Canada's Tar Sands, Natural Gas And The Future Of The North American Food System

[hatrack]

EDIT

North American agriculture is deeply dependent on natural gas. Nitrogen fertilizer is chemically produced using a process that -- currently -- cannot be conducted efficiently without large amounts of natural gas. This fertilizer, in turn, is an essential nutrient in North America's food production system. "In a fairly direct way," says Darrin Qualman, Director of Research at the National Farmers Union, "natural gas is a primary feedstock for our food supply."

While "peak oil," the point at which global production of oil begins to decline, is subject to speculation, natural gas peaked in North America in 2003. Since then, more wells have been added, but production has declined slowly, while prices have increased sharply. As a result, says Qualman, fertilizer companies are closing up shop and are moving their operations to places like Qatar, Egypt and Trinidad, where natural gas is cheap and plentiful, for now.

Canada has thus begun to import natural gas. At least 10 Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) terminals are planned in Quebec, British Columbia, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where liquified gas will be brought in from Saudi Arabia, Russia and other producers. It is, he says, a cause for concern in the coming decades. "If you're farming in Saskatchewan or Manitoba, using a fertilizer supply based on natural gas from Alberta looks workable," says Qualman. "But if tomorrow our fertilizer is made from natural gas sourced in Russia or the Middle East, we in effect become dependent on offshore, highly unstable supplies for our food system."

In terms of fueling the current food system, there are few compelling alternatives to natural gas. Coal is a possible source of nitrogen but is not nearly as efficient. In some scenarios, nuclear power plants can be used to produce fertilizer. A more fundamental alternative, says Qualman, is to begin restructuring the food system. Traditionally, nitrogen fixing is performed by crops like beans and chickpeas. Or, it is recycled to cropland from animal manures. Using crop rotation and natural sources to provide nitrogen and reducing energy inputs to agriculture requires changes to diets and far more intensive use of human labour. Says Qualman, "Given the industrial food system and given a meat-based diet, nitrogen and natural gas are absolutely essential."

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http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/1462

[Bitwit1234]

1. I have cousins that live near the oil sand area in Canada

they are really disgusted with the mining process. The local people are getting nothing out of it. Except dirt, smell and pollution. They have cattle and it is ruining their herd. And they also raise sheltie collies. They are upset that the constant noise and pollution is going to ruin the dogs. But then they don't have any say in what happens in their providence. The PM appoints their representative and you know where his loyalties lie.

[Kolesar]

2. Bookmarking this one! This is one of the ultimate resource-planning issues

I have doubts that nitrogen-fixing plants can supplant methane-derived fertilizer.

[AlecBGreen]

3. Its just a matter of scale

There is a lot of research going on these days, looking at the difference in yields between traditional agriculture and "new" techniques like no-till planting. We DONT need to feed ourselves with 30,000 acre farms, 20-foot tall combines and tons of synthetic fertilizers. We can feed the population of this planet in an efficient, sustainable manner that provides jobs, cuts pollution and encourages biodiversity.

[Kolesar]

4. Less grain-fed meat and less "boutique" produce flown thousands of miles

Could and should reduce our demand for nitrate-based fertilizer tremendously. Half would be realistic.

My studies indicate that there needs to be manure input to keep soil fertility at a level that will maintain adequate fertility. Without out some sort of nitrogen input, the soil will become "played out".

So it sounds like we are on the same page.

[AlecBGreen]

5. .

I agree with the 1st point - less meat (especially beef from those "inefficient" cows) and less out-of-season specialty foods.

As for inputs of manure, yes it makes things MUCH easier. However you CAN supply sufficient nitrogen with cover crops alone but I think you shouldnt rely on it to supply 100%. A balanced compost with both legumes ("green" manures) and animal manures is best.

[Kolesar]

9. It may be impossible to get enough fertility for "high demand" crops like cauliflower

...without animal manure inputs. That is according to the author of my favorite gardening book, Gardening When It Counts (Steve Solomon).

The nitrogen in ammonia in urine is key in this matter and that means that in the production of produce on the scale of your backyard garden, you are encouraged to pee in the garden.

Have you ever done cover crops? I have not and I don't know what seeds to get or where.

[AlecBGreen]

12. cover crops

are beneficial to all and downright essential in organic/sustainable farming.

If you want a winter cover crop, get winter rye, hairy vetch, or a combination of the two. Winter rye germinates and grows in sub-freezing temperature, creates appreciable amounts of biomass through the winter and the roots go down DEEP to mine nutrients. Hairy vetch (NOT common vetch) is a legume so it fixes nitrogen and it is also winter hardy. Grown together, they are an excellent way to improve soil tilth and health during the otherwise "wasted" winter months.

Seeding rates are 80 lbs/acre for rye and 40 lbs/acre for vetch. One acre = 44,000 sq ft (roughly, about 210' x 210'). They can typically be bought at any local feed-n-seed store, Southern States, or can be ordered online. Rye is more common but you should be able to order vetch if the store is out.

Good luck!
-Alec

[Kolesar]

14. Thanks.

I wanted to plant cover crops in early September when the beans and onions played out. It often snows in October here, but I could always sow "something" just for fun.

[AlecBGreen]

15. winter rye will grow all winter

if they can grow it in moscow, im sure you can grow it too!

[Kolesar]

16. One for the gardening forum

Cover crops. I am still not sure what to use for vegetables.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=246

[tom_paine]

6. Only we monkey-like human beings would conceive of such a thing

Converting clean fuel to a much more polluting form so we can burn THAT.

BRILLIANT!



Good monkeys. Let's reward ourselves by building a 5000-channel Cable TV!

[zeaper]

7. We just need cheap hydrogen

The reason that natural gas is used for fertilizer production (or ammonia production) is it currently is the cheapest source of hydrogen. The reaction is fairly straight forward:

N2 + 3H2 = 2NH3 The nitrogen is coming from air, the hydrogen is being stripped from natural gas with CO2 as a waste product.

Once natural gas gets expensive enough other hydrogen sources will be found, one source could be via electrolysis from water (this maybe the nuclear option the article mentioned).

[GliderGuider]

11. We'd better get cracking (so to speak)

According to my projections, global natural gas production is going to be down by 60% by 2050. And we'll have over 40% more mouths to feed (if the projections of 9 billion people by 2050 are near to accurate).

As near as I can figure, it takes 40% of the world's natural gas to produce the ammonia we use for fertilizer now...

Add to that the fact that nuclear power production is likely to stay pretty much flat between now and then, and the probability of having enough ammonia to do the job starts to look pretty small.

Mr. Malthus! How kind of you to drop by...

[GliderGuider]

13. Oops, I dropped a decimal

We use 4% of the world's NG for fertilizer right now, not 40%. I knew something didn't smell right (must have been the gas).

So if we lose 60% of our NG supply we'd only be using 10% of all the world's natural gas for fertilizer. Of course home heating, turbine electrical generatos and the plastics industry is competing for it, so the price will be at least 2.5x higher, probably more like 10x higher. And third-world farmers already can't afford the stuff.

[eppur_se_muova]

8. "given a meat-based diet"... is a given BECAUSE ?? nt

[Strelnikov_]

10. "Given the industrial food system and given a meat-based diet . . "

The times, they will be a changin' back on the farm.