Deck 3: Growing Plants for Human Use

Question 1

Eighty percent of our food energy comes directly or indirectly from six major crops (wheat, corn, rice, sweet potato, white potato, and cassava or manioc). Many people in the world eat little other than one or two of these crops and lack the balanced nutrition that comes with eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains. What are some ways you would suggest to get more variety into the diets of those people?

Answer 1

Our diet is comprise of mainly six crops; wheat, corn, rice, sweet potato, white potato and cassava or manioc. Many people adhere to vegetarian meals not only because it is cheap but also offers health benefits. A healthy vegetarian diet contains majorly one or two of these crops along with vegetables, fruits, pulses and some animal's product like milk. A vegetarian not only eat less calories per diet but also have lower risk of health diseases than meat eater.
A vegetarian diet offers several benefits; they are low in saturated fats that are responsible for heart problems. Plant foods contain high amount of fibres so good for digestion. A vegetarian consume lesser calories than meat eater for same volume of food that results in longer healthier lives. Vegetables and other plant product constitute first tropic levels so comparatively more energy is obtained on consuming plant products. Vegetarian diet is considered best in terms of calories and energy but sometimes they lack certain nutrients.
Almost all cereals, pulses, vegetables or fruits undergo processing after they harvested such as polishing in case of pulses and cereals, use of pesticides for preventing food from damage. These processes although beneficial for food but tends to decrease it nutritive value. Polishing of cereals and pulses makes it deficient in vitamin B-12. Similarly use of chemical to ripe fruits or vegetables affects its nutritive nature. Such diet does not fulfil the criteria of a balanced diet.
Meat as a main food surely contains more energy, more calories but less actual energy. For a person who completely relies on plant based food combining a small portion of meat is advisable. Because a plant based diet although superior is not able to provide a balanced diet. So instead of shifting to a non-vegetarian meal completely only a small portion is suggested. Many interesting dishes comprising these crops can be tried but at certain times when a person needs more energy like during pregnancy, childhood or lactation a little meat should be given.
Protein, iron and zinc are some minerals that are indispensable for growing children and child bearing women that cannot be completed with plant based diet alone. So person who rely on plant based product for their foods should combine a little meat to it in order to make it a balanced diet -containg all necessary nutrients in appropriate amount.

Question 2

Whar is the advantage of plant fats over animal fats in the human diet?

Answer 2

We require a variety of food as a part of our diet. A food should comprise of essential components i.e. carbohydrates, fat, protein, minerals and vitamins. Such diet containing all nutrients in adequate quantities is referred as balanced diet. Each nutrient has its important t role like carbohydrates and fats are meant to provide energy. Fat provides almost two times energy than carbohydrates when consumed in same quantities. Proteins are useful for building up body structure. Minerals and vitamins are required for normal functioning of body and prevent various deficiency diseases.
Fat contained in our food mainly divided into two plant fat and animal fats. Both these fats differ in their nature and properties. Some common contrasting features are:-
• Animal fats are obtained from animal origin sometimes as milk fat, ghee and from flesh of animals.
• Plants fats are oils extracted from plant seeds or other source industrially.
• Animal's fats generally solidify at room temperature whereas plant fats (oils) are liquids.
• Chemically, animal's fats are saturated with no double bond in their structure so they tend to be solid in contrast to unsaturated plant fats which are liquids due to presence of one or more double bonds.
Not all fats we intake have same effect on our body and plant fats are considered more beneficial over animal fat. As discussed above animal fats contain saturated fatty acids which if responsible for increasing low density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL in body. LDL leads to narrowing of arteries increasing risk of heart attack and diseases. High density lipoprotein (HDL) is termed good cholesterol because it carries cholesterol from blood to liver where it is further broken down and released. This reduces chances of heart disorders.
On the other hand plant fats contain mono-unsaturated fatty acids ( MUFA ) and polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFA ) which help to lower the blood cholesterol so considered healthy.

Question 3

If you were asked to give your opinion on the use of biofuels to lower our reliance on petroleum-based fuels, what would you say and why would you say it?

Answer 3

Our dependence on fuels is increasing as we our progressing and has made fuels as important as our basic needs. We rely on fuels for moving for transportation, for electricity and for our many daily needs. Our increasing need have made us all very much dependent on petroleum products because most of the fuels we are using currently are derived from petroleum product. We all know petroleum fuels are not clean pollution free source of energy but lack of option and need of energy we use these product. From past some years biofuels have emerged as a cleaner, renewable and eco-friendly alternative for energy. Scientist from all over the world is now trying harness biofuels for their day- to-day energy needs.
Biofuels -as its name suggest have originated from living material such as plants and their waste. Two most important biofuels are biodiesel and bioethanol.
• Biofuels is a cleaner burning option as it produces less smoke and burn with clean flame with no residues left.
• This is generated from renewable sources such as plant oils and plant biomass.
• Biodiesel produces less carbon on burning almost 78% less than petroleum fuels. Carbon dioxide is one of the gases responsible for global warming.
• Biodiesel can be used as transportation fuels on blending with diesel in many proportions.
• Use of biodiesel carbon footprint as emits only carbon-dioxide that in turn absorbed by growing green plants.
• Biofuels are comparatively easy to use so they can be used with either petrol or diesel engine by blending it with petroleum fuels.
• Biofuels increases lubrication of engine which results in high life of the engine.
This is evident that biofuels poses many benefits over petroleum fuels such their simplicity, biodegradable nature, non-toxicity and among all plant origin. It has been proved that biofuels emits only carbon dioxide no other aromatic harmful pollutant so considered safe to use.
In my opinion biofuels will actually be best energy source, this is true that there would be certain modification needed in our current engines before uses but they certainly reduce our reliance on petroleum product as a fuels.

Question 4

What is the advantage of having a little meat in a human diet?

Question 5

If you are ever considering plants to landscape the yard where you live, what types of plants would you want to use and why would you want to use those types?

Question 6

Why do we say that using chemical inputs of fertilizer and pesticides both raises and lowers our energy footprint?

Question 7

What happens to the mineral nutrients (that would normally be recycled back into the soil after a plant dies) when a crop is harvested and shipped to another location? How does that influence the need to add fertilizer for the next crop?

Question 8

What advantage is there to grazing animals on land that is not suitable for other types of crop production?

Question 9

Why is it illegal to grow hemp in the United States and why is there an interest in making it legal?

Question 10

What are the two main types of biofuels and what are some of the plants used for each?

Question 11

Describe two of the issues associated with growing plants for biofuels.

Question 12

What kinds of chemicals are likely to be the most rewarding to produce in genetically engineered plants?

Question 13

What is biophilia and how does it relate to the kinds of plants we grow?

Question 14

Why do we now have to consider urban and suburban landscapes as significant sources of environmental pollution?

Question 15

What are some ways that nurseries and greenhouses are reducing their footprint on the environment?