Abstract
The purpose of this article is to highlight the difference in energy consumption between using blue water versus green water for agriculture in areas where water-intensive crops are grown in water-scarce regions. It focuses on water and energy consumption for greening the desert in United States, the world’s largest grain producer. The analysis is limited to the three largest crops by volume and value; corn, cotton, and wheat, which generate billions of dollars for the economy and use billions of gallons of water each day. The primary methodology is to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to visually represent the comparative amounts of blue water and green water used to grow water-intensive crops in water-scarce regions, by statistically mapping levels of water stress overlaid with the amounts of blue water versus green water used. It exposes where energy-intensive water practices are occurring due to a high dependence on blue water for irrigation in agriculture. The article concludes by discussing strategies to improve energy efficiency and reduce the vulnerabilities associated with overdependence on blue water such as high energy costs, low energy security, and susceptibility to aquifer reduction and ground water depletion.
Highlights
Energy is an integral part of providing water for food security
The conclusion provides empirical evidence of where the is an imbalance in blue water versus green water consumption in the largest parts of our agricultural sector, emphasizing that blue water is highly energy-intensive, and discusses the vulnerabilities associated with overdependence on blue water such as energy insecurity and susceptibility to aquifer depletion
This research provides empirical evidence of energy inefficiency in areas where there is an imbalance in blue water versus green water use for large agricultural production, as the use of blue water is highly energy intensive
Summary
Energy is an integral part of providing water for food security. After the sun, which is the greatest source of energy for growing plants for food, substantial amounts of additional energy are needed to irrigate, produce, harvest, process and transport agricultural crops to support a burgeoning population. 300 billion gallons of freshwater are withdrawn daily, requiring energy for pumping and transporting, from surface and ground water sources for agricultural irrigation in the United States (US Geological Survey 2019). With such a high amount of all energy flowing to one sector, we cannot advance sustainable development without addressing the inefficiencies and interdependencies between water and energy in the agricultural sector. The difference is important because agricultural areas that use blue water are highly dependent on irrigation, which requires a tremendous amount of energy to pump, transport, deliver and disperse water. The conclusion provides empirical evidence of where the is an imbalance in blue water versus green water consumption in the largest parts of our agricultural sector, emphasizing that blue water is highly energy-intensive, and discusses the vulnerabilities associated with overdependence on blue water such as energy insecurity and susceptibility to aquifer depletion
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