Paul
I don't know the quote, but Vaclav Smil (who does a lot of work on nitrogen)
argues in this paper cited below, and elsewhere, that the earth's population
cannot be fed by current biomass, and that a substantial portion of the
earth's population requires synthetic (read petroleum-based) nitrogen for
its food supply.
Smil V. How many people can the earth feed? Population and Development
Review. 1994;20:255-292.
Regards,
Andrew Jameton
[log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Kirby" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2000 10:07 AM
Subject: Too large
> Dear all
> I read a quotation which I am trying to track down. I think I read it
here.
> It stuck in my mind but not well enough. It goes something like.
>
> "The world population is too large for it to live like the US and too
> large also to live as subsistence farmers."
>
> Can you help?
>
> Regards Paul K
>
>
>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|