Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
used wind power to pump water and generate electricity. Wind develop-
ers have installed large wind turbines on farms and ranches in many
states. Each turbine used only about a quarter-acre, so farmers can plant
crops and graze livestock right to the turbine's base.
Biomass energy can be generated from crop wastes, switchgrass, trees,
and manure. Biomass wastes can be converted to energy on the farm, or
they can be sold to energy companies to produce fuel for cars and farm
equipment and heat and power for homes and businesses. Tripling our
use of biomass energy would reduce global warming emissions by the
same amount as taking 70 million cars off the road, according to the
Department of Energy.
Solar energy can power farm equipment directly by installing solar
panels on the tops of the tractors, combines, and harvesters. Such panels
can also power water pumps, lights, and electric fences. Solar water
heaters can be used to dry crops and can provide hot water for dairy
operations, pen cleaning, and homes.
Eating Animals
Americans eat massive amounts of meat and milk products—1 million
animals per hour. The environmental and human cost of raising
cattle the way it is done on nearly all American livestock farms is
staggering:
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Approximately half the energy used in agriculture is devoted to raising
livestock. To produce the yearly average beef consumption of an average
American family of four requires over 260 gallons of fossil fuel. There
are 112 million households in the United States.
It requires 8.5 times more fossil fuel to produce 1 calorie of meat
protein than to produce 1 calorie of protein from grain for human
consumption.
It requires about 100 times more water to raise 1 pound of beef than
1 pound of wheat or corn.
Seven pounds of grain are required to produce 1 pound of beef. That
amount of grain would provide a daily ration of grain for ten people.
Fifty-six million acres of land in the United States are growing hay for
livestock. Only 4 million acres are producing vegetables for human
consumption.
More than 90 percent of the pesticides Americans consume are found
in the fat and tissue of meat and dairy products.
