Sustainability Winter 2009 Class 16 Jeff Fletcher

Logistics 1 on 1 meetings today –If not signed up or missed last time, be sure to reschedule Office Hours tomorrow—not available until 12:30 Water Footprint Reports Due Today Reading: Chapters 3-7 (skim for Monday) Reading for next Wed. Chapters 8 & 9 (for Wed. March 4) Homework 5: Reading Questions on Ch. 8 & 9 (Due Wed. March 4) King Corn Movie –Look for important themes from Omnivore's Dilemma –Think about making your own (short) video on a sustainability issue (next term)

Important Themes National Eating Disorder Natures way vs. Industrial/Corporate way Omnivore's Dilemma –What should I eat? What am I eating? Where did it come from? –Missing a narrow culture around food Domestication by Humans; or Domestication of Humans

Important Themes We are corn Dramatic Increase in Corn Yields –Hybrid vigor –Plant close together –Genetically identical—don’t compete –GMO advances—herbicide ready –Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer –Sun foods vs. petroleum foods Corn anatomy and sex Others

Domestication Ability to be domesticated is a rare quality in plants and animals (e.g. not zebras) Takes genetic predisposition Takes time and patience: stability of relationship between humans and plant or animal Not as restricted with GMO technology (e.g. Flavor savor tomato)

Corn C3 vs. C4 Grasses –Different photosynthesis biochemical pathways –C4 generally evolved later and have advantages: more efficient use of CO2 and water More drought tolerant Corn is a C4 Grass, more efficient that C3 –Back to last term: carbohydrates Carbon 12 vs Carbon 13 –Periodic Table of ElementPeriodic Table of Element

Major Grass Grain Crops Wheat (C3) Corn (Maize) (C4) Rice (C3) Barley (C3) Sorghum (C4) Oats (C3) Millet (C3 & C4; different species) Rye (C3) Triticale (wheat & rye hybrid; C3)

Industrial Fertilizer Modern miracle or modern scurge? Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer –Leftovers from munitions WWI –Fritz Haber (Haber-Bosch process) –Nobel prize 1920 –More than half of all fertilizer goes to corn –N2 in air (80%) is inert The explanation for 2/3 of human population—implications of changes?

Typical Market for Farm Goods In demand, prices good, grow more, surplus, prices drop, so plant even more, even more surplus, even lower prices What type of process is this? –TOC when individuals are not coordinated –Also example of a positive feedback Changing role of farm subsidies and regulation –To help farmers keep prices high enough to plant next year –1973 Change: To help keep prices low by paying farmers directly % lived on farms –Each could feed itself + 12 –Now each farmer feeds 127

Movie King Corn, 2007 –Inspired by Omnivore’s Dilemma –Covers ideas from 1 st section of book