Now, if by daytime running lights, the number of accidents are not declining, it makes no sense because we use light in the car power, therefore increasing fuel consumption and in turn the revenues of oil companies, which are probably involved also in the car lights in terms of turnover, the so naturally have a shorter life expectancy. Some car drivers to control their vehicle striking. Mostly, the boys at a young age, so the rise in the esteem of the girls. Then, in addition to the normal car lighting even an underbody lights mounted on the car. You should watch out here on the statutory provisions of the Highway Code, because if you do not, can even lead to a withdrawal of the operating permit. If you would like to now have no problem with law enforcement officers, then you should turn this underbody lighting, but only on private parking lots, because there is not the Highway Code and there can be no display.

One viable way to do this is to provide networking capital for the production of bio diesel plants which will in turn lead to the cheap and sustainable provision of electricity and pipe borne water two components that the world’s poor are deprived of and which they desperately need to wriggle out of the claws of extreme poverty. This networking capital will be needed to finance the different stages of the production and processing of this essential bio diesel fuel.

The jatropha plant readily comes to mind when the ideal plant to focus on is discussed because for one a lot of research into its suitability and potential to in future replace fossil fuels in the provision of fuel for our generators, cars, factories and the aviation industry has been extensively carried out and is all out there for all to refer to if necessary.

 The governments of  developing economies can and should use this networking capital I have recommended to educate their populace who are mostly poor and engaged in the agricultural sector about the need and benefits of cultivating the jatropha plant as a cash crop.

Part of the education the poor farmers will receive, is that the government will assist the poor farmers to acquire high yielding seeds and or seedlings to cultivate. Another way the networking capital can be channeled to is in the provision and clearing of land for those landless poor who will be willing and ready to embark on the cultivation of the cash crop. Good thing, the jatropha plant doesn’t need any fertilizer to grow and can grow even on marginal quality soil even if it did need all of that, the networking capital set aside will and should come to the rescue.

The processing of the cash crop’s seed into bio diesel fuel itself is highly technical and can not be done without any form of training; this training should be given to the farmers from the same networking capital. The centre point in all this is to help fight poverty especially in the developing countries of the world and at the same time establish an environmentally friendly substitute to our fast depleting fossil fuel alternative through a deliberate stimulus via the networking capital which will finance the entire project at least until such a time that the poor farmers of the cash crop will be economically empowered to go it on their own without the networking capital spoon feeding them.

Of course, the bulk purchase of the seeds from the farmers should be done by the government and at a reasonable and profitable price which will spur the farmers to want to continue the cultivation of the bio diesel cash crop. Networking capital for bio diesel cash crop production for me is as important as terms like bail-out and economic stimulus and the time is ripe to do something proactive to reduce the number of the worlds poor if our collective security devoid of terrorist cell recruitments will be confined to the annals of history.

Image by tracie7779 via Flickr

The advantage of using green energy sources is that it is clean so it does not emit anything harmful into the air which has an impact on the environment. It is also renewable which means we will never run out of it unlike oil which is expected to dry up in a decade or so.

Although green energy facilities are expensive to build, it requires less maintenance so you don’t have to shell out a lot of money to operate it.

It can also bring economic benefits to certain areas even boost tourism.

While these sound good, there are some who say that there are advantages to using such technology.

While green energy sources can produce electricity, how much it can generate is not consistent. This is because we have no control of the weather so if a certain area relies on solar energy and there is a weather disturbance, it will not be able to convert sunlight into electricity.

Building these facilities also requires a lot of land so we may have to cut on farmland which is what many are concerned about if more wind turbines are to be put up.

Another disadvantage is the fact that some of the green energy sources cannot be installed in certain areas of the planet. For instance, wave energy can only be utilized if the waves coming from the ocean reach at least 16 feet. The use geothermal energy can only be done in geologically unstable parts of the planet.

But if you look at such arguments, places that cannot use one form of green energy source can be substituted for another. If wind turbines need more space, they can be installed near the coast instead of putting these on land. A study shows that you can generate more electricity while these are in the ocean.

While the weather is something we cannot control, it is not everyday that there is a weather disturbance so this too shall pass. If solar energy is being used and the sun is covered, the emergency generators will be activated and use up the energy that was stored.

The point is that there are ways around the arguments put by certain individuals which discourage the use of green energy sources. In fact, research is ongoing to try and harness other means to generate the power we need.

A very good example of this is called ocean thermal energy. Power is generated by harnessing the different temperatures in the water. It is currently being used on a small scale both in Japan and Hawaii.

