US Consumption

-average person eats 2,175 pounds of food per year which is 3,600 Calories per day

-this requires 0.6 million metric tons of pesticides in North America per year

-more nitrogen fertilizer is used per year than can be supplies through natural sources

-the total US energy consumption is 3 times the solar energy amount harvested as crop products

-10% of the oil used in America s used in the food industry

-7-10calories of energy are used to make 1 calorie of food

-beef takes close to 35 calories of energy to produce 1 calorie of food

-more than $120 billion of agricultural products crossed U.S. borders as imports and exports

please read the following link for further information

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/100303_eating_oil.html

Some Food for Thought

Today, agriculture is 100% dependable on the use of oil .

-oil is used for tractors, farming machines and vehicles and pesticide/fertilizer machines

-oil is needed in the processing of foods to the distribution state (cleaning, cutting, drying ect)

-delivery of food products require gasoline

-food products rely on the making of packaging materials such as boxes, plastic bags , cans, Styrofoam, glass jars ect.

-nitrogen-based fertilizers contribute directly to global warming: Making and transporting one kilogram of nitrogen in a fertilizer releases 3.7 kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

What can we do to help?

–buy local food products

-buy organic food products

-plant a personal or community garden

-buy whole foods, avoid processed foods