MU Environmental Network News

January 2006

Vol. 12 No. 1

Editor - Jan Weaver

415 Tucker Hall, MU 65211

 

Fisheries, Forests, Grain and Water: The State of Critical Resouces 2006

by Jan Weaver

 

This month's issue features an annual update on population growth and resources critical to human survival. Some data, like population size and grain production, are relatively easy to estimate. For other data the quality of the information is quite uneven, or statistics are only updated every few years. That said, the tables below contain the best guesses of where we are with population, fisheries, forests, grain and fresh water. For all these resources, the amount available per person is trending downwards because population is going up, and resource is essentially fixed (Internal Renewable Water Resources), growth is leveling off or uneven (world grain production), or because of decline in the resource due to overharvesting (fisheries and forests).

 

POPULATION

US Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/popclockworld.html Reports updated daily

Year

Population (billions)

Annual Growth Rate

New Lives Added each year (millions)

1970

3.35

2.08%

70

1980

4.46

1.70%

76

1990

5.28

1.6%

82

2000

6.08

1.26%

76

2005

6.49

1.35%

85

 

 

FISHERIES

FAO: http://www.fao.org/sof/sofia/index_en.htm Reports every two years

(all marine, fresh, capture and aquaculture production- fisheries supply 16% of the world's supply of animal protein)

Year

Metric Tons Harvested

Annual Growth Rate

Annual Change in Tonnage

Change in Practices

1970

65,405,130

Jurisdiction to 200 miles

1980

72,412,450

1.01%

700,732

World fleet doubles

1990

98,586,180

3.61%

2,617,373

Annual subsidies $40 billion

2000

131,000,000

3.28%

3,241,382

75% fully or overexploited fisheries

2001

130,700,000

-2.29%

-300,000

Major drop in ancovy harvest

2002

133,000,000

1.76%

2,300,000

China may be overreporting catch

2003

132,200,000

-0.60%

-800,000

Increased use of bycatch

 

FORESTS

 

FAO State of the World's Forests 2001: http://www.fao.org/forestry/index.jsp Reports every 5 years

Yeart

Total Forested Area (hectares)

Annual % Change

Total Lost Annually (hectares)

1990

4,080,000,000

2000

3,990,000,000

-2.2%

-8,900,000

2005

3,950,000,000

-0.18%

-7,200,000

GRAIN

FAOSTAT: http://faostat.fao.org/ (agricultural data tables) Reports monthly

(includes maize (corn), wheat, rice, barley, sorghum, millet, oats, rye, triticale and other grains)

Year

World Grain (billions of metric tons)

Avg Annual Change

Per Capita Grain (tons/yer/person)

1980

1.549

0.347

1990

1.951

25.9%

0.369

2000

2.060

0.5%

0.338

2001

2.107

2.3%

0.342

2002

2.036

-3.3%

0.327

2003

2.081

2.2%

0.330

2004

2.264

8.8%

0.349

INTERNAL RENEWABLE WATER RESOURCES

World Resources Institute: http://earthtrends.wri.org/

Countries and populations with less than 1000 cubic meters of internal renewable water resources (rainfall) per capita per year. One thousand m3 is the minimum amount needed to meet one person's food, domestic and industrial needs. Lack of rainfall can be made up for by taking water from rivers running through a country, by pumping groundwater or by importing grain instead of growing it. However, ability to meet needs is affected by water use in upstream countries, by pollution of ground and surface waters, and by world grain markets.

Year

Number of Countries

Number of People

Average Annual Change

1990

27

490,787,000

2000

27

610,856,000

24%

2002

29

687,341,000

6.3%

2003

32

1,080,155,000

57.1%

2004

43

1,197,000,000

10.8%

BioRegional Quiz Question: What is Columbia's population?