In the US, only 7% of green energy sources are used nationally. This was much higher 11 years ago and if we don’t have to worry about the cost of oil or even reduce our dependency on it, we have to invest more in this clean energy.

We can get it from green energy sources such as biomass, biodiesel, geothermal, solar, water and the wind. These are things we have all around us and all it takes is for someone to harness it instead of relying on traditional non-renewable means to produce energy.

The 3 important factors in doing anything worthwhile to save the planet are: Reduce, Reuse and/or Recycle.

A Quick Background

Diesel fuel is named after its creator, Rudolf Diesel, a German engineer. The design was originally patented in the year 1892. Basically introduced to be cheaper than the price of gasoline, diesel has nowadays been subject to the increase in cost. In any part of the globe, diesel is an integral part of the economy. Just like in America, diesel is vital in the people’s way of life, the country’s economy, as well as its overall security. With its value being openly escalating, USA and the rest of the diesel fuel dependents are somehow downtrodden.

Diesel Fuel and How it is Made

The petroleum diesel is said to be refined and distillated from crude oil. In fact, the No. 2 distillate is the most popularly used among the myriad of types or grades. It is also the principal source of motor diesel fuel as used up in the entire United States. It proves useful in heating the buildings and is utilized by most major industries. After all, it contains low sulfur.

On the other hand, you should have heard about the term “biodiesel”. This is another type of fuel which had been unraveled by Rudolf Diesel. It was originally thought of to be rooted from vegetable seed oil. As of the latest technology, biodiesel can be made from animal fats, vegetable oils, and even out of second-hand restaurant grease. Since it is characterized as more nature-friendly, it lessens the emission of carbon monoxide, particulates, and the hydrocarbons. Mixing up 80% of petroleum diesel with 20% biodiesel generally enhances the elimination of sulfur from the diesel fuel engine.

Image via Wikipedia

An Explanation on the High Price of Diesel Fuel

You might be wondering why the price of diesel fuel is now more than the price of gasoline. Before, diesel fuel had a lower cost but things have changed. There are factors that affect its price change. They are the following:

The changing season. During the winter season, the demand for the distillate heating oil is up and about so the value of which is also made higher. Talk about the law of supply and demand!

Excise taxes. When the taxes are expensive, then its price also increases.

The value and the worldwide supply of crude oil. The capacity to produce the supply of crude oil along with the assigned value also creates an impact on its price.

The height of refining capacity and international demand. Since the world largely depends on the diesel fuel refineries in the United States, there are times when its capacity ends up too tight thus increasing its cost.

Economic status. Typically the price of diesel fuel is affected by the stability of the economy.

Other factors that affect the diesel fuel prices include the cost of transportation from the refineries and the terminals, the local and regional competition, the costs of equipment, rent, salaries, insurance, local and state fees.

So, have you gauged why the value of this much-needed fuel is so unpredictable?

Electric

The advantages of an electric ran vehicle can be summed up in four words “Plug in and go!”  Being that they are operated purely on battery, they give out no emissions or other toxins usually associated with modes of transportation.  As far as being green and the lesser evil of most fuels, electric is the least damaging fuel to the environment.  In addition, when you purchase a new electric vehicle a kit to charge your battery is included.  Some of the disadvantages are that unlike a gas engine, it takes a lot longer to charge an electric car and it can be a hassle when making long road trips.  For numerous reasons such as, not every gas station is equipped with compatible equipment to fuel electric cars, if your car stalls from a low battery it is harder to transport electric, than a gallon of gas.  In addition, the price of electric fueled vehicles is quite expensive and the price to convert your mobile can range from $5,000-$10,000. Not to mention your electric bill.  (Wisler, 2009)

Hybrid

A hybrid is a car that uses two sources of fuel, some use gas combined with electric, solar or water.  The advantages of a hybrid are that since it is also using other sources of fuel it gives got less emissions than an engine solely using gasoline.  In addition, some hybrid cars you can get up to 50 per gallon.  This means on long drives or road trips you could drive well over 500 miles before you would need to stop and get gas.  Hybrid cars are also very affordable where some are priced brand new from just $12,000 and up.  Some of the disadvantages are that when a hybrid battery is drained or just stop working, it can cost around $5,000 to replace.  In addition, hybrids have a lighter body weight to compensate for its heavy engine where in case of an accident it can be extremely dangerous for the driver.  (Yap, 2008)

