Utilizing bio fuels and agriculturally based petrochemical replacements is a good idea here in the U.S. because we have excess food production capabilities. However this is not the case worldwide. The world grain reserves have been decreasing steadily since a high of 684.5 tons in 1999 to 371.9 tons in 2003, probably even lower now. As our population continues to grow exponentially and we find ourselves increasingly dependent on depleting fossil fuel resources for fertilizers and pesticides to maintain post green revolution food production capabilities we are facing a situation where we might not even being able to feed the population we currently have. World wide there is not enough excess agricultural production capability to allow us to produce every aspect and desire of our consumptive American lifestyles with it, even if there are bio replacements for our dwindling fossil fuels resources. Providing bio-diesel fuel for our countries entire automobile fleet alone would devastate our food production capabilities.
If the real issue is unchecked population growth, then the event that will mark the beginning of a change in the tides will be the oil production peak, followed of course by natural gas and hopefully not coal. This shift will either result in nuclear powered resource wars, agricultural degradation, and green house gas fueled ecocide or it will be lead by people willing to act and not wait to react to our looming resource challenges.
We need to start implementing sustainable agricultural practices like permaculture on a local level. Do what you can to increase your local house, neighborhood, and city food production capabilities. At the same time we must also address the issue that our consumptive lifestyles needs to be changed. This finite sphere simply does not have enough resources fossil based, or organically based to support our exponentially growing population and its exponentially growing energy, food and water demands. We also must start the development of a new renewable energy powered energy efficient infrastructure that we must invest in now while we have excess energy and resources with which to do it. Everyone needs to learn more about what the Oil Peak is and its implications. Please help educate those around you. www.globalpublicmedia.com has some downloadable mp3 speeches on the subject which give a good synopsis of the situation, otherwise “The End of Suburbia” is good documentary on the subject, and the book “The Party’s Over” by Richard Heinberg are all great sources.