Forever Earthbound
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

Minnie and Milford Microbe

9/27/2014

0 Comments

 

        Snuggled securely below the surface in the fertile soil of Farmer Jones’ field Milford and Minnie Microbe (proud members of the local microorganism community) took a few minutes to relax from the busyness of their lives.  “You know Minnie,” Milford began,  “we’ve had a wonderful life.  Just think of the comfortable home we’ve been able to enjoy while we raise our thousands of children.”

        “Mercy sakes!” replied Minnie.  “We’re so fortunate to live in the times that we do.  Remember the stories we heard from our great grandparents about the dark days before Farmer Jones began practicing regenerative agriculture?   Every year he plowed up the ground tearing the microbe community from its home and exposing it to ultraviolet light and other elements.  And the poisons – Lordy!  Sprays for this and sprays for that. Not to mention the chemical fertilizers. Why our poor ancestors could hardly establish a colony.  The fewer of us there were the more the soil hardened and compacted.  When heavy rains fell the soil wasn’t able to soak it up; it washed away carrying fertilizers and chemical sprays with it.”

        “Yes, those were dark times Minnie,” Milford sighed.  “Thank goodness Jones began to read books like The Soil will Save Us by Kristin Ohlson.  He learned that by practicing no-till farming we microbes could thrive.  With trillions more of us regenerating the soil by simply eating, growing and dying his ground became enriched and more balanced.  As the land became more fertile, by using cover crops Jones was able to eliminate costly chemical sprays and fertilizers.   He had already known about plants taking in carbon dioxide and combining it with water and sunlight to make food.  But until humans faced a potential crisis from CO2 warming the atmosphere he didn’t realize we’re even more helpful.  We consume that greenhouse gas from plant roots and bury it securely in the soil.  Good thing too!  Right now there’s more CO2 in the atmosphere than in all of human history.”

        “Looks like some humans are finding that agriculture that uses little or no chemicals is not only economical but also makes for a healthier world. It builds the soil, improves water retention, avoids run-off pollution, and helps soak up excessive CO2.  We do need to take care of this earth - the only home we’ll ever know.  With the humans we are forever…Earthbound.”  
0 Comments

Efficiency Experts

9/10/2014

0 Comments

 

        After the howling wind subsided I ventured out to survey the damage.  Like numerous properties throughout Iowa County the storm last June left broken branches and toppled trees.  A huge branch straddled the roof; a toppled tree rested on the old hog shed.  Other trees blocked the driveway and crushed fences.  

        Some would have looked at that mess and said, “That old guy will never get this all cleaned up!”  But a chainsaw and a compact bucket-tractor are highly efficient modern tools.  It’s amazing what a person can accomplish with these.  Our grounds are cleared and life is back to normal.

        This week, we commemorate the 100th anniversary of another type of highly efficient human endeavor – one that some would have said could never happen.  In the 1870s several billion (yes, the “b” is correct) passenger pigeons flew throughout North America’s eastern woodlands.  One flock in southern Ontario is described as having been 1 mile wide and 300 miles long.  Its 3.5 billion birds took 14 hours to pass.  Just 50 years later, on Sept. 1, 1914, Martha, the last known remaining passenger pigeon expired. 

        How could an entire species of this magnitude be completely wiped out?  The combination of highly effective hunting and netting, the use of the telegraph to pinpoint flock movements, and the destruction of forests exhausted this seemingly inexhaustible species.  Humankind can be highly efficient. 

        Today, some would say the earth’s atmosphere is so vast that human activity can’t possibly have any effect.  But burning carbon-based fuels currently adds 10 billion (there’s that “b” again!) tons of CO2 to the atmosphere annually, trapping heat.  We can’t see or smell CO2 so we don’t notice its presence.  But 100s of billions of tons of anything over decades make a difference.

        Some would say, “There’s nothing we can do about it anyway.”  But humankind has also proved highly efficient in reversing deleterious effects on the atmosphere.  In the 1980s scientists learned that the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in aerosols was creating a hole in the ozone layer, letting cancer-causing ultraviolet light become more intense.  By international agreement these CFCs were slowly phased out; the ozone hole is repairing itself and shrinking.

        We can make the same type of progress by phasing out fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gasses.  And we must because our only home needs us to be efficient.  After all, we are forever…Earthbound.
0 Comments

    Author

    I'm interested in the topics of sustainability and climate change especially in regards to our local area in southwest Wisconsin.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013

    Categories

    All
    Carbon Fee And Dividend
    Carbon Sequestration
    Climate Change
    Extreme Weather
    Health
    Local Food
    Lymes Disease
    Mercury Pollution
    Renewable Energy

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.