by Rick O'Connor | Aug 11, 2025
This is an interesting resource to discuss in this series. Everyone would agree that we need food, water, and space – but do we need energy? Other creatures on this planet do fine without electricity, machines, and alternative transportation – do we really need it? You could debate this for hours, but the bottom line is we now have it and yes… we need it.
Power plant on one of the panhandle estuaries.
Photo: Flickr
Miller1 begins this topic with a brief history of energy use by humans. Early humans survived on muscle power alone and would require about 2000 kilocalories per human/per day – most of this energy was obtained from their food. A modern human from the United States would require 2000 kilocalories/day to maintain their muscle power and an additional 600,000 kilocalories/day to maintain the machines and systems of our modern lives. This is 600,000 kilocalories/human/day.
The first alternative energy source was fire and was used to keep people warm and cook their food. When humans began farming, they used domesticated animals to do much of the heavy work of plowing and transportation. Later they began to use the wind to pump water from the ground and move sailing vessels across waterways. They learned to use flowing water as a mode of transportation and for grinding grain. They eventually used flowing water to produce electricity.
As we moved into the industrial age, machines would do a lot of our work but needed an energy source to do so. Wood was the initial fuel. Burning wood could produce steam that would operate the motors that would lead to some of our greatest innovations. Trains could haul people and goods over long distances in a much shorter time than domesticated animals could. The steam engine allowed vessels to travel in locations where wind was not reliable. Wood burning stoves would heat our homes and cook our food. However, the growing demand for wood led to its demise. We harvested it faster than new trees could grow back. We faced our first energy crisis.
We solved this crisis by switching from wood to coal. There were several problems with coal. One was the amount one needed to power our machines. You could transport tons of coal to local factories, coal cars on trains to power the locomotives, and in the hulls of ships to get them across the ocean – but the amount you need to move larger trains and ships provided a storage problem. Two, coal burns dirty. The air all around cities and factories became black with smoke, and tailings from the mining of coal polluted local waterways. Despite the pollution problem, humans needed energy and were fine with burning coal.
In 1859 humans discovered how to pump oil from the ground. Oil could be refined into diesel and gasoline and could power engines but did not require the storage space that coal did. So, transportation could now move more people and goods than coal would allow. Though coal was still used to produce our electricity – which we used for cooking and heating our homes, oil became the go-to energy source for transportation. Eventually many would switch from coal to natural gas (refined from oil or found in the ground near the oil) to produce electricity.
In the 1950s we discovered how to produce enormous amounts of energy by splitting uranium atoms. This new source of energy was used to produce electricity until the safety concerns became too high and nuclear power production decreased.
Today about 82% of our energy still comes from the burning of fossil fuels. There are pollution issues associated with this – including changing our climate – but the need for energy is greater now, with over 8 billion people on the planet. We have entered a new energy crisis. As with wood, fossil fuel sources are limited, demand is rising, pollution and habitat degradation from burning and drilling for fossil fuels is becoming a serious problem.
In our next article we look at evaluating the energy choices we currently have as to which may be the best choice for our future.
Reference
1 Miller, G.T., Spoolman, S.E. 2011. Living in the Environment. Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Belmont CA. pp. 674.
by Rick O'Connor | Aug 4, 2025
As our human population grows, so grow urban and suburban areas – and our natural areas and farms are decreasing. Much of this will cause problems for us and other species on the planet as well. How do we manage this need for space?
Some cities such as Hong Kong and Tokyo have responded by building vertically. Large apartment complexes provide not only homes, by grocery stores and gyms. Most are located within walking distance from work – and if they are not close to work, they use mass transit. We see this in some cities in the American northeast as well. This is known as compact development and has been pushed by many city planners and demographers.
Heavy urban development “sprawls” away from the city in many U.S. communities. The “corridor” to work has become congested.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
However, the United States, Canada, and Australia are car dependent communities. Our car dependency began in the early 20th century when we had land to expand, gasoline was cheap, and cars actually became “part of us”. We did not just own cars we had specific cars with specific colors. They became part of our personality – and to get rid of them will be very difficult.
Some scientists and economists suggest one way to reduce car use, and the energy they require and pollution they generate, is what would be termed – user pays approach. Ideas such as taxes on gasoline have been suggested. The funds generated by such taxes could go to build bike paths and more mass transit systems. This has been tough to do in the U.S. because (a) most communities do not have an efficient mass transit system or bike paths, and (b) we do not want taxes. Other methods suggested to reduce car use include parking fees, toll roads, bridge tolls, etc.
