We have become a 'nitrosamine generation.' In essence, we have moved to a diet that is rich in amines and nitrates, which lead to increased nitrosamine production. We receive increased exposure through the abundant use of nitrate-containing fertilizers for agriculture," said De la Monte. "Not only do we consume them in processed foods, but they get into our food supply by leeching from the soil and contaminating water supplies used for crop irrigation, food processing and drinking" (Melville, 2009, para. 3).  

Once a food has been genetically altered, it is in my opinion considered to be partially a chemical agent such as what de la Monte has described.  Many genetically modified foods are designed to produce chemicals that are pesticides or cause the plant to be able to resist herbicides.  This is no longer a just a food but a food that contains a chemical agent.  It is the chemical agents that are found in the soil from treatments used on non-organic foods and found within the genetically modified foods themselves that cause these problems.

Our children have eaten the foods that nature created since the beginning of mankind’s existence.  Allowing processed, refined, and genetically altered foods to take over our food industry has caused detrimental health problems to our children that will not only decrease their quality of life, but the life span itself.  Organic foods must be in demand for it to become widely available and affordable to the consumer.  Research has determined that the more people begin to speak out against the chemical food industry and to purchase organic and locally grown foods whenever possible, the quicker we will return to a healthier balance of choices for the nation’s children.

References:

Barrington, V. (2009 Dec 24). High fructose corn syrup proven to cause human obesity. Retrieved from: http://www.alternet.org/food/144816

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). Diabetes public health resource 2011. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/projects/cda2.htm

Hannon, T., Rao, G., Arslanian, S. (2005 Aug 1). Childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. PEDIATRICS, 116 (2), pp. 473 -480. doi: 10.1542/peds.2004-2536

MacInnus, B., Rausser, G. (2004). Childhood obesity: is there something amiss with food processing? ARE Seminar. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved from: http://are.berkeley.edu/~karp/2004-2005_seminars/MacInnis_obesity.pdf

Melville, K. (2009). Processed foods linked to Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Scienceagogo. Retrieved from: http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20090605234735data_trunc_sys.shtml

Rockey, T. (2000). The transgenic tomato: a safe and delicious alternative to the normal supermarket tomato. Retrieved from: http://www.public.iastate.edu/%7Erhetoric/105H16/cofp/tmrcofp.html

Smith, J. (2011 Jan 1). Throwing biotech lies at tomatoes. Axis of Logic. Retrieved from http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_61930.shtml

© 2012 Anita Brown, do not copy without permission.