Food & Water Security

  Food & Water Security

by Caleb Cheha Paik

 Food security is important to understand for the well-being of the people. In a rapidly developing world, food security has been a critical challenge to maintain. As the population increases rapidly, the need to safeguard these resources become more paramount.

    Food security revolves around the accessibility, availability, and stability of food sources. At its best, each individual person will have enough food to live a long, healthy life. However, this is far from reality. Unfortunately, this ideal remains absent for a significant portion of the world. 

    While there are many challenges to food security, three main ones are apparent. First, population growth is a major challenge to food security. With the global population already being over 8 billion people, the demand for food supply skyrockets. This puts immense pressure on the industry. Next, climate change is also a challenge to food security. Due to the increase of greenhouse gasses, global warming, erratic temperatures, extreme weathers, and irregular precipitations disrupt agriculture. This reduces crop yields and threatens food production. Lastly, food security is challenged due to scarce resources. Diminishing land, such as deforestation, will lead to reduced biodiversity, ultimately harming agricultural outputs. 

    To prevent these challenges, certain ways can be implemented. These include sustainable agriculture, which can utilize certain farming practices to enhance productivity while minimizing environmental impact. Furthermore, the use of technological innovations, such as genetically modified crops, can increase crop yields. Lastly, promoting a wider variety of crops can increase resilience to changing weather conditions.

    In conclusion, while food security is an urgent matter in the world, it can be prevented if people unite to do so. 

Energy Security

  Energy Security

Written by Caleb Cheha Paik

 Energy security, the uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price, is critical to a nation’s well being and prosperity. It revolves around the reliable and affordable access to energy resources, as well as protection against supply disruptions and price volatility. In today’s day and age, energy security is a global imperative sought by countries all around the world. 

    Energy security is significant for three reasons: economic stability, national security, and environmental sustainability. Economic stability and growth correlates with a consistent and affordable energy supply. Industries, businesses, and households rely on various amounts of energy in order to function efficiently. Furthermore, energy price spikes or shortages can cause reduced economic activity, inflation, and job losses. Secondly, overreliance on foreign energy sources can lead to consequences to a nation’s security. It renders the nation susceptible to geopolitical pressures, as energy exporting countries may use their source of energy as leverage to exert control. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine serves as a great example. Prior to the conflict, Ukraine and its allies heavily depended on Russian natural gas supplies. Consequently, these countries suffered a heavy impact on their energy security and economy. Lastly, energy security is not only about access to energy but also about the sustainability of energy sources. As the world is prioritizing cleaner and renewable energy, ensuring a stable, effective transition is essential for addressing climate change.

    To ensure energy security and its importance, a nation can implement many actions. Governments can encourage the use of diverse energy, including conventional and renewable, to reduce susceptibility  to price fluctuations and supply disruptions. They can also promote energy-efficient practices/programs in industries and households through regulations, and campaigns. These programs can include policymakers creating an environment for renewable energy development, including research funding and tax incentives. Furthermore, investment in energy infrastructure and collaboration among nations can ensure reliability and resilience especially during crises that require urgent mitigation. 

    Energy security is a complex issue that requires crucial attention. The current world needs to ensure energy security more than ever as the world faces challenges such as climate change and geopolitical tensions.