October to Now - What's Changed?

With the New Year now well underway, I thought I would pause and reflect a little on what I have uncovered, discussed and learned over the past few months through doing these blog posts. This is, I hasten to add, not by any means a reflective send-off, but rather more an update on my own personal mindset and opinions on the key topics relating to global environmental change and agriculture.

(Source: richesandglory.wordpress.com)

Now, first things first, I need to go back to the very beginning (no, not when time began...let's try October). When I set out to explore the debates, contributions, misconceptions and facts surrounding agriculture and its contribution to the concept of global environmental change I very much saw pollution as the primary factor. My first few posts prove testament to this, where I explored phosphorous leakage and the damage that causes to the environment, particularly in a contemporary context. I decided that from this part of the debate I would explore the chemical usage of modern agriculture further, which led me to a very topical "buzzing" debate about bee populations. This gave me a real case study focus on how the changing practices of agriculture are altering the natural environment. I also touched a little on the impacts farming is and has had on broad ecology and habitat stability, which was a topic I found particularly interesting.

At this stage it seemed clear to me that this excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides is really a driving force behind how agriculture is causing and contributing to global environmental change. Indeed it is avery significant one, but through my reading it became apparent that the concept of water consumption was arguably a far bigger issue. I've become quite passionate about this topic, and it has led to a real change in my mindset. Having initially thought that the modernisation of agriculture through chemical use was the primary cause of agriculturally-induced environmental change, I am now in a position where agricultural water consumption tops the agenda.

What I have found really interesting, and incredibly useful, about this blogging process is the difference in how I have engaged with literature and debates, and then how this has helped me to understand concepts and topics much better. The ways in which I now go about reading and researching topics has changed, and I am much less hesitant to take my own opinion on things.

(Source: goodjoe.com)

All I can say now is that I look forward to more explorations of a broad spectrum of environmental change topics in relation to farming, and I hope you all do too!