MUENCHHAUSEN
AN ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER ABOUT ENVIRONMENT,
RENEWABLE RESOURCE TECHNOLOGY,
AND RELATED TOPICS
By BOOTSTRAP PRESS, INC.
BETHESDA, MD
GREENBARON@CSI.COM
=================================================================
JUNE 18, 2004
=================================================================
WELCOME!
The Green Baron welcomes one and all who take the time to read Muenchhausen. He aims to “tell it like it is” as much as possible, and avoid advocacy and ideological positions. There are enough of those to go around in other publications.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The Green Baron thanks all those who make it possible to meet, and ask questions of many distinguished people of our times. For this issue, he thanks the staff members of the Embassies of the Nordic and Baltic nations for hosting a press conference the Green Baron was invited to attend June 2. Thanks also are given to Mr. Peter Hickman of the National Press Club, Washington, DC, who so ably organizes many of these conferences.
THE VULNERABLE BALTIC SEA
The Baltic Sea is an interesting body of water. Although it is not truly an inland sea, it is surrounded mostly by land, with limited contact with outside waters, mainly through the Kattegat and the Skagerrak, which surround Denmark and also touch Sweden and Norway. The upper Baltic Sea branches out into the Gulf of Bothnia (north) and the Gulf of Finland (east). Much of surface of the Baltic Sea is considerably less saline than the outlying North Sea and Atlantic Ocean, and indeed, in the far upper reaches of the Baltic, at the northern end of the Gulf of Bothnia (between Sweden and Finland), one encounters water that is nearly fresh. The climate of the Baltic and Nordic countries ranges from cold temperate to near-frigid.
At a press conference by the Speakers (or Deputy Speakers) of the Parliaments of the Nordic and Baltic countries, the Green Baron was able to pose a question about protection of the ecologically vulnerable Baltic Sea. Ms. Ene Ergma, Speaker of the Estonian Riigikogu, told the Green Baron that the Soviet Union left a “terrible” environmental Legacy. “Many sea mines from World War II remain in the Gulf of Finland. We have had some cooperation between the United States, NATO, and the Baltic nations concerning mine removal. As to the environment itself, we will need much time and money to remedy what the Soviets left us.”
Ms. Ingrida Udre, Speaker of the Latvian Saeima, reminded the Green Baron that Germany, Poland, and Russia border on the Baltic Sea, even if they are not known as Baltic countries. “If we cooperate with America in Baltic Sea cleanup and protection, might the Russians act against us? Might it be dangerous?”
Udre also pointedly asked the Green Baron, “Why does the United States ignore the Kyoto protocols [on global warming of December 1997]?” It was not the Green Baron’s place to reply, but he will venture to speculate that the United States will, in fact, come to observe many provisions of the Kyoto protocols even without formally ratifying the treaty. For example, the California Legislature is now considering a bill to require new automobiles sold in that state to reduce sharply emissions of “greenhouse gases” in keeping with the protocols. Other states, such as New York and Massachusetts might be expected to follow suit. In addition, the United States might, in the future, be forced through new world trade regulations or other international agreements to meet Kyoto requirements.
Mr. Vytenis Andriukaitis, Deputy Chairman of the Seimas of Lithuania, observed that Baltic waters are polluted “very badly” in the region of the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, formerly the East Prussian city of Königsberg. “This pollution spreads to Lithuania. We are in discussions with Russia to protect and improve those waters, but we really need a new treaty instrument.”
Mr. Svend Auken, First Deputy Speaker of the Danish Folketing, perhaps gave the Green Baron a more complete picture. He is a former Minister of Environment of Denmark. “All Nordic countries have more than 250 programs in the Baltic Sea environment, in which the United States plays no part; however, the European Union has contributed funds and assistance. However, our main worry is the Russian oil station in Primorsk, which eventually will leak crude oil into the sea. We have had two warnings of spills. It would be a major disaster in the Baltic Sea if there were a major spill and perhaps 200,000 metric tons of crude oil flows into the Baltic. So far, the Russians have not [emphasis Green Baron’s] made any agreements or cooperated about correcting this problem before it occurs.”
THE “GREEN REVOLUTION”: AFRICA STILL LAGS BEHIND
The term “Green Revolution” was coined by the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) in 1968. In a nutshell, the “Green Revolution”, which began aboutn1965, brought new agricultural technologies that sharply increased food production in countries such as Pakistan, India, and China. For devising these technologies and procedures and bringing them into practice so quickly, Norman Borlaug, now with the Sasakawa Africa Association (Mexico City, Mexico) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize of 1970 “for saving 1 billion lives.”
