DRAFT #1:
As a society today, the climate change crisis brings up many questions that affect the future generations. Many of these questions are becoming unavoidable as we realize that time for humankind on the Earth is limited. Charles Mann brings up one specific unavoidable question in his essay “Can Planet Earth Feed 10 Billion People?” He shows the disagreement between two different views, the Wizards and the Prophets. The Wizards, who follow the beliefs of Norman Bourlaug, are innovative, and create new technological fixes to solve the climate crisis. While on the other hand, the Prophets, follow the views of William Vogt, state how humankind is evil for their actions and think that cutting back on using Earth’s resources and farming will help save the planet.
Rob Rhinehart may have made a new solution to the climate crisis by his creation of a meal replacement drink. In Lizzie Widdicombe’s essay, “The End of Food” she explains how as a hard working and busy engineer, he thinks that food is a waste of his time during his day. He found that the nutrients and vitamins we get from food can be bought online in pill and powder form and be blended together. He called his mixture “Soylent” and used it as a quick way to relieve his hunger. While the Wizards and Prophets are caught up in their disagreements, we are losing time in the climate change crisis. Without action we will continue to see irreversible effects, but if humans start to work together progress can be made. The Wizards and Rob Rhinehart share views in a solution that could decrease the amount of food consumption.
“That battle is not just between two philosophies, two approaches to technology, two ways of thinking how to best increase the food supply for a growing population. It is about whether the tools we choose will ensure the survival of the planet or hasten its destruction” (Mann 9). The Wizards and Prophets are so caught up in whose solution is better than the others rather than what they can do by working together to save the planet. Humans will see major effects from the consequences of creating a higher demand if nothing is done.
Today we are faced with the problem that the Earth is running out of resources, such as food, for the growing population. A solution could be the use of Soylent. As Rhinehart explains, food is not the best way to get what humans need to survive. We do not need milk or bread, we need the amino acids, lipids and carbohydrates they nourish our bodies with. Fruits and vegetables are mostly made of water, so we only need the essential vitamins and minerals they provide, not the actual food (Widdicombe 1). His Soylent solution gives the body all the necessary vitamins and minerals it needs while not wasting food and resources that we are running out of. Not everyone will want to drink this for all three meals a day, everyday, but if people can start decreasing the amount of food consumption by drinking Soylent, it will help reduce the high demand we are putting on the Earth right now.
DRAFT #2:
FINAL DRAFT:
