![]() ![]() The heart of the nexus approach is understanding these interdependencies and how they impact food, water and energy security. Likewise, it takes a lot of energy to manufacture inorganic fertilizers and pesticides and to produce fuel for farm equipment. For example, certain commodity crops are grown for energy – corn, soy, sugar are all used to make biodiesel. The third leg of this connection is between energy and food. Likewise, it takes a lot of energy to treat and move water for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses, and transporting it can be a significant use of energy when you consider the sometimes vast distances water is moved. In addition, water used in power production is returned to the system much hotter than the receiving water body can handle, forming what’s known as thermal pollution. Too much water (which results in flooding) or too little water (which results from drought or overuse) can have a significant impact on electricity production. Similarly, certain forms of energy production require massive amounts of water. That water is often returned to water ways contaminated with pathogens from livestock, pesticides, nitrates in groundwater, trace metallic elements and emerging pollutants, including antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant genes excreted by livestock. This is the case in California – in the country’s most prolific agricultural region, agriculture accounts for 80 percent of all human water use in the state. Because food is often grown in more arid climates where water can be scarce, water is often taken out of other watersheds and transported long distances for irrigation. It takes water – a lot of it – to grow and produce food. Corporations use water footprints to understand how their processes use water and energy and where they can reduce both, thereby saving raw materials and money. ![]() Water footprints take an innovative approach to the Water-Energy-Food Nexus, because they help people understand those connections through the lens of their own water use. Consider how and where all three are used in the US – as events like droughts, oil spills and fluctuating food prices make clear, the US cannot view these systems in isolation. The connection between the systems is known as the Water-Energy-Food Nexus. Food and energy are equally dependent upon each other. It takes water to grow crops and produce energy and it takes a lot of energy to treat and move water. ![]() ![]() Food, water and energy systems are intimately connected with each other and water is a crucial component to making food and energy systems work. ![]()
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