One of the first principles students are taught in ecology is that of the trophic pyramid. If you could weigh all the plant material in a prairie, forest or marsh, on average there would be 10 times as much plant biomass as there was of herbivore, and the herbivores would have 10 times as much as the carnivores, and the carnivores would have 10 times as much as top carnivores. If you stacked the biomass of these different feeding or "trophic" levels with the plants on the bottom, they would form a pyramid with the top carnivores at the apex.

This trophic pyramid is a result of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. (The 1st Law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, though it can be converted from one form to another - kinetic to potential, chemical to kinetic, plant to animal, etc.). The 2nd Law recognizes the fact that every time energy is converted from one form to another, some of the energy is given off as "heat" - "heat" in this sense means energy that is too diffuse to do "work". What does "work" mean? In living things it is what is done by the Calories we eat - moving muscles, transporting molecules across membranes, and building or breaking down tissues. However, every time the energy in Calories is used to do work, it is converted into a different form and some of the energy is given off as heat, so it is not available to do any work.

In ecological communities, by the time the original energy from a plant has been converted to herbivore, then carnivore and finally top carnivore, there is only enough energy to support 1/1000 the biomass that was in the plant - which is why top carnivores are relatively rare. It also means you need a lot more land to support a carnivore, on average 10 times as much, as you need to support a herbivore.

One half to two thirds of Americans are overweight, and a third are obese. Most likely this is due to the dramatic increase in Calorie intake in the last 30 years - an additional 500 Calories, to around 2700 Calories per person per day, and to a significant reduction in physical activity. Between 20 and 50 million of those overweight Americans are trying to lose this extra weight, not by cutting their Caloric intake back to 1970 levels, but by substituting protein Calories (mainly from animal sources) for carbohydrate Calories (from plant sources). This is the hugely popular approach of the Atkins and other "lo carb" high protein diets.

Given the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, this particular diet is bound to have significant environmental impacts. On average it takes 8 -12 lbs of grain or grass to produce one lb of meat. To feed a dieter who reduces their intake to 2200 Calories and eats proportions of protein, carbohydrates and fat recommended by the FDA, takes 3.4 sq yards of land per day. To feed a dieter who continues to eat 2700 Calories per day, but replaces 240 grams of carbohydrate with 240 grams of protein, as recommended by the Atkins maintenance diet, takes 10.6 sq yards per day. Over a year, a person on an FDA diet would require 0.31 acres to provide their food. A person on a lo carb hi protein diet, with no reduction in Calories, would require 0.97* acres.

Estimates of lo carb dieters in the U.S. range from 20 to 50 million. So the additional land required to feed these Americans ranges from 13.2 million to 33 million acres, or an area a third to a half the size of Missouri. Plus, each additional acre required to grow grain for animal feed requires 650,000 to 1 million gallons of water, over 100 lbs of fertilizer, and the equivalent of 5.6 gallons of gas.

Unfortunately, the popularity of high protein diets isn't the only factor increasing the demand for animal products. As individuals in the developing world become wealthier, they increase their consumption of meat, milk and eggs. It is one of the first things additional income is spent on. Whether high protein diets are here to stay or not, as world incomes rise, the demand for meat will also rise. This is likely to increase conversion of forests to grasslands, increase desertification of overgrazed land, and increase hunger among the poor as grain stocks are diverted from feeding people to feeding animals to feed people.

There is a place for meat at the table. In well managed pastures, cattle and goats convert plants to a form people can eat, providing Calories as well as protein, and meat supplies vitamins and amino acids that are challenging to get from a vegetarian diet. However, increasing the amount of animal protein in the diet beyond what is nutritionally required or to make good use of grasslands will carry a high environmental and human cost. Maybe our diet choices should be guided not just by what works for us, but what works for the planet as well.

* The impact can vary a lot depending on whether one eats beef, chicken or pork, if the beef is grain or grass fed, the efficiency of the processing plant and other factors.

Agriculture Fact Book 2000-2001- http://www.usda.gov/factbook/chapter2.htm for info on how our diet has changed

Bioregional Quiz: What is the largest agricultural crop in Missouri (by acreage)?

