3 ms·
We are currently burning (or applying as fertilizer) 10 calories of petrochemical energy to get 1 calorie of food energy --- we need to rebalance this equation
by WillAdams 4y ago
We are currently burning (or applying as fertilizer) 10 calories of petrochemical energy to get 1 calorie of food energy --- we need to rebalance this equation somehow.
- kragen 4y agoi have heard this before, so i looked at the underlying research it is not true and has never been true for the food supply in general it is true in a few expensive crops of low calorie content; i think lettuce and almonds were the ones i saw
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- eru 4y agoEven if this was true, why do you think we need to rebalance? We could also just find another source of cheap energy.
- lukas099 4y agoIs this even physically possible to significantly improve? How many calories of sunlight energy do plants use to create 1 calorie of chemical bonds?
- colechristensen 4y agoA tiny percentage of sunlight energy actually makes it into the agricultural product’s chemical energy. Is it possible to actually improve? Corn yields between 1940 and present went up an enormous amount, averaging 25ish bushels per acre in 1940 and before to 180ish today. 7x increase with the same sun, but improved plants and agricultural practices. Look up C3 and C4 photosynthesis to see differences in energy capture. There are plenty of axes on which agricultural productivity can be increased.