The Big Ratchet: How Humanity Thrives in the Face of Natural Crisis (45 page)

Energy

    
animal power,
73
,
74–75
,
123

    
from burning coal,
81–82

    
cost in calories to produce food,
141–142

    
cost of meat,
77
,
143–144

    
human to produce food,
122–123

    
in industrial nitrogen fixation process,
109

    
loss in food chain,
74
,
77

    
from sunlight,
73–75

    
used to obtain food,
72–73

England

    
human waste disposal,
85–88

    
industrial revolution,
81–82

    
manure use in,
78

    
nineteenth century,
85–88

    
sugar consumption,
96

Environmental issues

    
biodiversity loss,
197

    
biomagnification of DDT,
160–161
,
164

    
Green Revolution, effects of,
182–183

    
greenhouse gases,
121
,
125
,
196–197

    
persistence of pesticides,
157
,
160

Espionage, industrial,
110

Euphrates River,
70–71

Europe

    
animal power use in,
78–81

    
bubonic plague in,
80

    
diet transformation by New World crops,
96

    
famines in,
78–80
,
82
,
83

    
four-course system of farming,
80–81

    
medieval,
78–80

    
moldboard plow use in,
78

    
sugar from New World,
96–97

    
three-field system of farming,
80

Eutrophication,
118–120

Evergreen Revolution,
183

Evolution

    
of human brain,
42–43

    
of human lineage species,
47–51

    
pest reemergence,
184

    
of pesticide resistance,
158–159

    
of photosynthesis,
31

    
role of culture in human,
37–38

Exoticorum Libri Decem
(Culsius),
98

Experimental Lakes Area, Canada,
118

Experiments,
3

Extinctions of plant and animal species,
32

Families, size of,
6

Famine,
4

    
in ancient China,
77

    
in Europe,
79–80
,
82
,
83

    
Great Irish Famine,
10–13
,
148

    
in India,
175–176

    
Malthus’ prediction of,
2

Farming and farmers

    
in Amazon region,
59–60

    
animal labor used in,
73
,
74–75

    
civilization link to,
8

    
crop rotation,
75–76
,
78
,
80

    
dairy,
46

    
four-course system,
80–81

    
of Old World crops in New World,
97

    
by other animal species,
5
,
9–10

    
pest control by traditional practices,
151–153
,
166

    
population growth and,
56–57

    
three-field system,
80

    
transition from foraging to,
5
,
52–57
,
191

    
transition to urbanites,
5
,
15
,
203–205

Fat

    
increase in diet,
191–192

    
sources of,
192–193

Fermi, Enrico,
17

Fermi’s paradox,
17–18

Fertile Crescent,
52
,
53
,
57
,
136

Fertilizer

    
guano as,
88–92

    
Haber-Bosch process and,
109–113

    
industrial production,
109

    
lake eutrophication from,
119–120

    
Liebig as father of fertilizer industry,
62

    
mineral theory and,
107

    
phosphorus,
113–118

    
saltpeter,
91–92

Finches, of Galapagos Islands,
37–38
,
39–40

Fire,
43
,
49–50

Fire ants,
155

Floods,
71
,
79

Flush toilets,
86
,
87

Food

    
abundance of,
5
,
6–7

    
as civilization’s engine,
7–10

    
cooked,
43
,
49

    
cost of,
5

    
energy used to obtain,
72–73

    
hunger,
7

    
processed,
194
,
195

    
spread to new areas,
149

    
stored,
55
,
56

    
surplus,
8
,
70
,
81–83

    
virtual water and,
98–99

    
wasted,
201

Food chain,
143
,
160–161

Food miles,
202

Food production

    
focus on quality,
201

    
greenhouse gases from,
196–197

    
interference with planet’s recycling machinery,
197

    
land surface area devoted to,
190

    
local,
202

    
paradox of success,
200

    
sustainably-produced foods,
202

    
threat to diversity of life,
197

    
See also
Agriculture
;
Farming and farmers

Food riots,
82
,
83
,
198

Foraging,
52
,
55
,
56
,
72–73
,
191

Fossil fuels

    
agriculture powered by,
123–124
,
140–141

    
biofuels as replacements for,
198

    
greenhouse gases from burning,
125

Fossil phosphorus,
116–117

Franklin, Benjamin,
139

Franklin, Lady Jane,
36

Franklin, Rosalind,
186

Franklin, Sir John,
35–37
,
39
,
45

Frying food,
193

Fungi,
31

Fungus farms,
9

Galapagos Islands,
37–38
,
39–40

Gaud, William,
178

Genes,
131–132

    
diversity of,
29

    
dwarf,
174
,
176–177

    
tomato,
184

    
in wild relatives of domesticated species,
184
,
186

Genetic engineering

    
Bt
crops,
168
,
186

    
criticisms of,
186–187

Genetics

    
genetically engineered crops,
168

    
Mendel’s experiments,
129–132

    
See also
Inheritance

Gilbert, Sir Henry,
62
,
103

Global warming, atmospheric carbon dioxide and,
27

Golden Rice,
186

Goodall, Jane,
48

Grains, whole,
194

Great Irish Famine,
82
,
83
,
148

Great Splash,
22

Grebes,
161

Green Revolution,
176

    
criticisms of,
179–183

    
effect on environment,
182–183

    
failure to reach southern Africa,
182

    
origin of term,
178

    
water dependence,
181–182

    
yield increases with,
178–179

Green spider mite,
150

Greenhouse effect,
20–21

Greenhouse gases,
121
,
125
,
196–197

Grocery stores,
189

Groundwater,
100
,
101

Guano,
88–92
,
103

Guano Island Act in 1856,
90

Guatemala, pest management in,
152

Gulf of Mexico,
121

Gunpowder,
110

Gypsy moth,
151
,
156

Haber, Fritz,
108–113
,
197

Haber-Bosch process,
110–112

Habitable Zone,
19–21

Hadley, George,
94

Hadley cells,
94
,
95

Hamburger connection,
198

Harness, collar,
78

Hays, Willet,
137

Herbivore,
74

Hessian fly,
150

Hi-Bred Corn Company,
135

High-fructose corn syrup,
193

Holmes, Arthur,
24–25

Homo erectus,
47
,
49

Homo floresiensis,
47

Homo habilis,
47
,
48

Homo heidelbergensis,
47

Homo sapiens,
47
,
48

Honeybees,
50

Horses,
78
,
97
,
98

Hoskins, William,
153
,
155
,
166

Houseflies, resistance to DDT,
158

Hugo, Victor,
76
,
87

Human ingenuity,
199–200

    
civilization and,
8

    
interplay with nature,
2
,
7
,
15
,
18

    
overshoot and,
14

    
as ultimate resource,
2