There are some disadvantages to alternative methods of transportation. Bicycles do not protect you in bad weather, are impractical for long trips, and offer little protection in an accident. Mass transit rail systems are expensive to build and maintain, commit riders to set schedules, and are cost effective only in densely populated areas. Buses require low fares, and the bus companies lose money, can get caught in heavy traffic, and also require set schedules.
Other suggestions include better land use planning. Methods tried here include limit building permits, including green belts in community design, encouraging mixed use of homes and small businesses, and concentrating development along mass transit rail lines.
The bottom line is to concentrate humans in areas where they live close to where they work and the resources they need. Walkable cities will reduce the need for expansion into nearby land space and farms which will allow for more green spaces the ecological services they provide for our existence.
Reference
Miller, G.T., Spoolman, S.E. 2011. Living in the Environment. Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Belmont CA. pp. 674.
by Rick O'Connor | Jul 25, 2025
We all have our personal space, our personal bubble, where we do not like others to enter. Some have a small bubble, but others have a much larger one. This will play a part in the discussion below but the statement “we need space” initially means – we must have some place to lie our head. All creatures do. Battles between birds, bears, and berries all take place for their piece of land where they will obtain their resources and call home. And with the population growth we see in humans, we are all seeing and feeling our personal space being invaded.
Much of the land in Florida is being developed.
Photo: University of Florida
Almost everyone reading this has experienced it. Some have homes on properties that are over 100 acres. Others have a house on only one city block. Others live on a city block where there are four houses. And others live on a city block that has a high rise with 200 apartments. Everywhere crowds are increasing. There is more traffic, more homes, more malls and strip malls. We are growing very fast. I have recently seen housing developments where people moved in BEFORE the house was done. We are feeling the growth of the human population and trying to maintain our space. And… as the human population grows there is need for more space.
Between 1800 and 2008 the percentage of the U.S. population living in cities increased from 5% to 79%. It began first with people moving from farms to the major cities. Then, due to crowding and congestion, people began to move from the central cities to what were called suburbs. Since 1980 people began to move from the crowded northeastern U.S. to the south and the west. Between 2008 and 2043 demographers (scientist who study populations) project that the fastest growing U.S. states will be Nevada, Arizona, and Florida. Currently (2025) the fastest growing state is the District of Columbia, followed by Florida and Texas. The largest state at over 39 million is California – followed by Texas (over 31 million) and Florida (over 23 million). States that are currently experiencing a decline in population include New York, Illinois, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virgina. Since the 1990s people have begun to move from the suburbs back to the farm areas – but not to farm – they are developing these rural areas into housing developments. We need space.
This urban sprawl has been supported by having automobiles and low-cost gasoline – most of these people still work in the cities. It is also supported by the fact people do not want to live in high rise buildings with 200+ apartments on one city block. We want more space – our bubble is bigger. In many locations these suburb communities are beginning to merge creating megalopolis – metro areas where you cannot really tell where one town ends and the next begins. Humans are spreading across the landscape like cancer. I have flown from Pensacola to Denver many times. As you look out the window of the airplane you can witness how our species has just engulfed the landscape – everywhere.
Heavy traffic is common place in the U.S. with our dependence on cars.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
These large urban areas have created some problems for us. They require high levels of energy to operate – and they do not produce their own energy. They generate tons of solid waste – and there is nowhere to dispose of it. They require large amounts of food – and they do not grow it. They require large amounts of water – and in some cases have their own source, but in many they do not. There is a lot of air and water pollution – it was because of regions like this the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act were created. There are few green spaces, trees are removed for development. Flooding, spreading diseases, and noise pollution are all issues.
The suburbs have their own problems. Traffic is heavy, and streets are crowded. There is the need for new schools, new stores, and new office space – often in areas that do not have the infrastructure to support them.
With a growing population there is a need for more space – but it is pretty obvious that how we are doing it is not sustainable and continues to create more problems for us and the rest of the planet. In our next article we will look at how to solve some of these problems.
References
Fastest Growing States in 2025. World Population Review. https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/fastest-growing-states.
Miller, G.T., Spoolman, S.E. 2011. Living in the Environment. Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Belmont CA. pp. 674.
by Rick O'Connor | Jul 19, 2025
We stated in the last article that we have plenty of water on our planet; we just do not manage it well. So, what are some ways to do this? Below we will review some ideas provided by Miller and Spoolman back in 2011 and we will add a few more.
Is Extracting More Groundwater the Answer?