Natural Gas

Some of the advantages of using natural gas is that it burns clean as well as releases 70% less carbon dioxide than fossil fuel, making it a lot cleaner than traditional fuel.  Natural gas has a higher heating value as well as is less expensive than traditional fuels.  The disadvantages of using natural gas is that it cannot be recycled, the world can only produce so much which in time natural resources can run out.  In addition, the price to recover remaining natural gas due to flow, access etc, is expensive.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen or water powered vehicles, even though they are not yet on the market, or even close to being completely developed as far as the other fuels mentioned in this report, hypothetically there would be many advantages.  Emissions would be close to none, which is beneficial to our environment. Everyone would be able to afford to fuel their car, truck, SUV and so forth.  The downfall to this is it has not been developed for mass production yet.  In addition, unemployment would sky rocket due to no need for gas stations, or any other gas related occupations.  As well as we can only assume that, the purchase price of purely watered power vehicles would be very pricey.  (Freedom, 2009)

Fuel Cell

A fuel cell is like a battery in a sense, but instead it combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity.  Although it is a chemical process, it does not involve heat.  Some of the benefits of fuel cell are that it does not involve any moving parts, so traditional mechanical complications are minimal.  Fuel cell emissions only emit water and it is very quite during operation.  Some disadvantages of using a fuel cell, as an energy source is that it is expensive to make as it relies on the use of platinum.  Platinum even though already in use throughout the market is a natural resource and is bound to run out eventually, especially if we increase our dependency on using this rare metal.  In addition, with changing technology mechanics will slowly find themselves out of a job as well as other vehicle maintenance services. (Explore Fuel Cells, 2007)

Clean Diesel (Low sulfur)

Clean Diesel is diesel full put through a process where pressure is used to remove the majority of its sulfur content.  Some of the benefits of clean diesel is  that it reduces 90% of emissions content, compared to traditional diesel energy.  This promotes cleaner air as well as complies with EPA quality standards and regulations.  This type of fuel is also compatible with all diesel-fueled engines.  Some of the downfalls of utilizing ULSD are that the potential purchase price is more expensive as well as current availability is limited.  In addition, this type of fuel is susceptible to eating through engine seals as well as during cold weather its liability decreases.  (Fuel Academy: ULSD Fuel Tutorial, 2008)

Biodiesel (B100)

Biodiesel Fuel is diesel fuel consisting of oils derived from animal fat and recycled cooking grease.  Some of the advantages of this fuel are that it can be made from home.  Most diesel engines can utilize biodiesel fuel as well as it emits less air pollutants and greenhouse gases.  In addition, it is also biodegradable, non-toxic as well as is a lot safer to handle compared to traditional diesel.  The disadvantages of biodiesel fuel is that B100 gets 10% less fuel economy then tradition diesel as well as it also not suitable for really cold weather conditions. Other concerns are also noted as far as B100 long-term effects on engine life, it is expensive and more importantly it emits nitrogen oxide.  (Biodiesel, 2008)

Ethanol (E85)

E85 or ethanol is a mixture consisting of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.  Some of the more beneficial factors of using E85 is that it can produced within the United States therefore decreasing our dependence on the trade of petroleum.  E85 emits less air pollutants than traditional gasoline, also it is resistant to engine fuel mixture detonation or in laymen, “engine knock.”  E85 is also not as expensive in most places compared to  gasoline. Some of the downfalls of using E85 is that only certain cars can run this fuel, such as flex-fuel cars, trucks, SUV’s.  In addition, not every gas station carries E85, as well as your vehicle will have lower gas mileage and as of now producing, the mixture is costly.  (E85, 2008)

Conclusion

  As the decades pass, we are very fortunate to have acquired the technology that will deliver the infinite possibilities of rectifying our current issues with air pollution.  As far as the technology that is available, the electric car seems to be more beneficial to the environment.  Where the vehicles can be produced with the lease amount of natural resources.  Although with our economy’s current climate, some factors such as cost and unemployment need to be considered as far as implementing these new vehicles. A great deal of the market’s backbone has to do with traditional gas and diesel associations, that would need conversion and or aid in that fact that people who hold occupations dealing with gasoline and diesel would be out of jobs.  On the brighter side of the spectrum, United States dependence on other countries such as the Middle East would decrease and in turn probably force them to find new markets and even the possibility of signing a peace treaty.  Although, it may seem farfetched, I believe that converting to electric based energy vehicles and equipment would be both beneficial in long term to the economy and more importantly our environment. 

