Visualizing The Relationship Between Food, Water, And Energy
Natural resources don’t exist in a vacuum. This video will show you how they’re all connected, in potentially dangerous ways.
Intuitively, you probably already know this: Water, food, and energy are all connected. But the nuances of those connections aren’t obvious. A short animation from the Guardian (commissioned by SAB Miller) breaks it down in honor of World Water Week.
Consider: 70% of global freshwater is sucked up for agricultural uses. And in the U.S., 50% of all freshwater goes towards creating electricity. In countries that rely heavily on hydropower, drought can lead to blackouts. And then there are biofuels. It takes 1,300 liters of water to make just 2.2 pounds of wheat, according to the video. By 2030, a staggering 10% of the world’s cropland may be used to produce biofuels.
There are no easy solutions--the world will simply have to curb consumption all around, even in the face of a rapidly growing population. For more info on the water, energy, and food nexus, check out the video above.