Groundwater that is used to supply cities and grow food is being pumped from aquifers in some areas faster than it is renewed by precipitation. Some advantages of this method include the water is useful for drinking and irrigation, its available year-round, and there is no evaporation loss. The disadvantages include it is being depleted, sinking of land (subsidence) occurs from over pumping, some aquifers have been polluted by deep well injection of waste. The largest aquifer in the world is the Ogallala Aquifer found beneath South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. It is showing signs of severe overdraft particularly near Texas and New Mexico. Methods of managing this water source would include wasting less water, restricting the number of wells allowed, planting crops and landscapes that require less water.
This is a common method used to irrigate crops across the U.S.
Photo: UF IFAS
Is Building More Dams the Answer?
Building dam and reservoir systems has greatly increased water supplies in some areas, but it has disrupted ecosystems (causing other financial losses) and displaced people. Some positive aspects of creating reservoirs are creating a large source of water, recreational uses in these new lakes, and the dams produce low-cost electricity. But the negatives include the new lakes that flood cropland and displace people, evaporation loss of this needed resource is very high, disrupts the migration and spawning of many species of fish (some of which are economically valuable). With some current dam systems, the rivers are running dry downstream, and the lakes are shrinking. We saw this firsthand at the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River in Arizona.
Glen Canyon at the Utah/Arizona border.
Photo: NOAA
Is Transferring Water from One Place to Another the Answer?
Transferring water from one place to another has greatly increased supplies in some areas, but it has also disrupted ecosystems and commercial ventures in others. One place this has been used is the California Water Project – where water from wooded northern California has been piped to the deserts of southern California. For decades battles have been fought as to how much of this water should be sent south. Southern California uses this water in large agriculture projects and for large cities like Los Angeles and San Diego. 75% of this water is used in agriculture – but often for water thirsty crops like rice and alfalfa being grown in desert conditions. Northern California contends that these water transfers reduce the ability to flush pollutants from San Fransico Bay and has reduced important fisheries. They argue that southern California could help by using better irrigation methods and crop selection. Several studies suggest that climate change will reduce the amount of water currently available in this system and they are already over pumping their ground water. In 2011 China was planning a similar project moving water from southern part of the country to the north. But will this solve our water management problems?
Is Desalination of Seawater the Answer?
There is certainly plenty of seawater – and we know how to convert seawater to freshwater – but the cost is high, and the resulting salty brine must be disposed of without harming aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems. In 2004 there were about 15,000 desalination plants around the world – that number has not increased much over the last 20 years. Most were in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia had the largest number, followed by the U.S. Almost 50% of Isarel’s water was produced from desalination. In addition to high cost and issues with what to do with the brine produced, there is the problem of adding chemicals to this water as it is being piped to reduce algae. This chemical treatment has been shown to cause severe problems for natural ecosystems.
So, How Can We Use Water More Sustainably?
We can do so by reducing water waste, raising the price of water, slowing population growth, and protecting our aquifers and habitats that store and release water.
We can reduce irrigation waste by…
- Line irrigation canals
- Irrigate at night to reduce evaporation
- Monitor soil and irrigate only when needed
- Avoid growing water thirsty crops
- Irrigate with treated urban wastewater.
We can reduce water waste by…
- Redesign manufacturing systems so they use less water
- Recycle industrial water
- Landscape our yards with plants that require little or no water
- Use drip irrigation
- Raise water prices
- Use water saving toilets, showerheads, and front-loading clothes washers
- Collect and reuse household water for irrigation of nonedible plants.
How Can We Reduce the Threat of Flooding?
We can lessen the threat of flooding by protecting more wetlands and natural vegetation in watersheds and not building in areas subject to frequent flooding. You may have noticed with the recent building trends in the Florida panhandle, this is not being considered – but should.
Other ideas in conserving and reducing problems with water management include green roofs and Florida Friendly Landscaping. You can learn more about how to protect your water resources by visiting your local county extension office.
Reference
Miller, G.T., Spoolman, S.E. 2011. Living in the Environment. Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Belmont CA. pp. 674.
by Rick O'Connor | Jul 7, 2025
I read a story about a group of fishermen from Central America who went to sea one day only to have their boat brake down. As they drifted in the current, they immediately went into survival mode rationing the food they had. As their food reserves became low, they would supplement with catching fish – they were fishermen. At one point they ran out of cooking fuel and so began to dismantle parts of the wooden vessel to burn for cooking. There was a point where there was no food for the day. They would go for several days without food, catching fish when they could, seabirds when they landed on the boat, and the occasional sea turtle would hold them for a while. Though they may not have been in shape to play tennis – they were alive and hoping to cross paths with an ocean tanker.