References

1.      Biodiesel. (2008). Retrieved June 22, 2009, from FuelEconomy.Gov Web site: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/biodiesel.shtml

2.      E85. (2008). Retrieved June 22, 2009, from Fueleconomy.gov Web site: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ethanol.shtml

3.      Explore Fuel Cells. (2007). Retrieved June 22, 2009, from New Mexico Solar Energy Association Web site: http://www.nmsea.org/Curriculum/7_12/Fuel_Cells/fuel_cells.htm

4.      Freedom, O. (2009, March). Water Powered Car: The Benefits and Disadvantages. Retrieved June 22, 2009, from CarPoweredWater.Blogspot.com Web site: http://carpoweredwater.blogspot.com/2009/03/benefits-and-disadvantages.html

5.      Fuel Academy: ULSD Fuel Tutorial. (2008). Retrieved June 22, 2009, from Desc.dla.mil Web site: http://74.6.146.127/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=ULSD+disadvantages&fr=robo&u=www.desc.dla.mil/dcm/Files/ULSDTutorial8-16-06Non-Audio.ppt&w=ulsd+disadvantages+disadvantage&d=DYwBBBlMS-Uw&icp=1&.intl=us

6.      Wisler, A. J. (2009). Advantages of Electric Cars. Retrieved June 22, 2009, from LoveToKnow: GreenLiving Web site: http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Advantages_of_the_Electric_Car

7.      Yap, W. (2008, November 25). The Advantages & Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars. Retrieved June 22, 2009, from Associated Content Web site: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1227938/the_advantages_disadvantages_of_hybrid_pg2.html?cat=15

In the midst of this current day and age, fuels of all sorts are necessary in our society. However, with the countless ecological issues and the current destruction of the environment, this has led many of the world’s leaders to turn to other sources – alternative, renewable energy sources for our daily energy uses – that in fact, are supposed to leave less of an ecological footprint on the earth. This is where biofuels come in. Although the use of biofuels may seem at first, a good idea in a desperate situation, we must focus on the long-term effects of the problem. Initially, biofuels tend to cost more; up to double the price that is usually substantial to produce gasoline. Second, whether you know it or not, biofuels would do little to stop or slow down the process of global warming – and often make it worse. Thirdly, diverting food crops into fuel production leads to ever more land clearing and rising food prices as well. For those specific reasons, I believe that biofuels are in fact, inevitably, just another short-term solution to an international problem.

Nevertheless, one must first think, what is biofuel? According to the WWF website, biofuels are simply defined as “A fuel produced from dry organic matter or combustible oils produced by recently dead biological material”, with the two main types of biofuel being ethanol and biodiesel. Then again, biofuels, allegedly a strong focus towards the use of alternative energy sources, are actually, not that new. With Henry Ford’s “Model T”, a car originally made back in the early 1900’s, its initial focus was to be able to run completely on either ethanol (a commonly produced biofuel) or gasoline. Ultimately, ethanol was defeated in favour to petroleum because of the fact that not only was gasoline easier to produce, but cheaper too.

Setting aside environmental consequences at first, the financial requirements to produce ethanol and other biofuels may in itself, defeat the purpose. Case in point, as research from David Pimentel, an agricultural scientist at Cornell University shows, a gallon of ethanol costs approximately $2.24 to produce, compared to $0.63 for a gallon of gasoline. Even more negative is that converting corn to ethanol requires about 99,100 British Thermal Units to make one gallon, which on the other hand, only has 76,500 BTUs of available energy. As a result, in contradiction to itself, 29% more energy is needed to create a gallon of ethanol than is stored in that gallon in the first place. “That helps explain why fossil fuels (not ethanol) are used to produce ethanol,” Pimentel says. “The growers and processors can’t afford to burn ethanol to make ethanol.”

Subsequently, biofuels are given “false” praise by environmentalists and scientists over the supposed fact that they are carbon neutral. In spite of this, because corn (the main producer of biodiesel and ethanol) exhausts the soil it is grown on of its nutrients, and in turn, uses additional fertilizers and insecticides for proper growth, the fertilizer used on corn to replace the nitrogen the corn removes from the soil during growth is originated from natural gas. Moreover, atrazine, a common pesticide used on corn to prevent insects is also, petroleum-based. As a result, even though the use of biofuels may be present, we are nevertheless, unforeseeably, still reliant on fossil fuels. Due to this, without doubt, for every pound of biofuel produced an excess pound of carbon dioxide is unfortunately, released into the atmosphere.

