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| Organic agriculture – a solution? |
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In the United Kingdom, agricultural food production accounts for around 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to the large amount of fossil fuels used in processes such as transport, fertiliser, pesticide and veterinary drug production, and the direct use of energy on farms to operate machinery, and heat greenhouses.
Fertiliser production accounts for around 37% of agricultural energy use, and is also the cause of nitrous oxide production which is over 300 times more powerful than CO2 in terms of its “greenhouse effect”. Inorganic fertilisers are made from fossil fuels, and also cause a reduction in the level of organic matter in soil, which acts as a carbon reservoir.
One remedy to the negative effective of the use of inorganic pesticides is to use organic farming methods, which means fertilising crops with natural manures and composts. Organic food is also less likely to be transported great distances to be sold – reducing the ‘carbon miles’ expended when we buy food from regions far away from our homes. Increasing soil organic matter will also trap more carbon in the soil, lowering the impact of other CO2 producing processes.
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 Green economics |
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Most economic systems are based on money, and how to make it. National economies are often measured and judged on how much growth they achieve each year, that is, growth in the amount of goods and services produced. National and international economic policies see growth as the way to maintain or raise individuals’ living standards, ensure companies make profits, and allow governments to invest in public services or reduce taxation levels. Growth results in more and more of the earth’s finite resources being used up. Green economists cast doubt on the wisdom of following these policies.
Resources are finite and we cannot use them up at the current rate or they will run out. The impact of using up resources such as fossil fuels or the world’s forests is being felt in terms of climate change as greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere.
Green economists argue that the current system needs to change, and that we should not always be looking for growth in our economies, or at least not growth that is unsustainable. Instead, other factors, such as quality of life, reductions in carbon emissions, and a focus on the long term good rather than quick profits, should guide our thinking.
 Gradually some of these ideas are being taken up by national governments, but not fast enough, claims the green lobby. Politicians seem reluctant to make the sort of decisions that would represent a major shift towards green economics as they fear a backlash from voters who might find it difficult to give up a certain lifestyle. Making several plane journeys per year is nowadays taken for granted, or buying food imported from half way round the world, or using cars instead of public transport.
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 | Is agriculture the only industry that needs reforming? What other industries might benefit from becoming greener? |
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| Why are governments reluctant to make positive changes in their policies to reflect environmental concerns? |
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| If you ran the government how would you go about overcoming these obstacles? |
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