Energy Assignment - Part 3

From the three energy types I researched in part one I would rank nuclear energy as having the most potential to be implemented in Brazil because it already makes up for 3% of the total amount of energy generated. A self-sufficient electricity power, Brazil did not consider nuclear energy production until the beginning of the 1950s. Brazil began work on a nuclear plant in the 1970s and started production of energy in the mid 1980s. Nuclear energy costs are relatively low and it is environmentally friendly. Nuclear energy may represent very little of the total energy generated but nuclear energy is making its way to becoming an important alternative source of energy for Brazil. I would rank Solar energy next to have the most potential because solar energy is not only sustainable but also renewable, meaning it will never run out. It is a natural source of power as it generates electricity. There has been a project started looking at the growth of solar power in Brazil and it may be in store for the future. With 280 sunny days, Brazil has huge solar power potential. Wind energy is ranked last. It is simple and efficient, as individuals do not need to own wind turbines to get power, it is simply installed in general empty areas and can be used for vast locations. But it requires heavy upfront investments for the manufacturing and installation, it may be a threat to wild life and the noise is generally an issue.

Land Use and Agriculture in Brazil

The total area of Brazil is 8 514 880 square meters. Of the total area 8 459 420 square meters (99.3%) is of land and 55 460 square meters (0.7%) is of water surface. Land use in Brazil includes 2 635 00 square meters (31.1%) of agricultural land, 595 000 square meters (7%) of arable land, 70 000 square meters (0.8%) of permanent crops, 1 970 000 square kilometres (23.3%) of permanent meadows and pastures, 4 714 920 square kilometres of (55.7%) of forest area and 1 109 500 square kilometres (13.1%) of other land.

Monoculture

           

            Pros

·      Reduced plant competition for nutrients, space and solar radiation

·      Control of undesirable organisms

·      Reduction of costs by limitation of specialized machinery required for arable operations

·      Maximize profit from the growing of high gross margin crops

            Cons

·      Lack of biodiversity

·      Single threat can destroy all of the crops

·      Needs a complex irrigation system

·      Diseases/pests spread more effectively

Polyculture

           

            Pros

·      Reduced susceptibility to disease

·      Local biodiversity increases

·      Needs a less complex irrigation system

·      More stable type of agriculture

·      Consistent income for farmers

            Cons

·      Higher cost of equipment

·      Laborious task for farmers

·      Farmers have to have knowledge of the plants because of the large diversity

·      Difficult for farmers to control and supervise because of the variation

Slash

            Pros

·      Removes debris

·      Cheaper because there is less equipment required

·      Returns nutrients to soil

·      Crops are recycled on site so decomposition occurs

            Cons

·      Deforestation – when practiced by large populations or when fields are not given sufficient time for vegetation to grow back, there is a temporary or permanent loss of forest cover

·      Erosion – when fields are slashed, burned and cultivated next to each other in rapid succession, roots and temporary water storages are lost and unable to prevent nutrients from leaving the area permanently

·      Nutrient loss- fields may gradually lose the fertility they once had

·      Biodiversity loss- when plots of land area are cleared, the various plants and animals that lived there are swept away

The agriculture of Brazil is one of the principal bases of Brazils economy. Its initial focus was sugar cane. Brazil eventually became the world’s largest exporter of coffee, soybeans, beef, sugar cane, ethanol, and frozen chicken. Brazil is the second largest producer of soybeans on the planet. These beans and derivatives are used extensively all over the world. Brazil is the global leader in the production of sugarcane, harvesting more than 600 million tonnes of it every year.fruits.  2009 Brazil had about 106,000,000 hectares of undeveloped fertile land. Brazil had record agricultural production, with growth of 9.1%, principally motivated by favourable weather. Production of grains in the year reached an unprecedented 145,400,000 tons, totalling 65,338,000 hectares and producing $148 billion Reals. The principal products were corn and soy. The southern side of Brazil has a semi-temperate climate, higher rainfall, more fertile soil, more advanced technology, adequate infrastructure and more experienced farmers. This region produces most of Brazils grains. The drought-ridden northeast region and Amazon basin lack well-distributed rainfall, good soil, and adequate infrastructure. Both regions are increasingly important as exporters of forest products, cocoa and tropical fruit. 