 

Job of the Month: Stormwater Outreach/Education Coordinator, City of Columbia. All activities related to outreach and education: developing and maintaining relationships with local organizations and schools, participating in local events, keeping data bases, updating websites, preparing written and oral communications. BA or BS, 2 years experience in natural resources or related area, knowledge of stream ecology, stormwater issues, ability to communicate orally and in writing, to organize workload, work with computers - editing, database management, website, maps. Position is part time, temporary, $14-$16/hour, does not include benefits. Hours M-F with flexibility. Position contingent on funding. Contact (573) 874-7235 or hr@gocolumbiamo.com. Applications are available at City of Columbia Human Resources, 1 S. 7th St., or at www.gocolumbiamo.com Deadline, January 16

 

New this month - Missouri Department of Conservation Internships Page - short term positions, usually summer, undergraduate and graduate, hourly pay. http://www.mdc.mo.gov/about/jobs/internships/ -

 

Special Events/Programs/Classes/Talks

BIRD SURVEY: Saturday January 21, 8 am - noon, Bradford Farm - hike the fields to see raptors, short-eared owls, sparrows and other grassland winter species. Meet in the parking area near the metal machine buildings at Bradford Farm (MU) just south of the interesection of Rangeline and New Haven Roads.

TREES IN WINTER: Saturday January 21, 1 pm - 3 pm , Devil's Icebox, Rock Bridge MSP. Find out how to recognize trees by their twigs, bark and growth form. Find out what a typical habitat for key species is. Families welcome.

SPRING WILD CAVE TOURS AT ROCK BRIDGE MSP: To request the next season's WCT schedule, send an e-mail to Rock Bridge Memorial State Park or call (573) 449-7402.

TOWN MEETING WITH STATE LEGISLATORS: Thursday February 2, 7 pm - 9 pm, Columbia Public Library, Friends Room. Annual meeting with state legislators about current legislative session - LWV

 

MU Organization Meetings and Contact Information

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS: http://www.missouri.edu/~jesse105/committees/pages/environmental.htm

RECYCLING COMMITTEE: 882-3091

SUSTAIN MIZZOU: amsh58@mizzou.edu

STUDENT ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONS ASSOCIATION: 882-7116

Organization Meetings and Contact Information

AUDUBON SOCIETY: 874-3904 / columbia-audubon.missouri.org Meet 3rd Wed 7:30 pm, USGS, 4200 New Haven

BOONE COUNTY SMART GROWTH COALITION: http://smartgrowth.missouri.org/, 1st Weds 7:15 Boone Co Govt Ctr.

CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING: 875-0539 or http://peaceworks.missouri.org/

CHOUTEAU GROTTO: http://chouteau.missouri.org/, Meet 1st Wed, 7 pm, The Casteel Building, 1518 Business Loop 70 East

COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE: 882-7463 or email hendricksonm@missouri.edu for information.

COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOL. PROGRAMS: 874-6271 or http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Volunteer/Opportunities/#PW

COMMUNITY WATERSHED COMMITTEE: (573) 526-8916, Third Tuesdays, 6:30 pm, Daniel Boone Bldg

COMMUNITY GARDEN COALITION: 875-5995 or cgardenc@yahoo.com or http://cgc.missouri.org

ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/

FRIENDS OF BIG MUDDY: friends@friendsofbigmuddy.org or www.friendsofbigmuddy.org

FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE M. S. P.: 815-9255 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.

GREENBELT COALITION: 442-4789, gbelt@coin.org or http://greenbelt.missouri.org

MISSOURI ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: www.meea.org

MISSOURI NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY: npshawth@hotmail.com, http://columbianativeplants.missouri.org, 2nd Mondays in

Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov at 7:00 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, 2615 Shepard Blvd, Columbia, MO.

MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK: 573-256-2602 or www.moriver.org or moriver@coin.org

PEDNET COALITION: email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org

RIVER RELIEF: http://www.riverrelief.org/

ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK: 449-7402 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org

SHOW ME CLEAN STREAMS COALITION: (573) 751-4115 ext 3169 or www.mostreamteam.org

SIERRA CLUB: 875-2916 or http://sierra.osage.missouri.org Meet 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Foundation, 1107 University Ave

WILD ONES: 573 882-9909, ext 3257 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd Saturdays.

 

Answer to BioRegional Quiz: About 91,000 as of May 2005, giving us a density of 1,542/sq mile.

 

Feedback - Got an opinion? If we have space, we will consider publishing it. Submit it by email (envstudy@missouri.edu), snail mail (Environmental Studies, 211 Lowry , MU, Columbia MO 65211), or call Jan Weaver to talk about it (882-7116). MU Environmental Network News is published by MU's Environmental Studies Initiative. All opinions expressed are the responsibility of the editor. Any part of this newsletter may be copied for distribution but please give us credit.

 

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