Words About Things

Life isn’t easy for coffee farmers. Coffee beans are finickity and require just the right conditions to thrive. They are mostly grown at high altitudes in hard to reach areas and too much or not enough rain can have a disastrous effect on production. Most smaller farms make little money and the majority of each years profits and used to maintain the next years crops. After a year of abnormal weather there will be less beans on the world market which leads to higher prices for the consumer but not necessarily better profits for the growers. Even farmers who are lucky enough to be part of a fair-trade scheme aren’t insured against changes in the weather.

As the problem of climate change deepens those who’s industry is reliant on certain weather conditions are likely to suffer. The weather will become increasingly unpredictable as this will have a knock on effect on the finances of those at the bottom of the coffee producing chain. Most beans are grown at between 1800-6300 feet and as far as i can tell (please comment if you know otherwise) coffee plants cannot be grown under artificial conditions.

The effect to those of us who enjoy drinking coffee is likely to be an overall increase in price. During years when weather conditions are particularly bad in Colombia, El Salvador or India prices are likely to increase dramatically. Huge companies like Starbucks and Nescafé may be able to absorb these price increases but smaller local companies will suffer.

Peter Baker of CAD International believes that

More adaptive, participatory research is needed to find out how best to help farmers, and there should be a greater emphasis on long-term research to develop crop varieties more resistant to climate extremes, pests and diseases. Neither NGOs nor private companies can hope to manage many such activities. And there is an unresolved paradox: sustainability is about imposing order and stability, whereas climate change is about adapting and transforming.

Yet another reason to combat global warming and climate change.

A Dutch farmer is happier than a pig in the proverbial after figuring out a novel way to produce enough energy to run his farm. John Horrevorts from Sterksel farms pigs so he has access to an infinite amount of porcine doo-doo with which he can create enough eco friendly electricity to actually sell some back to the grid.

Horrevorts has a biogas plant that converts the piggy waste into energy without creating pollution or requiring finite resources. The process also reduces methane emissions or, more accurately, uses them for good. The slurry is collected and bacteria is added which causes gas to be emitted which is then converted to electricity.

Although the biogas plant was expensive to set up it will eventually pay for itself. The initial outgoings will be offset by the reduced bill payments and Horrevorts may be able to earn money if he creates enough gas. He also gets a warm feeling inside knowing that he is not contributing to the international global warming problem.

As you may know April the 1st in National Energy Wasting day, a time when we all try to waste as much energy as possible. The best way to celebrate is to turn on all your lights and drive everywhere, even if it is within walking distance. You can also get down to the latest single by Dan Power called ‘Energy Wasting Day’, the worlds first ‘Anti-Eco’ single. The video features girls pole dancing around patio heaters and various other methods of wasting energy.

Of course this is all very tongue in cheek, national energy wasting day was was created to draw attention to how we all contribute to climate change.