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受到戰爭、乾旱、政治動亂、食物價格飆漲與貧窮等因素交互影響，全球目前有高達六分之一的人口面臨長期飢餓困境，與去年相較，全球今年又新增了一億人吃不飽，也就是他們每天進食不到一千八百卡，這是飢餓人口年增加幅度最大的一次。全球目前有十億兩千萬人吃不飽，並預測今年全年的飢餓人口還可能再增加十一％，而且飢餓人口的增加速度較全球人口增加速度更快。
Wheat harvest near Pokhara, Morocco
The Dades Valley survives thanks to a slender thread of water that meanders between the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas mountain ranges. Numerous Berber villages cling to the valley's rocky slopes, where humans operate subsistence farming methods. But their presence is visible in the abundant lush gardens that soften the rugged landscape. These are often small grain or potato fields whose crops are intended for local consumption. The valley's signature crop is the Damascus rose, which is distilled into rosewater at a local cooperative. By joining forces, the farmers obtain a decent price for their harvest. Otherwise, they would be left to sell it cheaply in local bazaars or to the first middle-man who knocked on their door. But only the rose farmers have formed a cooperative. Many villagers see no need to change their habits.
Wheat harvest near Lamar, Colorado, USA
Once, the banks of the Athabasca river were covered by a boreal forest. Since extraction began thirty years ago, the oil sands have become the second biggest oil reserve in the world, estimated at 175 billion barrels. But before it becomes oil, the sand must be refined. Producing a 159-liter barrel of crude requires two metric tons of sand. Diggers reach up to sixty meters into the earth before huge trucks capable of carrying 400 metric tons take the tar sands to the extraction plant. River water is pumped in to separate the bitumen from the sand in vast heated tanks. The bitumen is converted into oil and pumped across North America by pipeline. This titanic operation has brought an economic boom to the region. The nearest town, Fort McMurray, has expanded rapidly in recent years, but the benefits to the state of Alberta, the oil companies and growing population are offset by the damage to the environment. (With the destruction of the boreal forest, churned soils, chemical waste and contaminated rivers, the tar sands have a high price environmentally. As oil prices increase, however, making the process more competitive, the Alberta tar sands have a prosperous future ahead of them. Unless the necessity of fighting global warming closes down production.)
Greenhouses in San Augustin near Almeria, Andalusia, Spain
This sea of plastic, the biggest concentration of greenhouses in the world, did not exist 35 years ago. It now covers over 40,000 hectares on what was once arid ground where herds grazed. Average rainfall here is 200 millimeters per year, making this part of Almeria province technically a desert. This form of intensive farming makes tomatoes and strawberries available in Europe all year round, thanks to cheap labor and transport costs. The greenhouses are used to produce fruit and, mostly, vegetables, using one cubic meter of water per square meter per year—4-5 times more water than actually falls as rain. (The plants grow on an artificial sand-based substratum covered in black plastic and irrigated, sometimes by fossil water, from wells, half of which have been drilled illegally. The environmental balance is disrupted, especially as the soil is polluted by the fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides used to maintain output. The lack of water, its increasing salinity and the exploitation of cheap labor—mostly immigrants, many working illegally—show the limits of the system. Today, Spain has nearly 100,000 hectares of land under greenhouses (ten times more than France) and, Andalusia is the leading exporter of fruit and vegetables to the whole of Europe.)
Solar-powered houses, Vauban district, Freiburg, Germany
Photovoltaic solar panels on the roof provide the inhabitants of these buildings with more energy than they need. Designed by German architect Rolf Disch, the 'plus energy' buildings point their roofs and glass facades south to absorb the sun's rays in winter. Well isolated, they consume little energy and the excess electricity is sold to the local utility company. Instead of paying its bills, the inhabitants receive money from the company. With a population of 200,000 people, Freiburg is at the ecological cutting edge. (In the 1970s, the inhabitants opposed the building of a nuclear power plant in this region near the French border and turned to renewable energy resources instead. In 1992, planning started for the Vauban eco-suburb to be built on 40 hectares of barracks and land abandoned by the French army. 5,000 people, who were consistently invited to contribute to the project's development, have since moved in. The houses and small apartment buildings use renewable materials and clean energy. Roofs are grassed and rainfall is collected. In terms of transport, pedestrians, cyclists and tramways dominate the automobile.)
Gigantic ships carry oil across the oceans. The tankers supply North America and Europe with only a small crew required. They are sometimes the victims of misfortune or the cause of collisions and shipwrecks. Oil spills result in spectacularly devastating oil slicks that have seen chemical shipping regulations completely revised, notably with the introduction of double-hull tankers. Maritime transport is responsible for 12% of total ocean pollution.
Lakagigar volcanic system, Iceland
Its volcanoes and rivers means that 70% of Iceland's energy comes from hydroelectric or geothermal resources, a world record. Iceland is at the forefront of research into alternative, renewable sources of energy and is extending this research to hydrogen. By 2050, the country plans on being the first in the world that is totally independent of fossil and polluting resources.
The volcanic Rekjanes peninsula in Iceland contains many natural hot springs. The Blue Lagoon (Blaa Lonid) is an artificial lake fed by surplus water from the Svartsengi geothermal power plant. Drawn from 2,000 meters underground, where it is heated to 240°C by the molten magma, the water reaches the surface at 70°C and is used to heat nearby towns. The lagoon's color comes from the basin's silica and limestone mineral combination and the presence of decomposing algae. (Rich in mineral salts and organic matter, the Blue Lagoon's warm waters (40°C) are famous for their curative properties (skin diseases). Geothermal power is a relatively recent, cheap and clean renewable source of energy. Its use is growing. In 1960, it provided heat for less than 25% of Iceland's population. That figure is now 85%. By using geothermal power to make hydrogen batteries, Iceland plans to become the first oil-free economy by 2040.)
'Blue lagoon', Svartsengi geothermal power plant, near Grindavik, Rekjanes peninsula, Iceland
Landfill for oil residue from the Athabasca Oil Sands, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Once, the banks of the Athabasca river were covered by a boreal forest. Since extraction began thirty years ago, the oil sands have become the second biggest oil reserve in the world, estimated at 175 billion barrels. But before it becomes oil, the sand must be refined. Producing a 159-liter barrel of crude requires two metric tons of sand. Diggers reach up to sixty meters into the earth before huge trucks capable of carrying 400 metric tons take the tar sands to the extraction plant. River water is pumped in to separate the bitumen from the sand in vast heated tanks. The bitumen is converted into oil and pumped across North America by pipeline. This titanic operation has brought an economic boom to the region. The nearest town, Fort McMurray, has expanded rapidly in recent years, but the benefits to the state of Alberta, the oil companies and growing population are offset by the damage to the environment. (With the destruction of the boreal forest, churned soils, chemical waste and contaminated rivers, the tar sands have a high price environmentally. As oil prices increase, however, making the process more competitive, the Alberta tar sands have a prosperous future ahead of them. Unless the necessity of fighting global warming closes down production.)
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