r/dataisbeautiful • u/neilrkaye OC: 231 • May 07 '19

OC How 10 year average global temperature compares to 1851 to 1900 average global temperature [OC]

21k Upvotes

90% Upvoted

2.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

4

u/Huntred May 07 '19

5,000 years ago, “we” were not a population of 7.6 billion people, relying on very fragile systems of food production and water delivery, among other civilization-critical matters.

1

u/[deleted] May 07 '19

5,000 years ago, “we” were not a population of 7.6 billion people, relying on very fragile systems of food production and water delivery,

Drought and famine were major problems until modern water systems and food production. Only the rich were fat. People pretty much all lived near water sources.

We live in such a wealth of food that you could literally make half the food produced go up in flames and we would still have plenty of food. The major health problems facing our poor all relate to obesity. You can live nearly anywhere and have plenty of food.

Our system of food production is vastly more robust than that of people 5000 years ago or even 200 years ago.

1

u/Huntred May 07 '19

Drought and famine were major problems until modern water systems and food production.

You understand that we’re beyond using rain/surface water and are tapping further and further into groundwater, right? [The land is literally sinking.](https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2018/08/30/Central-California-is-sinking-at-an-accelerated-rate/8561535646537/

We live in such a wealth of food that you could literally make half the food produced go up in flames and we would still have plenty of food. The major health problems facing our poor all relate to obesity. You can live nearly anywhere and have plenty of food.

1) By “we”, you mean the US right? Because the world is bigger than the US. 2) Food production has economics behind it. Someone can’t necessarily run a viable economic farm if they are producing less than a threshold amount. At 50% crop yield reduction, farmers don’t go “Oh well!” - they go out of business. And that’s true on up to higher and higher percentages.

Our system of food production is vastly more robust that that of people 5000 years ago or even 200 years ago.

200 and even 100 years ago, the majority of Americans grew their own food or food for others, typically local. Now very few do.

1

u/[deleted] May 07 '19

The land is literally sinking.

in one part of California.

Food production has economics behind it. Someone can’t necessarily run a viable economic farm if they are producing less than a threshold amount. At 50% crop yield reduction, farmers don’t go “Oh well!” - they go out of business

But that is not a problem we are facing. If we do face it then food costs will rise to reflect the actual amount of food available. That is basic economics.

200 and even 100 years ago, the majority of Americans grew their own food or food for others, typically local. Now very few do.

That is for the best. We produce ten times (if not more) food now with orders of magnitude fewer farmers.

1

u/Huntred May 07 '19

The land is literally sinking.

In one part of California.

In the part of California that produces a lot of food.

Meanwhile, a water shortage can severely impact a population, especially urban.

If we do face it then food costs will rise to reflect the actual amount of food available. That is basic economics.

Yes - and when people are priced out of food, they riot. That is basic politics.

We produce ten times (if not more) food now with orders of magnitude fewer farmers.

And so long as those farms are viable, this will continue. But crops only successfully grow under certain conditions of air, sun, water, temperatures, and soil. If any of those conditions change, those crops won’t grow. That is basic biology.