From history, we recall that the three countries mentioned just above were undergoing explosive population growth; their food production, however, was in considerable deficit. Indeed, Pakistan and India had a grain production deficit of 10 million tons. Currently, these countries are self-sufficient in food; moreover, India and China actually are able to export food. This does not hold true for most of Africa, Borlaug told a news conference at the National Press Club at which the Green Baron was present.
One of the problems Borlaug encountered during the 1960s, and which still is extant in many areas today, is worn-out soils. How are such soils to be resuscitated? Borlaug explained that organic fertilizers, although helpful, will not do the whole job. “I want no part of any argument about organic versus chemical fertilizers,” said Borlaug. “Yes, we should use organic fertilizers as much as possible, especially close to cities, markets, and livestock farms. But these fertilizers will not work extensively for a large increase in yield per acre [or per hectare, for that matter; 1 hectare equals about 2.47 acres].”
If the Green Revolution had not occurred and agriculture used technology of the 1950s, humanity would have needed 1.1 billion hectares (ha) for the same yield as is currently obtained. “So the Green Revolution did [emphasis Green Baron’s] save wild land and wildlife.” (The Green Baron asks forgiveness for the wry proposition that all this wild land was saved only to be hunted and logged out. Moreover, much of this formerly wild land is being urbanized. But that’s another program.)
Borlaug noted that the Green Revolution hardly reached Africa. That continent is experiencing high population growth despite epidemic diseases such as malaria, AIDS, trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), and schistosomiasis (“snail fever”). True, some countries in Africa are growing specialty crops for export mainly to wealthy nations of Europe and, more recently, the United States and Canada. This, however, does not help the masses of people south of the Sahara Desert who need increases in yield of basic food, such as sorghum, manioc (cassava or tapioca), and black-eye peas.
In the tropics, soil fertility is greatly enhanced in areas where there is volcanic activity. Such areas currently do not exist in Africa, so soil fertilization is needed to increase agricultural yields, perhaps by five to six times, if water supplies are not limited, and there’s the rub, too!. In many areas, irrigation is needed, but because of the physical geography of many parts of Africa, rivers are unusable. Canals will be needed, and those are expensive to construct and maintain.
To add to food production difficulties in Africa, here is a paradox Borlaug described: In some parts of Ethiopia, food supplies are ample. In other parts, even nearby, they are scarce to the point of famine. The main reason for this disparity in supply is a lack of transport infrastructure. Similar situations exist in other parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Why are infrastructures and agricultural technologies lagging so far behind in much of Africa? Many African nations spent large sums of money on arms and their military establishments. Borlaug estimated that a total of $900 million was spent in this manner. “You can’t build peace on empty stomachs,” he observed. Yet, he remains an optimist.
“You could double and triple maize [corn] production in Africa. The technology exists, and other ‘Third-World’ technicians who have the know-how are there. But how do we get around bureaucracies? If development could get people working, maybe there will be less cheap labor for dictators and warlords.”
Another major problem in much of Africa is that soils are old, highly leached of their nutrients, worn out, and thus, highly acid. The biggest problem in such leached, acid soils is an abundance of aluminum. Often, this type of depleted soils resulted from the large-scale conversion of rain forests to farms. The seemingly fertile soil rapidly becomes depleted, especially given the heavy rains in those regions. Borlaug suggests adding dolomitic limestone to provide calcium and magnesium, which now are largely absent. Acid subsoil must be treated as much as 2 feet (about 0.61 meter) down. He also suggested the use of “no-till” agriculture in some areas (about which, more in future issues of Muenchhausen.
In the rain forest itself, the soil is “not so acid,” Borlaug explained. He added that new laws in Brazil, for example, require the preservation of a certain percentage of rain forest land in each state. Borlaug defied anyone in Third-World countries to pass similar laws and enforce them.
To compound problems in Africa, here are some quotes from an Associated Press report by Chris Hawley:
UNITED NATIONS (AP) [June 16, 2004] - The world is turning to dust, with lands the size of Rhode Island becoming desert wasteland every year and the problem threatening to send millions of people fleeing to greener countries, the United Nations says.
One-third of the Earth's surface is at risk, driving people into cities and destroying agriculture in vast swaths of Africa.
