Food for Thought…
This month, we’re talking about food on Youthink!, and how so many people don’t have enough. I recently came across a couple of blogs on the topic of food security—one had some good news, and the other not so good. Let’s start with the bad news first.
Deforestation is happening at alarming rates in many parts of the world. We often hear about the disastrous impact this can have in terms of climate change and biodiversity loss. Deforestation also poses a huge threat to food security. In fact, did you know that in the developing world, 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their food, fuel, and livelihoods? This blogger has seen deforestation and its consequences happen first-hand in his hometown.
Now for something more upbeat: What kind of image does “Submarino 1” conjure for you? Some kind of warship from a James Bond movie? Guess again. Submarino 1 is actually a new type of rice variety developed in the Philippines—thus named because it can tolerate more than two weeks under water. Most traditional rice plants will be seriously damaged or die if they remain totally under-water for more than a week. This is really important for a flood-prone country like the Philippines. According to the International Rice Research Institute, around 370,000 hectares of rice-growing land in the Philippines experience flooding, causing average crop losses of about 250,000 tons every year.
What kinds of amazing new crop varieties would you like to see in your country?
Comments
climatic conditions
Deforestation is the clearance of naturally occurring forests by the processes of logging and/or burning of trees in a forested area. There are several reasons deforestation occurs: trees or derived charcoal can be sold as a commodity and used by humans, while cleared land is used as pasture, plantations of commodities and human settlement. The removal of trees without sufficient reforestation has resulted in damage to habitat, biodiversity loss and aridity.in summer there is so hot in summer and in winter there is so cold becouse of climate change.
climatic condition (deforestation)
With the reference to the above article posted on 18 september 2009 i would like to post my views
deforestation is one of the major factor in these changing climatic conditions.Due to deforestation only many species are on the urge of extinction for eg.vultures .Although great extinctions have occurred in the past, none has occurred as rapidly or has been so much the result of the actions of a single species. The extinction rate of today may be 1,000 to 10,000 times the biological normal, or background, extinction rate of 1-10 species extinctions per year.Tropical species are not only threatened directly by deforestation, but also by global climate change. Even if species survive in protected reserves, they may perish as a result of rising ocean levels and climactic changes. Many tropical species are used to constant, year-round conditions of temperature and humidity. They are not adapted to climate change even if it is as small as 1.8F (1C). Changes in seasonal length, precipitation, and intensity and frequency of extreme events that could occur should the Earth warm may strongly impact biodiversity in seasonal tropical forests and cloud forests. Studies show that unusual weather conditions—such as those under el Niño and la Niña—can cause population fluctuations of many forest animals. Should the frequency and intensity of such extreme events reach the level where whole populations are unable to recover to their normal level between events we could see localized extinctions and serious changes in the ecosystem.
Climate Change as a global concern
We all need to know tht GLOBAL WARMING is global WARNING and as such ll hnds must be on deck to avert the situation otherswise, posterity will not forgive us.
Go do something about tht nowwwwwwwwwwww.
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