Oily food
I’ve been trying to think of a better reason than simply ‘it would give me a sense of satisfaction’ to explain why I want to grow my own food. I think Caroline Lucas, a Green Party MEP writing on The Guardian’s Comment is Free site may have come up with the answer I was looking for.
Already, world oil and gas production is declining at an average of 4 to 6% annually, while demand is growing at 2 to 3%. The last time more oil was discovered than used in a single year was a quarter of a century ago… The fact of dwindling finite fossil fuel reserves is simply non-negotiable - and the implications of it are enormous.
So what are those implications of a shrinking global oil supply? Well, apart from bringing on higher petrol prices, which could impact on the cost of our food, it will also affect the other food-related products of which oil is a key component: pesticides, packaging and so on. In short, the whole of our food chain is entirely dependent on sustained availability of oil at current levels and - more worryingly - at current prices.
Her predictions make for uncomfortable reading, and her conclusion - that the UK will likely suffer worse food shortages than we have seen since the Second World War - makes me more convinced than ever that small-scale home farming is a responsibility, not a luxury.
The full column can be found here.
If you liked that post, then try these...
How to grow cucumbers on May 30th, 2008
Babies on June 11th, 2007
Lazy broad beans and cat grass on February 11th, 2008
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On Saturday morning, we drove up to Stebbing for our lesson on chicken keeping, and to pick up the first three members of our little home flock: Margot, Gerry and Barbara.
As energy prices rocket, anything that simplifies cutting down on waste is a boon. Bye Bye Standby does just that, by putting control of every plug in your home in the palm of your hand.
The weather is doing a pretty good impression of winter right now, so I’m glad I was able to pick the first tomatoes this morning. The first tomatoes always feel a bit summery.
A good lettuce is so much more than just limp green leaves. This year’s specimens have been a particular success, which we’re putting down to the fact that they’ve been grown under glass, rather than out in the garden.
The cat is turning out to be a first-class mouser, which is having benefits we hadn’t initially considered. Could he be the ultimate self-sufficient accessory?
January 31st, 2007 at 9:17 am
[...] on from yesterday’s post about oil’s part in the food chain and potential shortages, the government seems to be [...]