that force is people. The more people the more materials and resources are used, attacking the environment with ever more machines, waste, and chemicals. Are there ways to improve our methods of producing our food, or improving the machinery we use to produce that food? Agricultural Changes Producing our food supply is one of the greatest strains that we place on our earth. In order to grow crops of food, farmers clear forests and wetlands, which in turn changes the Earth’s eco system. This clearing of land endangers the Earth’s animals, birds, and vegetation. As more and more food is need, more and more land is cleared to grow needed crops of food. These crops are fertilized to assist the farmer in growing a high-quality crop. As farmers fertilize the soil this fertilizer runs off into streams and rivers, which in turn pollutes these rivers and streams, and endangers the aquatic animals and plants in the rivers and streams. With the demand for more food comes the demand for more crops and so to will more and Pieniazek 4more fertilizer be used to grow these crops. What technology can be used to enable our farmers to grow and maintain crops and fields in a more environmental friendly manner?One form of technology that farmers can use to assist in safer and more environmental friendly crops is integrated pest management (Nutrition Concepts and Controversies). Through the use of integrated pest management, farmers rely on crop rotation, and natural predators, rather than chemicals and pesticides. Our great-grandfathers used some of these methods, before chemicals and pesticides were widely used. By greatly reducing the amount of pesticide that is used in growing crops, so too are we reducing the amount of pesticides that run off and pollute our streams, and rivers. Another method of agriculture technology is the rotating of crops. By rotating crops this improves the quality and quantity of the crop. Alternat...
