2008 Woodie Awards
Speaker links distressing environmental issues to global affairs
Kristen Alldredge
Issue date: 10/14/04 Section: Health
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Lester Brown, an award winning environmental analyst, launched Plan B at Dutchess Community College last week.
Brown, author of "Eco-Economy: Building an Economy for the Earth" delivered a lecture outlining the points in his new book "Plan B: Rescuing a Planet under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble."
He addressed environmental issues in a room of students, faculty and local community members as well as upstate farmers who are all directly linked to global economic affairs. Brown's lecture pointed out current and future environmental and economic problems, and presented feasible ways that society can take action to save the environment from further destruction.
Brown's proposal, called Plan B, entails a worldwide effort to stabilize population and climate, and preserve water resources. Brown addresses three main environmental issues: rising temperatures, emerging water shortages, and food scarcity. He briefly mentioned concerns further explained in his book such as the shortcomings of Plan A: Business as usual, eroding soils, causing shrinkage of cropland, and rising sea levels.
Brown presented legitimate facts to support his statements: rising temperatures, erosion and tripling the water demand over the last half century reduces food production immensely Erosion causes a third of topsoil on croplands "the foundation of civilization," to deteriorate faster than new soil is forming.
He established these environmental issues as direct links to global economics. If we continue to conduct "business as usual," Brown said, troubles will worsen for the global economy as the environment continues to decline. "Water scarcity, once a local issue, is now crossing international boundaries via the international grain trade," as stated in "Plan B."
China is an example, where water shortages are inhibiting food production. Grain harvests have fallen from 392 million tons in 1999 to 340 million tons in 2003. This amount exceeds the entire grain harvest of Canada. Brown predicts that within the next few years China's grain production will be exhausted and "they will look to the world market for an unprecedented amount of grain." Given that the United States produces more than half the world's grain supply, he envisions a long line of cargo ships exporting grain from the California coast to China.
Brown, author of "Eco-Economy: Building an Economy for the Earth" delivered a lecture outlining the points in his new book "Plan B: Rescuing a Planet under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble."
He addressed environmental issues in a room of students, faculty and local community members as well as upstate farmers who are all directly linked to global economic affairs. Brown's lecture pointed out current and future environmental and economic problems, and presented feasible ways that society can take action to save the environment from further destruction.
Brown's proposal, called Plan B, entails a worldwide effort to stabilize population and climate, and preserve water resources. Brown addresses three main environmental issues: rising temperatures, emerging water shortages, and food scarcity. He briefly mentioned concerns further explained in his book such as the shortcomings of Plan A: Business as usual, eroding soils, causing shrinkage of cropland, and rising sea levels.
Brown presented legitimate facts to support his statements: rising temperatures, erosion and tripling the water demand over the last half century reduces food production immensely Erosion causes a third of topsoil on croplands "the foundation of civilization," to deteriorate faster than new soil is forming.
He established these environmental issues as direct links to global economics. If we continue to conduct "business as usual," Brown said, troubles will worsen for the global economy as the environment continues to decline. "Water scarcity, once a local issue, is now crossing international boundaries via the international grain trade," as stated in "Plan B."
China is an example, where water shortages are inhibiting food production. Grain harvests have fallen from 392 million tons in 1999 to 340 million tons in 2003. This amount exceeds the entire grain harvest of Canada. Brown predicts that within the next few years China's grain production will be exhausted and "they will look to the world market for an unprecedented amount of grain." Given that the United States produces more than half the world's grain supply, he envisions a long line of cargo ships exporting grain from the California coast to China.