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.
Brazil
Thursday 18 June 2015
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.
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