idea of what would result just by looking into the not-so-distant past. Prior to our ability to release the energy in fossil fuels, life was very short, very dirty, and quite miserable. The Remarkable Positive Impact of Energy
The catalyst for the explosion in human life, plentiful food, and incredible advancements has been affordable, abundant energy. Not only have humans flourished, but seemingly contradictory statistics have emerged. For example, a recent report by the Food and Agricultural Organization on the State of Food Insecurity in the World documents that, despite adding nearly a couple billion people to the planet from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s, there were 216 million fewer people who were malnourished. Max Rosner (Our World in Data) shares similarly-remarkable data. In 1991, 19 percent of the world’s population was undernourished, yet in 20 years we have brought that number down to 11 percent. Equally contradictory is how much of our population is devoted to providing for this incredible growing need for nourishment. Logic might suggest we are devoting a majority of our population to feed people. But again, it’s the opposite. As countries develop using accessible, inexpensive energy, the share of their population devoted to agriculture drops. In poor countries, nearly 70 percent of the population works in agriculture; however, in developed nations, it’s closer to 5 percent of the population. In 1900, 41 percent of the U.S. workforce was devoted to farming. However, by the mid-2000s, it was down to 2 percent, while producing much more. We are feeding significantly more people, using significantly less human capital, with greater attention on environmental protection, and we are doing it far less expensively than in any other time in human history. In 1900, more than 40 percent of an American’s household budget was devoted to food. By 1950, it had dropped to 30 percent, and today it’s around 13 percent (“How America Spends Money: 100 Years in the Life of the Family Budget,” The Atlantic).
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e are feeding significantly more W people, using significantly less human capital, with enhanced focus on retaining natural resources and improved quality, and we are doing it far less expensively than in any other time in human history.
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Energy Abundance = Freedom + Food + Advancement2
How we have achieved such remarkable progress is a complex story of human history. The story also includes the advancements in agriculture, including Dr. Norman Borlaug’s “Green Revolution,” and advancements in seed technology. These previous pursuits into advancements in technology were likely less progressive because we didn’t have time. However, as less human capital is needed for agriculture, we are able to pursue other technologies. It is advancement building on advancement. It was just a few years ago when many experts believed, based on available data, that we were running out of fossil fuels. However, as there has been more of this invaluable human capital freed, we have found, for example, that by using horizontal drilling with hydraulicfracturing technology (“fracking”), we are able to obtain more abundant, clean, and inexpensive natural gas that has reduced carbon dioxide emissions and reduced energy costs. According to Alex Epstein, author of The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels, “…the estimated 500 trillion cubic feet of gas at Marcellus (geologic formation) is the equivalent of 90 billion barrels of oil, or 3.75 trillion gallons of oil! That’s one-third of Saudi Arabia’s current oil reserves—just in one formation.”
The reduction in energy costs that has accompanied these abundant sources of energy certainly helps those who spend a larger percent of their income on energy. As we conduct more research and gather new information, it turns out we are not running out of energy, and are not headed for an ecological disaster as some have suggested. Let’s hope we continue to wisely and carefully consider the various human need and environmental challenges that we might face in the future. Let’s also hope that we remember real solutions have consistently been found when we have enjoyed the freedom to use our minds and talents to pursue answers. ■
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alan Hahn is an Environmental Professional and Business Development Manager at The Dragun Corporation in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
The opinions stated herein are not necessarily those of GreenStone Farm Credit Services.
Partners — Fall 2016
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