Carbon dioxide, one of the many by-products left over from the burning of fossil fuels, is thought of to be one of the largest factors causing global warming. As researchers report in a group of new studies in Science Magazine, it is proved that by turning crops such as corn, wheat, sugarcane, and palm oil into biofuels – whether for the creation of ethanol, biodiesel or another form of biofuel, growing plants “stock up” carbon (CO2) in their roots, shoots and leaves. Accordingly, the entire population of vegetation in the Earth and the soil in which they are nurtured, believe it or not, hold practically three times as much carbon as the whole atmosphere does. So, when the plants are reaped to produce biofuel, the carbon is released back into the air. You can imagine, over time, how much carbon that is discharged into our air and through that, the environment. It’s just another motive to global warming.

In addition, other things that are necessary to be taken into account include the energy/resources used and the amount of carbon dioxide given off through the tertiary states of biofuel production – for instance, in planting, reaping, nurturing, cooking, transporting, and generally, producing the biodiesel or ethanol. In contrast to the transportation of gasoline, ethanol is unable to travel in pipelines along with gasoline, because through that, it would be prone to pick up impurities, excess water, and through that process, become contaminated. Consequently, it is only able to be transported through the methods of trains, ships, or trucks. As a result, this means even more carbon emitted into the air.

Third of all, changing jungles to corn plantations or the Amazon rainforest into a wheat farm would take centuries to not only grow back debts in carbon, but additionally, leads to ever more land clearing. For example, demand for biofuel (ethanol) in the United States has made farmers plant more corn and less soy, causing the originally stable value of soy to skyrocket and in turn, trigger farmers to destroy even more natural land to plant their “treasured soy”. What’s more is that since a soy field contains much less carbon in comparison to say, an Amazon rainforest, that means the original greenhouse benefit of growing the natural ethanol is completely destroyed.

Moreover, the economic drawbacks of this method of energy are evident. Due to unambiguous concerns with biofuel, as demand for it increases, food prices are too. Competition from farmers or other agriculturists for productive lands to grow the essential corn and wheat has caused food prices to rise high enough to force the lesser third-world countries of the earth into malnourishment. Even in Mexico, for example, influenced through demand for corn and the production of ethanol, has caused extreme inflation in certain types of food in that area; increasing the ordinarily cost of a tortilla (a principal food) by over 50%.

Besides that, as research from USDA [National Agricultural Statistics Service] proves, in the past few years, because of demand for alternative fuels (such as biodiesel), the price of corn has more or less tripled. In spite of this, what’s even more astonishing is that a two kilogram bag of rice, normally what you would be able to find at a local supermarket (ranging on the average of $10 CAD) now costs about half of the daily revenue a poor home in Bangladesh makes. Whatever the case, biofuel is causing a lot more than just minor “rises in food prices”.

In conclusion, we should continue to look into different options to moderate our use on fuel, but unfortunately, due to the diverse concerns on biofuel, it looks like so far, ethanol is “out of order” as an alternative. Nonetheless, outstanding progress is still being made, and in the name of practicality, the idea of naturally produced fuel may still prove to be a potentially possible option, that is, with a lot of work. Like everything in the world today, at some point in time, I predict that fossil fuels will likely run out. However, it’s up to all of us to take hold of the potential [of naturally produced fuel] and with research and time, protect not only just our natural resources, but aid in the production of more environmentally-friendly, and sustainable energy.

Remember back to elementary school when you learned about photosynthesis; that’s the process of plants absorbing the sun’s energy. As animals and humans eat those plants, that chemical energy from the sun is passed on.

Biomass is simply the organic material that comes from plants and animals and contains stored energy from the sun.

Biomass is renewable energy

Renewable energy occurs naturally and is generally abundant. There are other renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro-electric. Renwable energy sources are not derived from fossil fuels.

Biomass produces energy in several ways

Examples of biomass fuels are wood, crops, manure and rotted garbage. When biomass is burned, the chemical energy within it is released as heat.

When you burn a piece of wood for heating purposes, that wood is biomass fuel. This is the most common use. But biomass can also be converted into other viable forms of energy. This includes methane gas, ethanol and biodiesel.

Methane Gas

The principal component of methane is natural gas. Methane derived from biomass is a renewable energy source. A primary source of methane gas is landfills.

A vast amount of methane is created naturally as the waste in landfills decomposes. This gas can be harnessed and used by gas-to-energy plants to fuel engine or turbine driven generators of electricity, reducing fossil fuel dependency.