On June 16—17, the United Nations marked the 10th anniversary of the Convention to Combat Desertification, a plan aimed at stopping the phenomenon of desertification. Despite the efforts, the trend seems to be picking up speed - doubling its pace since the 1970s. The United Nations held a ceremony in Bonn, Germany, on June 17 to mark World Day to Combat Desertification, and will hold a meeting in Brazil later in June to take stock of the problem.
``It's not as dramatic as a flood or a big disaster like an earthquake,'' said Richard Thomas of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas in Aleppo, Syria. ``There are some bright spots and hot spots. But overall, there is a trend toward increasing degradation.''
The trend is speeding up, but it has been going on for centuries, scientists say. Fossilized pollen and seeds, along with ancient tools like grinding stones, show that much of the Middle East, the Mediterranean and North Africa were once green. The Sahara itself was a savanna, and rock paintings show giraffes, elephants and cows once lived there.
Global warming contributes to the problem, making many dry areas drier, scientists say. In the last century, average temperatures have risen over 1 degree Fahrenheit worldwide, according to the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
The Green Baron will have more to say about desertification in future issues of Muenchhausen.
WHAT IS BOOTSTRAP PRESS?
Bootstrap Press is a nonprofit organization founded in Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A., to promote the development and management of technology and businesses based on renewable resources. We also encourage the preservation of our Earth's natural habitats and its plant and animal species. So do a lot of other organizations, and more power to them for doing so!
Bootstrap Press is different because its members believe that the development of renewable resources and the preservation of habitats and species are receiving far more lip service than the financial and technical support needed to achieve these goals. We also think they will continue to be subjects of more talk than action until someone can show how renewable resources and the diversity of biological species can be the basis for potentially profitable businesses as well as a matter of ethics. Bootstrap Press intends to provide a forum for the discussion of how to build up such business, and of related topics.
There's one more thing we should mention about Muenchhausen and Bootstrap Press. We try to present only the scientific and technical facts that are correct to the best of our knowledge, belief, and good faith. It is up to Muenchhausen's readers to draw their own conclusions and make their own judgments.
NOTE: The mention of a product or service in MUENCHHAUSEN is in no way to be regarded as an endorsement of that product or service by MUENCHHAUSEN, Bootstrap Press, The Green Baron, or any other contributor to MUENCHHAUSEN.
AN ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER ABOUT ENVIRONMENT,
RENEWABLE RESOURCE TECHNOLOGY,
AND RELATED TOPICS
By BOOTSTRAP PRESS, INC.
BETHESDA, MD
GREENBARON@CSI.COM
=================================================================
JUNE 18, 2004
=================================================================
WELCOME!
The Green Baron welcomes one and all who take the time to read Muenchhausen. He aims to “tell it like it is” as much as possible, and avoid advocacy and ideological positions. There are enough of those to go around in other publications.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The Green Baron thanks all those who make it possible to meet, and ask questions of many distinguished people of our times. For this issue, he thanks the staff members of the Embassies of the Nordic and Baltic nations for hosting a press conference the Green Baron was invited to attend June 2. Thanks also are given to Mr. Peter Hickman of the National Press Club, Washington, DC, who so ably organizes many of these conferences.
THE VULNERABLE BALTIC SEA
The Baltic Sea is an interesting body of water. Although it is not truly an inland sea, it is surrounded mostly by land, with limited contact with outside waters, mainly through the Kattegat and the Skagerrak, which surround Denmark and also touch Sweden and Norway. The upper Baltic Sea branches out into the Gulf of Bothnia (north) and the Gulf of Finland (east). Much of surface of the Baltic Sea is considerably less saline than the outlying North Sea and Atlantic Ocean, and indeed, in the far upper reaches of the Baltic, at the northern end of the Gulf of Bothnia (between Sweden and Finland), one encounters water that is nearly fresh. The climate of the Baltic and Nordic countries ranges from cold temperate to near-frigid.
At a press conference by the Speakers (or Deputy Speakers) of the Parliaments of the Nordic and Baltic countries, the Green Baron was able to pose a question about protection of the ecologically vulnerable Baltic Sea. Ms. Ene Ergma, Speaker of the Estonian Riigikogu, told the Green Baron that the Soviet Union left a “terrible” environmental Legacy. “Many sea mines from World War II remain in the Gulf of Finland. We have had some cooperation between the United States, NATO, and the Baltic nations concerning mine removal. As to the environment itself, we will need much time and money to remedy what the Soviets left us.”