Then they drifted out of the rain belt. They had been collecting rainwater all this time but had entered a portion of the ocean where it did not rain. This changed everything. Though they could go a month without food – one source indicates you can go up to 50 days, and some up to 70 days – you can only go three days without water. The fishermen seemed to understand this. Within a couple of days, they all laid on the bow of the boat awaiting death – they knew this was the end. As luck would have it, a ship did come by and rescued all five. But it shows us the importance of water. Though we sometimes debate which resources are truly needed by humans, we must have water.
The Gulf of Mexico as seen from Pensacola Beach.
Photo: Molly O’Connor
Lucky for us we live on a planet whose surface is covered with it. Jacques Cousteau once said that the planet should have been called “aqua” for there is so little land in comparison – 70% is covered in water. But, as you know, most of the water within the hydrosphere is salt water, and this will not help. The kidneys make urine from water less salty than seawater. So, if you drink seawater, you will urinate more water than you take in and you will die of dehydration.
Only 3% of the water within the hydrosphere is freshwater and 68.7% of that is frozen in glaciers and ice caps, 31% is found as ground water, and less than 1% is found in rivers, lakes, and streams. Though we live on a planet covered in water, very little of it is in a usable form.
This drop represents the total amount of freshwater on the planet. The smaller drop represents freshwater available for use.
Image: U.S. Geological Survey
Humans get their needed water from ground water (aquifers) and surface water (rivers and lakes) sources. With the growing human population, we are overdrawing from both sources. I saw this firsthand while camping in Arizona. There is a place on Lake Powell called Lone Rock. You can drive to the shoreline and camp at the edge of the lake. The first year we camped there we did just that. We drove to a point where there was a slight drop from our spot to the shore of the lake. We came back to this location two years later – went to the same spot where we had camped before – and it had changed drastically. Now from this spot the slight drop was between 20-30 feet – but not to the shoreline – but rather to a hard sand terrace. This terrace extended about 100 yards toward the lake before it dropped another 20-30 feet to the shoreline. It was amazing. The first year we were there we paddled to Lone Rock (in the middle of the lake). Now you could almost walk to it. A local told me he had lived there for 18 years and had never seen it this low.
Lake Powell is the second largest reservoir in the United States. It was created by placing a damn on the Colorado River to create a water source for the people in that area. The drastic loss of water can be explained in two ways. One – a growing human population in an area with little water to begin with, and an increase withdraw of this resource. Two – reduction in rainfall due to climate change. The American southwest does not get a lot of rainfall to begin with. We explained this natural process in our fourth article in this series – Life on Land. Miller and Spoolman note in 2011 that the American southwest receives an average of 16 inches of rain a year. Despite being an arid area there are several major cities – Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix – with millions of residents who need water. Add to this the large agriculture operations who need water for their crops. Most of their water needs are met by rivers flowing from the Rocky Mountains heading to the sea. These rivers are damned to create reservoirs and the “water grab” begins. Arguments over who should get this water – farmers, residents, entertainment in Vegas – are common. The Water Wars have begun. The population continues to grow, and climate continues to change.
In the American southeast it is different. We average 48 inches of rain a year. Our area of the northern Gulf coast is even wetter. Most think of Seattle as the area with the highest rainfall in the country but in fact the three wettest cities in the U.S. in order are Mobile AL, Pensacola FL, and New Orleans LA. Pensacola historically gets around 60 inches of rain a year. But between 2010 and 2020 the average here increased to 70 inches. The climate models predict that the dry areas of the country will become drier, and the wet areas will become wetter. This certainly seems to be happening. So, locally, the issues are not drought and loss – but flooding.
The amazing thing about this is that in an area where there seems to be plenty of water, we are seeing water deficits. The large amount of precipitation is not recharging the Floridan aquifer (the source of much of our water) but rather falling on impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots, buildings). This water then causes flooding issues and our answer to this is to drain that rainwater into local surface waters and into the Gulf – not recharging the aquifer. As strange as it sounds – we are hearing about Water Wars even here. It is not that we do not have enough water – it is we do not manage it well.
In the next article we will discuss some suggestions on how we might better manage our very much needed water resources.
References
How Long Can You Go Without Food? Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-long-live-without-food-1132033#:~:text=How%20long%20human%20beings%20can,someone%20can%20live%20without%20food.
Hospice No Food or Water. Oasis Hospice and Palliative Care. https://oasishospice.us/2022/05/17/hospice-no-food-or-water/.
Can Humans Drink Seawater? National Ocean Service. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/drinksw.html.
Where is the Earth’s Water? GRACE: Tracking Water from Space. American Museum of Natural History. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.amnh.org/content/download/154153/2561707/file/grace-passage-1-student-version.pdf.
Miller, G.T., Spoolman, S.E. 2011. Living in the Environment. Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Belmont CA. pp. 674.
