Comments on: Tom Tomich: ‘How are we doing on global food production?’ http://earthsky.org/human-world/tom-tomich-works-to-assess-progress-in-global-agriculture A Clear Voice for Science Thu, 24 May 2012 02:17:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Ben http://earthsky.org/human-world/tom-tomich-works-to-assess-progress-in-global-agriculture/comment-page-1#comment-545501 Ben Tue, 15 Mar 2011 20:55:15 +0000 http://earthsky.org/?p=27683#comment-545501 I would like to see that reference as well. Sounds implausible.... I would like to see that reference as well. Sounds implausible….

]]> By: Daffodil http://earthsky.org/human-world/tom-tomich-works-to-assess-progress-in-global-agriculture/comment-page-1#comment-97248 Daffodil Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:37:18 +0000 http://earthsky.org/?p=27683#comment-97248 You must throw a digg button on the following to create it straightforward for folks to digg you You must throw a digg button on the following to create it straightforward for folks to digg you

]]> By: Deborah Byrd http://earthsky.org/human-world/tom-tomich-works-to-assess-progress-in-global-agriculture/comment-page-1#comment-13827 Deborah Byrd Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:18:14 +0000 http://earthsky.org/?p=27683#comment-13827 Hi Ben, may I see your reference for Earth being able to support 20 billion people? Who says? Deborah Hi Ben, may I see your reference for Earth being able to support 20 billion people? Who says?

Deborah

]]> By: Orvin Bontrager http://earthsky.org/human-world/tom-tomich-works-to-assess-progress-in-global-agriculture/comment-page-1#comment-13769 Orvin Bontrager Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:58:50 +0000 http://earthsky.org/?p=27683#comment-13769 A very good and accurate response to the article Mr. Napier A very good and accurate response to the article Mr. Napier

]]> By: Benjamin Napier http://earthsky.org/human-world/tom-tomich-works-to-assess-progress-in-global-agriculture/comment-page-1#comment-13756 Benjamin Napier Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:35:18 +0000 http://earthsky.org/?p=27683#comment-13756 Wow. Hard to get a grip on that. Mostly, because he said little that mattered. With available technology and climate, the earth can support upwards of 20 billion folks. That is a given. However, if government and NGO's get involved, trim that number to well under the present population. Please try to remember the debacle of the Soviet Union's agriculture program. If we really wish to feed a lot of people well, we will transfer agricultural land to the private sector (not to government favored mega-corporations) and let human nature and the market take its course. As far as climate change: If we really are warming (not supported by the data), and C02 levels are actually rising, our potential for agricultural production will rise, possibly exponentially. If the climate cools, the opposite is true. Plants like it warm and wet with abundant CO2. As far as "sustainability": A cute buzz word with no real definition. It is used to denigrate whatever the "in" crowd doesn't like. The climate has always changed and always will. There are no bureaucrats, or members of academia that will save the day. Folks that work and buy and sell based on their own perception of calue make the econmomy and agriculural industry work. Bureaucrats and academics know how to write grants and long papers that say nothing. They don't milk cows, build fence, plant seeds or harvest crops. They get in the way of same. Wow. Hard to get a grip on that. Mostly, because he said little that mattered. With available technology and climate, the earth can support upwards of 20 billion folks. That is a given. However, if government and NGO’s get involved, trim that number to well under the present population. Please try to remember the debacle of the Soviet Union’s agriculture program. If we really wish to feed a lot of people well, we will transfer agricultural land to the private sector (not to government favored mega-corporations) and let human nature and the market take its course.

As far as climate change: If we really are warming (not supported by the data), and C02 levels are actually rising, our potential for agricultural production will rise, possibly exponentially. If the climate cools, the opposite is true. Plants like it warm and wet with abundant CO2.

As far as “sustainability”: A cute buzz word with no real definition. It is used to denigrate whatever the “in” crowd doesn’t like. The climate has always changed and always will. There are no bureaucrats, or members of academia that will save the day. Folks that work and buy and sell based on their own perception of calue make the econmomy and agriculural industry work. Bureaucrats and academics know how to write grants and long papers that say nothing. They don’t milk cows, build fence, plant seeds or harvest crops. They get in the way of same.

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