Water Use in Brazil

My reaction to the documentary we watched in class was shock but it showed me the importance of water. The shock came from when it showed how corporates like Coca-Cola were abusing water resources to make money which lead to villagers with none left.  I strongly disagree with what the companies are doing because it isn’t fair to the people who can’t access their own water. In order to get the clean water back I think protesting and fighting against large corporations is an important step because it is needed for survival. In Canada, no one comes across the thought of water running out and therefore it is taken for granted. Some underprivileged countries protest for clean drinking water whereas we misuse it in many ways.  This documentary opened my eyes and made me realize how fortunate we are as it is so sad to see what others go through to get water.

Brazil has been called the Saudi Arabia of water and with fully 12 per cent of the world’s freshwater supplies. Brazils largest city, Sao Paulo is starting to run dry.  More than 11 million residents of Sao Paulo have been forced to severely ration what little water they get. Some go days without water, and others may have access water but only at specific times. The lack of water is making it very difficult for businesses to carry on as usual. For instance Nasu, a restaurant serving Japanese and Brazilian food, the water runs out everyday around noon or one o’clock. If they use too much water, they’re fines, so many businesses are affected.  Brazil is not used to such scarcity but Sao Paulo is fast getting used to the way things have to be run; there are incentives to use less water, fines for those who use too much and the possible installation of more water-efficient taps.

Deforestation in Brazil

Brazil once had the highest deforestation rate in the world. In 2005 it had the largest area of forest removed annually. Since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometers of the Amazon Rainforest have been destroyed. In 2012, the Amazon was approximately 5.4 million square kilometers, which is 87% of the Amazons original state. Deforestation has caused rain forests to decrease in size. Despite the reduction in the rate of deforestation in the last ten years, with the current rate the Amazon Rainforest will be reduced by 40% by 2030.  With the reduced forests, people are less able to benefit from the natural resources the ecosystems provide. This may lead into increased poverty and in some cases people may need to move in order to find forests that can sustain them. Deforestation also leads to loss of biodiversity. Species lose their habitat or can no longer subsist in the small fragments of forests that are left. Population’s decrease and eventually some may become extinct. The only positive social impact may be that it causes jobs and employment in the community since many workers are needed. Without trees humans and animals will not be able to breath in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Deforestation also causes a loss of water cycling. Deforestation reduces water cycling services provided by trees. In Brazil, some of the water vapour that emanates from forests is transported by wind to its Central-South region, where most of the country’s agriculture is located. Brazils annual harvest has a gross value of about $65 billion US. When rainfall reduction is added to the natural variability that characterizes rainfall in the region, results may include droughts that can lead to major environmental impacts. The forests ability to absorb pollutant carbon dioxide is reduced, but at the same time there is an increased presence of it released from burning trees. Climate change is another impact of deforestation because by destroying the trees, there will be an excess of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the carbon dioxide will alter the climate of the region. Deforestation may also cause soil erosion destructions because without trees, the soil will be exposed to the suns heat. The soils moisture will dry up, nutrients evaporate, and bacteria that help break down products are affected. Eventually rain-washes down the soils surface and erosions take place. Economic impacts include an increase in revenue because there will me more furniture and paper products created from the trees, so it is a booming industry, although it can be a very costly project to cut down so many trees.

In my opinion, I would say deforestation is a greater threat in Brazil than Canada because of its large rate of forests removed annually which lead to many impacts. For instance the environmental impact of soil erosions from deforestation is more likely to happen in Brazil because of the heat causing the soils moisture to dry up, where as in Canada there aren’t many soil erosions that occur. Canada has 0.02% of forested area and deforestation n Canada is among the worlds lowest since Canada is a world leader in sustainable forest management. Prevention is key and Canada has been setting a good example for other countries and states. Today Canada’s 348 million hectares of forest lands represent about 9% of the worlds forest cover, but accounts for only 0.3% of global deforestation. Overall Canada is less of a threat due to leading a sustainable forest management project whereas Brazils forests are continuing to reduce at a high rate.