Ethanol

This alcohol fuel comes from sugars found primarily in grains such as corn and wheat. Ethanol is a transportation fuel made from biomass materials.

Currently, most of the ethanol used in the US comes from corn. The process of distilling ethanol from corn is considered costly. Scientists continue to seek alternative methods of making ethanol by using all parts of plants and trees. This would help reduce cost. Ethanol is a renewable energy source unlike petroleum from fossil fuels.

Biodiesel

In the United States, biodiesel is rapidly growing as an alternative fuel. Unlike diesel fuel made from petroleum, biodiesel is a renewable fuel source.

Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils, animal fats, or grease. Maybe you’ve seen one of those diesel trucks attach a hose to McDonald’s and wondered what they were doing. They are actually collecting the grease to be recycled into biodiesel fuel.

Biodiesel fuels are becoming more popular because:

• Biodiesel fuel can be used in vehicles that already use diesel fuel made from petroleum
• Biodiesel can be stored and easily transported
• Biodiesel is clean burning and easy to use
• Biodiesel fuel is cost efficient
• Biodiesel fuel is a renewable energy source

The Need for Biomass Research and Development

In October 2008, the USDA and the Department of Energy released it’s National Biofuels Action Plan in response to President Bush’s “Twenty in Ten” goal. The Biomass Research and Development Board was created as a result. Their objective is to accelerate the development of a sustainable biofuels industry.

A shift from fossil fuels to biomass fuels is the environmentally correct choice. However, much research and development is still required. Because biomass is a renewable energy source, it seems the obvious alternative fuel source in reducing our dependency on fossil fuels.

How does it produce fuel? Jatropha seed contains 40% of oil that can be used in standard engine. From the seeds of the non edible jatropha, oil can be squeezed out and be used as a component of bio-diesel. The seed of the jatropha will be processes on a seed grinder machine.

Is jatropha plantation is a waste of time and money? The answer is NO. There a lot of advantages of planting jatropha plant. The main advantages are it is making money. Based on study on a 2.4ha plot, a farmer could harvest some 31.25 tonnes of jatropha seeds annually which equal to 5,600.53 USD annually. Not only it’s fuelled the engine, but the jatropha plant is also fueling hope of poverty Sabah.. With jatropha, there is hope that Sabah’s rural poor can be fast tracked out from their hardcore poverty by providing job on the plantation.

The conclusion is, by planting jatropha plant, it’s not only the government who benefits it, but the people itself. To minimize amount of poor people in sabah, jatropha plantation is the best way to start.

The easy response is, of course, rely upon science to provide answers. After all, much of the food we eat in the western world today is so highly processed that we would have no way of knowing what part of an animal or vegetable it is really made from – and might recoil from it if we actually knew. Science fiction is full of stories of people eating an apparently delicious and varied diet which is in reality based on seaweed or protein substitutes grown in a vat. Yet science has also contributed to food-based diseases and health problems, not least obesity. Perhaps society should make some effort to resolving the problem as well.

The most likely means of reducing food costs is to focus more on local production. This will reduce transportation costs – with the rising cost of oil these become increasingly significant. Refraining from flying fruit from tropical countries to northern Europe will make supermarket life less interesting but would also help to reduce carbon emissions. British people born more than a couple of decades ago will remember the poverty of the greengrocery shops outside of summer and autumn with some concern. Yet greenhouse techniques have advanced to some extent and climate change in any case makes the range of production possible in an area constantly subject to change.

A change in production of food types will also be required. Currently, market-based choices mean that demand for and supply of meat is at a very high and indeed increasing rate. The production of meat is, in general, highly inefficient in terms of use of water and land and the grain that grows on it. Indeed, the larger the animal, the more inefficient is the production. As land and water become increasingly scarce resources, it will be necessary to switch production from meat to fruit and vegetables and to encourage diets to change accordingly. Presumably, governments will use a combination of market-based (e.g. tax) and educational incentives to encourage people to change their diet.

This usually turns out to be very difficult to do. Richer people will be able to maintain their diet of choice for longer than others, no doubt, while unexpected foodstuffs will become highly valued because of their scarcity or cost – servants in London during the nineteenth century had it written into their contracts that they would not have to eat salmon more than twice a week so plentiful were they in the Thames, while oysters were used as fillers or meat-extenders in pies. Whale meat was widely used on the home front in World War II. Who knows what will be the next big thing – or more likely the next staple to disappear from the dinner table?