Ms. Ingrida Udre, Speaker of the Latvian Saeima, reminded the Green Baron that Germany, Poland, and Russia border on the Baltic Sea, even if they are not known as Baltic countries. “If we cooperate with America in Baltic Sea cleanup and protection, might the Russians act against us? Might it be dangerous?”
Udre also pointedly asked the Green Baron, “Why does the United States ignore the Kyoto protocols [on global warming of December 1997]?” It was not the Green Baron’s place to reply, but he will venture to speculate that the United States will, in fact, come to observe many provisions of the Kyoto protocols even without formally ratifying the treaty. For example, the California Legislature is now considering a bill to require new automobiles sold in that state to reduce sharply emissions of “greenhouse gases” in keeping with the protocols. Other states, such as New York and Massachusetts might be expected to follow suit. In addition, the United States might, in the future, be forced through new world trade regulations or other international agreements to meet Kyoto requirements.
Mr. Vytenis Andriukaitis, Deputy Chairman of the Seimas of Lithuania, observed that Baltic waters are polluted “very badly” in the region of the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, formerly the East Prussian city of Königsberg. “This pollution spreads to Lithuania. We are in discussions with Russia to protect and improve those waters, but we really need a new treaty instrument.”
Mr. Svend Auken, First Deputy Speaker of the Danish Folketing, perhaps gave the Green Baron a more complete picture. He is a former Minister of Environment of Denmark. “All Nordic countries have more than 250 programs in the Baltic Sea environment, in which the United States plays no part; however, the European Union has contributed funds and assistance. However, our main worry is the Russian oil station in Primorsk, which eventually will leak crude oil into the sea. We have had two warnings of spills. It would be a major disaster in the Baltic Sea if there were a major spill and perhaps 200,000 metric tons of crude oil flows into the Baltic. So far, the Russians have not [emphasis Green Baron’s] made any agreements or cooperated about correcting this problem before it occurs.”
THE “GREEN REVOLUTION”: AFRICA STILL LAGS BEHIND
The term “Green Revolution” was coined by the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) in 1968. In a nutshell, the “Green Revolution”, which began aboutn1965, brought new agricultural technologies that sharply increased food production in countries such as Pakistan, India, and China. For devising these technologies and procedures and bringing them into practice so quickly, Norman Borlaug, now with the Sasakawa Africa Association (Mexico City, Mexico) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize of 1970 “for saving 1 billion lives.”
From history, we recall that the three countries mentioned just above were undergoing explosive population growth; their food production, however, was in considerable deficit. Indeed, Pakistan and India had a grain production deficit of 10 million tons. Currently, these countries are self-sufficient in food; moreover, India and China actually are able to export food. This does not hold true for most of Africa, Borlaug told a news conference at the National Press Club at which the Green Baron was present.
One of the problems Borlaug encountered during the 1960s, and which still is extant in many areas today, is worn-out soils. How are such soils to be resuscitated? Borlaug explained that organic fertilizers, although helpful, will not do the whole job. “I want no part of any argument about organic versus chemical fertilizers,” said Borlaug. “Yes, we should use organic fertilizers as much as possible, especially close to cities, markets, and livestock farms. But these fertilizers will not work extensively for a large increase in yield per acre [or per hectare, for that matter; 1 hectare equals about 2.47 acres].”
If the Green Revolution had not occurred and agriculture used technology of the 1950s, humanity would have needed 1.1 billion hectares (ha) for the same yield as is currently obtained. “So the Green Revolution did [emphasis Green Baron’s] save wild land and wildlife.” (The Green Baron asks forgiveness for the wry proposition that all this wild land was saved only to be hunted and logged out. Moreover, much of this formerly wild land is being urbanized. But that’s another program.)
Borlaug noted that the Green Revolution hardly reached Africa. That continent is experiencing high population growth despite epidemic diseases such as malaria, AIDS, trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), and schistosomiasis (“snail fever”). True, some countries in Africa are growing specialty crops for export mainly to wealthy nations of Europe and, more recently, the United States and Canada. This, however, does not help the masses of people south of the Sahara Desert who need increases in yield of basic food, such as sorghum, manioc (cassava or tapioca), and black-eye peas.
In the tropics, soil fertility is greatly enhanced in areas where there is volcanic activity. Such areas currently do not exist in Africa, so soil fertilization is needed to increase agricultural yields, perhaps by five to six times, if water supplies are not limited, and there’s the rub, too!. In many areas, irrigation is needed, but because of the physical geography of many parts of Africa, rivers are unusable. Canals will be needed, and those are expensive to construct and maintain.