Job of the Month:Bilingual Community Organizer - Mothers for Clean Air. Responsibilities:The Community Organizer will inform the community of the project to reduce community exposure to hazardous pollution, recruit residents and stakeholders to be part of the process, assist with implementation of the project and coordinate training of residents to take air samples in the community. The Community Organizer will become familiar with Southeast Houston and develop an understanding of environmental risks in the community. Status: The Community Organizer is a three-year grant funded position that does not include benefits. Time required is estimated at twenty hours per week and requires work on weekends and in the evenings. Qualifications:The applicant should have a master's degree in a related field or a Bachelor's degree and at least two years of experience in community organizing, and reliable transportation. The applicant should be an excellent communicator and have strong organizational and interpersonal skills. Fluency in Spanish is desirable. Salary:Pay is $13,000 the first year, $15,000 the second and $17,000 the third year contingent on positive performance evaluations. Closing Date: The position is open until filled and is dependent on receipt of EPA funding. The expected start time is Summer 2004. Application Procedure: Please e-mail your resume and a cover letter stating why you think you would be good for this job to mfca@mothersforcleanair.org. Complete Job description at - http://www.ecoemploy.com/posts/mfca.html

Special Events/Classes/Programs/Talks
TWILIGHT FESTIVAL: Thursday Evenings in June 6-8 pm, Downtown Columbia. Music, art, community groups and kids activities.
BATS ON PARADE: June - Pick up Bat Card to cut out and decorate at the Public Library . Decorate Bats Saturday June 19, 12 - 3 pm at the Public Library. for more info - http://web.missouri.edu/~esiwww/bats.html
NATURAL HAZARDS: Saturday June 12, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park - Office 9 am - Plants and animals to watch out for - ticks, mosquitos, poison ivy and nettle. 10:30 am Natural hazards in the field - find out where pesky plants and animals live, how to avoid them and how to live with them.
BERRY PICKING: Wednesday, June 23 after 5:30 pm. Come pick blueberries, blackberries, and black raspberries on Life Abundant Farms in the evening. Call Denise Johnson at (573) 256-5228 for details.
LEWIS AND CLARK: JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY: Saturday June 26, 1-4 pm. Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Outfit an expedition, hear stories from the journey, learn about plant and animal ID, then hike a nature trail, and create nature journal entries. Reservations required - call 449-7400
WEEKENDS ON THE BOARDWALK: Select weekends in June and July noon to 4 pm on the Devil's Icebox Boardwalk at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park.

MU Organization Meetings and Contact Information
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL: http://www.missouri.edu/~jesse105/committees/pages/environmental.htm
RECYCLING COMMITTEE: 882-3091 Thursday June 10, 9 am 185 General Services Building

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 Wednesdays 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, Community Room of the Boone Electric Coop
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 STORMWATER PROJECT: 884-8333 or http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/PublicWorks/StormWater/cswp.html
ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/
FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE M. S. P.: 815-9255 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63S
GREENBELT COALITION: 442-4789 or http://greenbelt.missouri.org Meet 1st Tuesdays, 7 pm, Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.
MISSOURI NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY: npshawth@hotmail.com 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: 443-0292 or http://mrcn.missouri.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: 443-4401 or http://sierra.osage.missouri.org Meet 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Foundation, 1107 University Ave
WILD ONES: 499-3749 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd Saturdays. Call for location

Answer to BioRegional Quiz: Soybeans. 4.75 million acres of Missouri are planted in soybeans, almost one million more acres than are devoted to corn, wheat, rice, potatoes, tomatos and other major crops combined. Soybeans are the state's largest agricultural export, earning $433 million in 2001 or 38% of our ag export. A 60 lb bushel of soybeans yields 48 lbs of protein-rich meal and 11 lbs of oil. George Washington Carver's studies of the bean in the early 20th century transformed soybeans from a forage crop into source of protein and oil. To find out more - http://agebb.missouri.edu/mass/indepth/soybean/sbhistry.htm

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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