Throughout the semester, we focused on energy in terms of fuel sources and electricity generation. We learned about the importance of energy accessibility, reliability, security, and sustainability. In a previous lesson, we focused on the relationship between energy and climate. In this lesson we will focus on the role of energy in regard to water and food. Why these two? While having electricity is necessary for advancement of societies and growing economies, having food and water is essential to life itself. Understanding the relationship between energy and water, and energy and food, is an important aspect of understanding the true impact of energy. But we will also realize that there are times when energy comes in competition with water and food. How then do you determine which gets priority? We will see that the answer is not always clear cut.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:   

• Relate the key aspects of the energy-water nexus and energy-food nexus
• Compare and contrast how the four attributes of energy (accessibility, reliability, security, and sustainability) relate to priorities around water and food
• Describe some of the efforts and innovations to address the nexuses

Lesson Roadmap

Questions?

If you have questions, please feel free to post them to the Questions about EGEE 401 Discussion forum in Canvas. While you are there, feel free to post your own responses if you, too, are able to help a classmate.

This nexus is rather straightforward, and we see this has two components- it takes energy to manage water, and it takes water to generate energy. Because with water, we have the same attributes to contend with- water accessibility, reliability, security, and sustainability. The difference is that for the most part, any lapses in these attributes, especially the first three, can mean life or death. One of the biggest reasons for deaths in developing countries is poor quality drinking water and access to sanitation.

Energy for water- We also need to recognize that when we talk about energy and water, we mean the energy needed to transport, collect, treat, and distribute water; as well as the energy needed to collect, treat, and discharge water. When there is a power outage, it is more than the lights going out. It means water supply and treatment plants cannot operate unless they have emergency power sources. To them, energy reliability is paramount.

Water for energy- From the other perspective, we know it takes much water to generate energy. Whether it is cooling water for power plants and solar farms, flowing water for hydropower, or water in the manufacturing process of renewable energy equipment, water is an integral part of power generation and energy supply. Interestingly, in terms of water use for power generation, a great amount of water is used, but very little is actually consumed. In other words, at a power plant, water is used to cool, but then is returned to the same local watershed. As we will see below in the food discussion, in agriculture much water is consumed- meaning it becomes part of the product and leaves the watershed.

A relatively new and contentious issue in the water-energy nexus is the concept of hydraulic fracturing for gas production. This is the practice of injecting water into a subsurface formation to force open fractures, or cracks, to allow the trapped natural gas to flow to the wellhead more freely. Ironically, this is not new technology and use of water for secondary fossil fuel recovery has been around for decades. But with the expansive growth of fracking, and the growing awareness of the sensitivity of water supplies, it is much more in the public eye than ever before.

This is a unique relationship. We can imagine that it takes energy to provide food. Whether it is fuel for farm equipment, electricity for food processing facilities or the transport, storage, and sale of food, energy is present in the entire life cycle of food production, as it is in nearly all other manufacturing sectors. Food also has additional nuances around energy needs, such as the nexus of water and energy in regard to irrigation. Agriculture consumes approximately 61% of freshwater used in the world, and much of this water use takes energy, such as for irrigation and treatment.

With the advent of biofuels as part of the renewable energy transition, energy and food come together again in a different way. The use of a traditional food source for fuel production is a key debate in regard to corn for ethanol. This competition for corn between the fuel sector and the food sector is one of the more contentious aspects of the food-energy nexus.

Purpose of this infographic:

To successfully complete this assignment, you will create an infographic that illustrates either how water and energy relate, or how food and energy relate.

Communicating Visually:

To pull together the concepts learned in this lesson, develop an infographic that illustrates either how water and energy relate, or how food and energy relate. In your illustration, show sources of energy, how it is used by the water or food sectors, and how those sectors in turn support energy generation. Include the results of your water footprint calculator. Illustrate or note how your footprint relates to the concepts in the Infographic. Note points where innovation can help address a conflict.

Successfully completing this assignment:

If you haven’t done so already, review the foundational information on creating infographics. You can view those resources through the links provided in the Orientation Module in Canvas. The rubric used for grading this assignment can be found on the Infographic Activity webpage as well as the Infographic Drop Box for Lesson 1 on Canvas.

Infographic Information Video