Agents of change, take your seat
Let’s eat!
[Verse 1]
In fields where the trees once stood tall,
Now echoes the farmer’s call,
Clearing land for crops to grow,
But the consequences, we must know.
[Chorus]
We’re the farm team, agents of change,
In the climate game, we rearrange,
From deforestation to methane skies,
Our primitive ways, we must revise.
[Break]
Agents of change, take your seat
Let’s eat!
[Instrumental, Guitar Solo, Drum Fills]
[Verse 2]
Livestock grazing on open plains,
Methane emissions, like silent rains,
Nitrous oxide tide from chemicals spread,
Changing the climate, with every tread.
[Chorus]
We’re the farm team, agents of change,
In the climate game, we rearrange,
From deforestation to methane skies,
Our primitive ways, we must revise.
[Break]
Agents of change, take your seat
Let’s eat!
[Instrumental, Guitar Solo, Drum Fills]
[Bridge]
Water flows, irrigation high,
But the cost is steep, as aquifers dry,
Crop residue burning fills the air,
With carbon smoke, a climate affair.
[Verse 3]
Still we till, till, till under freewill,
If there’s a drought, we’ll drill, drill, drill,
The farm team plays a second rate role,
Our selfish ways are taking their toll.
[Chorus]
We’re the farm team, agents of change,
In the climate game, we rearrange,
From deforestation to methane skies,
Our primitive ways, we must revise.
[Break]
Agents of change, take your seat
Let’s eat!
[Outro]
Agents of change, take your seat
Admit defeat
[End]
A SCIENCE LESSON
Humans act as agents of change for climate change through their agricultural practices in several ways:
- Deforestation for Agriculture: Clearing land for agriculture, especially for large-scale farming, often involves deforestation. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, so deforestation releases stored carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
- Methane Emissions from Livestock: Livestock farming, particularly of ruminants like cattle, produces methane emissions. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and the large-scale production of livestock leads to significant methane emissions from their digestive processes and manure management.
- Nitrous Oxide from Fertilizer Use: The use of synthetic fertilizers in agriculture releases nitrous oxide, another potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide is released during fertilizer application and through microbial processes in the soil.
- Land Use Change and Soil Degradation: Intensive agricultural practices can lead to soil degradation, erosion, and loss of soil carbon. Changes in land use, such as converting natural ecosystems to croplands or pastures, can disrupt carbon storage in soils, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
- Water Use and Irrigation: Agriculture accounts for a significant portion of global water use, particularly for irrigation. Unsustainable irrigation practices can lead to water scarcity, soil salinization, and depletion of aquifers, affecting local ecosystems and exacerbating climate change impacts.
- Crop Residue Burning: In some agricultural systems, farmers burn crop residues after harvest to clear fields quickly for the next planting. This practice releases carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere, contributing to air pollution and climate change.
Agricultural practices play a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions and land use changes, making them important factors in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.