We are running out of natural resources but, our increase in use is slowing down.
We have caused animals to go extinct because of climate change already.
Our impact is growing slower than our economy and population.
Our resource use is more efficient.
This is still not sustainable and on august 8th we used the yearly amount of natural resources. We are using up the earths resources at an alarming rate.
More than 80% of the planets natural forests have been destroyed. When the trees grow they store large amounts of carbon in their trunks. This means that they are basically a long term carbon sink. When the trees are burned the carbon is released this means that not only is a long term sink gone, but a large amount of carbon is released. Over 40% of our land is used for farming and we have to burn forests to produce more farmland as we take almost all of the nutrients out of the soil and the land becomes unusable. We have started producing vertical farms which can increase the density a hundred-fold and be far more efficient in our soil use, but the change will be long and hard, especially for developing countries. "In that relatively short timeframe, the global population grew 23 percent, and the global economy grew 153 percent, the researchers found. By contrast, the global human footprint grew only 9 percent in that time " - science alert.com We clearly need to focus on efficiency in the upcoming years before it is too late. We are developing technology for more efficient power but, we have been neglecting food and water for the most part. Vertical farms are our best bet. They will decentralize food production and allow it to be made in city centers closer to the population to consume it, this will save resources both moving and growing it.
We are running out of forests.
We are even running out of farmland
Image sources:
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Fresh water is a huge one in this mess too. I've seen some pretty awesome architectural mock-ups for vertical farms. I'd love to seem some of those become a reality.
There is one or two massive ones that exist but none in america sadly. I forgot about fresh water because I live next to the great lakes lmao
Wow if you come across any links showing the existing vertical farms I'd love to see them. I didn't know anyone had taken it beyond the concept phase.
Great Lakes... I think Nestle and China are pumping quite a bit of the water from those areas are they not?
last I checked they are trying but I don't think they are yet. I was planning on making a new post about that a bit later
Well I was already following you before this post, so I should see it. :)
Interesting article! Vertical farms are a great idea to save forests and incorporate farming into the city landscape.
Oddly enough, I disagree with almost everything you say.
More than 80% of the planets natural forests have been destroyed."
That's not true.
In a blockbuster study released Wednesday in Nature, a team of 38 scientists finds that the planet is home to 3.04 trillion trees, blowing away the previously estimate of 400 billion. That means, the researchers say, that there are 422 trees for every person on Earth."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/09/02/scientists-discover-that-the-world-contains-dramatically-more-trees-than-previously-thought/?utm_term=.60ccc4dd3b9a
If they have no idea of how many trees there are (they obviously don't) then they have no idea of what percentage are gone..
Oddly enough, there are MORE trees in the United states now than in the last one hundred years.
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/more-trees-than-there-were-100-years-ago-its-true
"However, in no way do the researchers consider this good news. The study also finds that there are 46 percent fewer trees on Earth than there were before humans started the lengthy, but recently accelerating, process of deforestation." are you retarded this was the 2nd paragraph of the link you gave me
i don't think you understand what natural means