To add to food production difficulties in Africa, here is a paradox Borlaug described: In some parts of Ethiopia, food supplies are ample. In other parts, even nearby, they are scarce to the point of famine. The main reason for this disparity in supply is a lack of transport infrastructure. Similar situations exist in other parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Why are infrastructures and agricultural technologies lagging so far behind in much of Africa? Many African nations spent large sums of money on arms and their military establishments. Borlaug estimated that a total of $900 million was spent in this manner. “You can’t build peace on empty stomachs,” he observed. Yet, he remains an optimist.
“You could double and triple maize [corn] production in Africa. The technology exists, and other ‘Third-World’ technicians who have the know-how are there. But how do we get around bureaucracies? If development could get people working, maybe there will be less cheap labor for dictators and warlords.”
Another major problem in much of Africa is that soils are old, highly leached of their nutrients, worn out, and thus, highly acid. The biggest problem in such leached, acid soils is an abundance of aluminum. Often, this type of depleted soils resulted from the large-scale conversion of rain forests to farms. The seemingly fertile soil rapidly becomes depleted, especially given the heavy rains in those regions. Borlaug suggests adding dolomitic limestone to provide calcium and magnesium, which now are largely absent. Acid subsoil must be treated as much as 2 feet (about 0.61 meter) down. He also suggested the use of “no-till” agriculture in some areas (about which, more in future issues of Muenchhausen.
In the rain forest itself, the soil is “not so acid,” Borlaug explained. He added that new laws in Brazil, for example, require the preservation of a certain percentage of rain forest land in each state. Borlaug defied anyone in Third-World countries to pass similar laws and enforce them.
To compound problems in Africa, here are some quotes from an Associated Press report by Chris Hawley:
UNITED NATIONS (AP) [June 16, 2004] - The world is turning to dust, with lands the size of Rhode Island becoming desert wasteland every year and the problem threatening to send millions of people fleeing to greener countries, the United Nations says.
One-third of the Earth's surface is at risk, driving people into cities and destroying agriculture in vast swaths of Africa.
On June 16—17, the United Nations marked the 10th anniversary of the Convention to Combat Desertification, a plan aimed at stopping the phenomenon of desertification. Despite the efforts, the trend seems to be picking up speed - doubling its pace since the 1970s. The United Nations held a ceremony in Bonn, Germany, on June 17 to mark World Day to Combat Desertification, and will hold a meeting in Brazil later in June to take stock of the problem.
``It's not as dramatic as a flood or a big disaster like an earthquake,'' said Richard Thomas of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas in Aleppo, Syria. ``There are some bright spots and hot spots. But overall, there is a trend toward increasing degradation.''
The trend is speeding up, but it has been going on for centuries, scientists say. Fossilized pollen and seeds, along with ancient tools like grinding stones, show that much of the Middle East, the Mediterranean and North Africa were once green. The Sahara itself was a savanna, and rock paintings show giraffes, elephants and cows once lived there.
Global warming contributes to the problem, making many dry areas drier, scientists say. In the last century, average temperatures have risen over 1 degree Fahrenheit worldwide, according to the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
The Green Baron will have more to say about desertification in future issues of Muenchhausen.
WHAT IS BOOTSTRAP PRESS?
Bootstrap Press is a nonprofit organization founded in Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A., to promote the development and management of technology and businesses based on renewable resources. We also encourage the preservation of our Earth's natural habitats and its plant and animal species. So do a lot of other organizations, and more power to them for doing so!
Bootstrap Press is different because its members believe that the development of renewable resources and the preservation of habitats and species are receiving far more lip service than the financial and technical support needed to achieve these goals. We also think they will continue to be subjects of more talk than action until someone can show how renewable resources and the diversity of biological species can be the basis for potentially profitable businesses as well as a matter of ethics. Bootstrap Press intends to provide a forum for the discussion of how to build up such business, and of related topics.
There's one more thing we should mention about Muenchhausen and Bootstrap Press. We try to present only the scientific and technical facts that are correct to the best of our knowledge, belief, and good faith. It is up to Muenchhausen's readers to draw their own conclusions and make their own judgments.
NOTE: The mention of a product or service in MUENCHHAUSEN is in no way to be regarded as an endorsement of that product or service by MUENCHHAUSEN, Bootstrap Press, The Green Baron, or any other contributor to MUENCHHAUSEN.
posted by Green_Baron00 @ 4:42 PM
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