Ecosystems Services - socially valuable nonfood goods & services
The World Resources Institute(WRI) defines Agroecosystems as “a biological and natural resource system managed by humans for the primary purpose of producing food as well as other socially valuable nonfood goods and environmental services.” On the WRI website, you can read a report [Pilot analysis of global ecosystems: Agroecosystems] that analyzes how the world’s agroecosystems are doing in terms of delivering of a number of key goods and services valued by society. As you can probably predict, the report shows that our agroecosystems are (amazingly) keeping up with food supply, but at the great expense of biodiversity, clean water, carbon sequestration and healthy soil. If you prefer to skip the bad news and move on toward solutions, it may be more enlightening to take a look at the WorldChanging website, which has a good interview with some of the folks at WRI about the “ecosystems services approach“. The WorldChanging website has some ‘out-there’ articles, but they have great links and also a very proactive, positive approach to finding solutions locally and globally.
Published by Tracy on September 9th, 2007 | Filed under Agroecology | Comment now »
Agroecology as a Model
Agroecology is about applying ecological principals to farming in order to produce sustainable agricultural practices. An agroecosystem can be characterized as a self-reinforcing system that uses renewable resources found within, not external to, the farm. For example, an agroecologist would bring in butterflies to combat the aphids attacking the crops, rather than resorting to the quicker, but more unsustainable practice of using pesticides. The same principals at work in an agroecosystem can be applied to cities and towns to develop a highly functional, efficient, productive, self-sustaining, closed-loop community. In this sense, an agroecosystem can function as a theoretical model for sustainable communities. The agroecosystem model helps us see our communities as being composed of different elements working together as a whole. We can learn from this system and apply it in our communities.
In addition to the agroecosystem serving as a theoretical model by extrapolating out its principals and practices to sustainable communities, the agroecosystem also represents the ‘core’ element, or crucial system of a fully-functional sustainable community- for we cannot rely on the industrial food chain to support us in a world characterized by increasingly severe climate changes, imported energy, unchecked energy consumption and volatile energy prices.
Implicit in the theory and practice of agroecology is the prioritization of sustainability over commoditization and profitability. Agroecology’s emphasis on renewable resources, economization and localization is effectively a rejection of the industrial model of agriculture. In this sense, using the agroecosystem as a theoretical framework for managing communities is an act of change management. It helps remind us that humans do not stand outside of nature, rather, we are integral to it, that we effect and are effected by it. It gives us a methodology for reintegrating ourselves into the natural ecosystem with a sharper awareness of cause and effect, input and output, give and take.
The model can be a way to show city planners and other community organizers that cities have different, but complementary roles, processes and functions to that of the agroecosystem. At the very least it brings home the concept of parts working in concert toward a self-sustaining end. It may be a way for city planners to measure component flows, standing stocks, rates of change- a way to estimate community needs based on system operation. Can we have a sustainable community model that detailed?
Published by Gar on September 1st, 2007 | Filed under Agroecology | Comment now »
Central Importance of Local Food Production
As energy in the form of fossil fuel, especially oil for transportation, becomes increasingly expensive, a series of events and potential scenarios will unfold. While it is impossible to predict what will actually occur, one can, nevertheless, attempt to envision the future based upon our extreme dependence on liquid energy to the operation of our world. ‘Business as usual’ (BAU) will become increasingly difficult simply because the supply will fail to meet the demand. Biofuels and other transition energies will assist, but not cover, the enormous appetite of our extremely high energy-consumption world. It is ultimately a matter of scale. Energy density and EROE (energy-returned-on-energy- invested) are very important, but, in my view, it is the enormous amount and dependence that will grind the economic machinery down. Attrition will take center stage. Non-essential business and activity will begin to falter and topple. Non-discretionary economic activity, i.e., food and gasoline, and consumption will trump all discretionary spending. However, vanity should never be ignored. Attempts for beautification will continue. Styles of beauty may very well shift. The radical transformation in the movies of the ‘30’s, as the depression grew are an obvious and telling example of changing attitudes toward beauty and values.
So again, let us look at our assumptions and what these might reveal about our future:
1. Transporting, manufacturing, storing, packaging, etc. of goods, especially food, will become increasingly expensive.
2. Market logic suggests that local food production of goods and again, especially food, will become effective.
3. Communities prepared to change their zoning and physical environment to accommodate local farms, including dairies and meat husbandry, will be in a better position to adapt to a ‘reduced-energy-available’ environment than those communities that remain fixated on BAU methods.
4. State, and possibly Federal, government legislation will mandate an entirely new suite of laws aimed at reducing carbon emissions and promoting alternative energy sources (solar, biofuels, wind, etc.). In fact, this is already being done.
5. Rather than a spectacular, theatrical collapse, the economy will simply decay. Business will find it more and more difficult to remain operating, especially if they insist on functioning from within the old BAU model.
6. Those operating from within the “new sustainable model” will slowly see their efforts pay off.
7. A major shift will occur as the very large “big box” corporations reduce their level of services, increase prices (as a direct result of their costs going up). Slowly, small entrepreneurs will compete successfully for the citizen’s non-discretionary needs. I believe this will especially be true for food items that do not store well or are difficult to grow. Grain will not be greatly affected, as it is a storable commodity. More likely, meat, cheese, fruit and vegetables will become the target of local food production.
8. To accommodate these changes, small markets will become popular, available and reliable. This is difficult to visualize at this time, but these changes to our lifestyle will be occurring slowly over a number of years.
9. Industrial agriculture relies on creating increase and yield via non-renewable resources (that are not renewed in an annual cycle of organic growth).
Published by Gar on September 1st, 2007 | Filed under Agroecology | 1 Comment »
CA State Treasurer proposes $5B bond package for green buildings
Bill Lockyer, California State Treasurer, recently proposed a $5B bond package to finance the use of solar power, fuel cells, biofuels, and other renewable energy technologies in state government facilities. Facilities that are owned and/or operated by state agencies and the UC and CSU systems represent California’s top energy consumers-energy bills for these facilities come to $525 million per year. This package would be part of an effort to help
[via Earth2Tech]
Published by Gar on August 26th, 2007 | Filed under California Policy | 1 Comment »
Sustainable Communities Workshop Committee Meeting:8/25/07
Our first Sustainable Communities workshop organization and planning meeting will take place Saturday, August 25 from 9 -10 AM at Panera in Vista. We will use the meeting time to become acquainted with one another, assign tasks, and discuss options for content and scope of the “2008 Sustainable Communities in North County” workshop.