| The British Petroleum oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is | | | | To get the number of equivalent people fed by this |
| a disaster by any standard. We are all well aware of | | | | single food source, divide 40 billion calories per annual |
| the potential damage to the eco-system of the gulf | | | | harvest by 60 million calories per human life |
| and more critically, the risk to the Mississippi Delta | | | | consumption. That calculates to greater than 600 |
| estuaries. Daily news reports of volunteers washing | | | | equivalent human lifetime food supplies. In a more |
| oil from a birds feathers are heart rendering. Reports | | | | immediate sense, that means that 42,000 people |
| have been written on the economic impact of this oil | | | | would go hungry in a year, for every year that the |
| spill on the Gulf tourism industry and on the shrimp | | | | Gulf shrimp cannot be eaten. |
| fishing industry. In this article, we focus on the impact | | | | As the demands of the world population approach |
| the loss of even one seasons loss of the Gulf shrimp | | | | the available world food supply and the impacts of |
| harvest will have on our food supply. | | | | global climate change on crop prediction begin to be |
| Fact: The Gulf shrimp fishing industry's maximum | | | | felt, unnecessary loss of existing food sources will |
| sustainable annual yield estimates vary from a high | | | | become more critical and less tolerable! |
| value of 200 million pounds to a more conservative | | | | So what can we do about it? |
| value of 86 million pounds (source: NOAA). One | | | | One small part of the answer is to reduce our |
| pound of shrimp contains approximately 480 | | | | dependence on oil. Not just foreign oil because of the |
| consumable calories. The estimated caloric yield of | | | | political ramifications but also domestic oil production |
| one seasons shrimp crop, using the conservative | | | | because of the environmental impact i.e. oil spills, |
| NOAA number is therefore 41 billion calories. | | | | eco-system and food supply. |
| Consider that the typical American consumes over | | | | Much has been written on the subject of what we |
| 2400 calories per day on average throughout his or | | | | can do with current technology, the trend to |
| her lifetime (more as child, less as we age). Assuming | | | | alternative electric and Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, for |
| a typical lifespan of 70 years times 365 day times | | | | example will certainly make a big impact but it will |
| 1500+ calories, the typical American will consume, on | | | | take a generation till these alternatives have replaced |
| average, 60 million calories in their lifetime. Admittedly, | | | | the existing population of gas powered cars and |
| a persons caloric consumption is from a variety of | | | | trucks. Solar and wind fields are also in the plan but |
| sources and man cannot live on shrimp alone. | | | | just now being seeded across America. |
| Although shrimp consumption is spread over many | | | | As individuals level we can make small changes to |
| people, it is useful to calculate how many equivalent | | | | reduce our oil consumption; by insulating our homes, |
| lifespans one years Gulf shrimp harvest could support | | | | converting to CFL light bulbs and even installing solar |
| and what the impact will be if only one seasons | | | | panels. By "Living Green" we can and must make our |
| shrimp harvest is lost or inedible due to toxicity. | | | | own contributions! |