The sheriff called in his two most trusted deputies.  “Boys,” he said, “we’ve got ourselves a situation.”  Deputy Forrest Tree pulled up a chair as Deputy Aggie Culture sidled up against a filing cabinet.   Sheriff C. Questor* continued, ”You boys know I like to run a balanced program, but ever since the dawn of the Industrial Age we’ve been porking-up on CO2 in the atmosphere.  Now we’ve got over 40% more than has been the norm for tens of thousands of years.  Our system’s out of whack and causing problems.

        “You know we’ve been working hard to reduce the INPUT of more carbon into the atmosphere with ingenious ways to produce energy without burning carbon-releasing fossil fuels.  That’s great, but it’s not enough to get us back in balance.  Yup, you got it.  It’s round-up time.  We’ve got to round-up that excess carbon and pull it back OUT of the atmosphere.  And you’re just the team to do it!”

        The sheriff first huddled with Deputy Forrest Tree.  They made a list of priorities including: expanding reforestation of cleared areas, proper management of existing forests, expanding urban reforestation and proper fire management.

        Then he turned to Deputy Aggie Culture.  First, he reminded Aggie that some “industrial-ag” practices such as excessive use of chemical fertilizers are actually depleting carbon in the soil and sending into the atmosphere.  Fortunately, there are ways to turn that around.  Aggie’s list of priorities includes: reducing and reversing grassland conversion to tillage, use of cover crops, and better nutrient and manure management.
 
        But the champion practice for putting carbon into the soil is the use of BIOCHAR.  Biochar is a charcoal-like substance that’s made by burning organic waste material in a special process.  It then becomes a stable form of carbon that can’t easily escape into the atmosphere.  Also, the heat energy created during the process can be captured and used as a form of clean energy.  Adding biochar to the soil increases water retention, improves soil structure, decreases acidity, improves porosity, regulates nitrogen leaching, and improves microbial activity.  It’s a soil supplement powerhouse!

        Sheriff C. Questor walked his deputies to the door.  “It a big job, but we’ve got the tools to do it.  We’re counting on you because this ranch is our only home.  It’s where we’re all forever… Earthbound.”

        *Carbon Sequestration = Removing Carbon (in the form of CO2) from the atmosphere

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.
                                                                                                                        Ecclesiastes 3
        “Put one less egg in the fry pan for me.” Grandpa announced as he set the basketful of fresh eggs on the pantry shelf.  “I found a cracked one in the hen house and ate it while finishing chores.”

        Grandpa and Grandma Warren had a much different mindset and relationship to the land than most of us do today.  Resources were highly valued, not to be wasted or tossed aside casually, even a cracked raw egg.  As much as possible, their farm operated under a “circular economy” where resources continually cycled through natural processes.  Cow manure fertilized the soil to grow the crops that fed the cows who produced milk and created more manure.

        Much of today’s economy operates in a more linear fashion.  We extract resources, create products, use them up and toss the residue in the landfill, down the river or into the atmosphere.  It’s a system that’s brought us great comfort and convenience while also creating problems like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating trash heap that’s twice the size of Texas.  According to the current edition of “National Geographic” two-thirds of everything we take from the Earth is wasted.  This system is destined to fail.

        It’s time for a new mindset, one in which resources continually circle back to be used again and again.  It’s time to shift to a model where trash is all but non-existent.  Pie in the sky you say?  Perhaps not; waste is a design flaw.  In the natural world there is no such thing as waste.

        Entrepreneurs and businesses are tuning in to the growing economic opportunities for repairing, reusing, refurbishing, recycling and repurposing materials and for composting and microbial digestion of biological matter.  And the use of renewable energy resources is expanding dramatically.  National Geographic states, “A world without waste sounds impossible.  But the vision of a circular economy – where we use resources sparingly and recycle materials endlessly – is inspiring businesses and environmentalist alike.”

        Ecclesiastes reminds us, ”There is a time for everything.”  Grandpa Warren would agree; NOW is the time for a shift in mindset.  Each of us in our own way can practice a more circular use of resources.  It’s the path to a brighter future here on our only home where we’re all forever… Earthbound.

        Everr E. Mann finally found the nerve to ask Valerie for a date.  And she said Yes!  He spent the whole week planning out the perfect evening.  Everr prided himself on being a careful spender and considered it one of his finest qualities.  He figured he’d play to his strengths to impress her.

        The weather was perfect, so with gas at less than $2.50 / gal., they went driving around aimlessly and chatted, all for just a few bucks.  For dinner, Ev knew just the place.  The neighborhood burger chain was advertising a “Super Value Meal” – a double beef patty covered in bacon and cheese, extra fries and a super-sized soda all for just a few dollars each.  They were stuffed!
 
        To walk off all that food Ev took Val to the Dime-a-Dozen Dollar store.  Strolling up and down the aisles they laughed and joked about the cutesy, plastic knick-knacky stuff.  Everything was so cheap they ended up buying two bagsful of I-might-use-this-someday stuff.  After dropping Val off, Ev congratulated himself on spending his money wisely.

        Meanwhile, perched cross-legged on her bed, Valerie began to write, “Dear Diary, My first date with Everr!  He’s cute and sweet but…Sigh… like so many of us he’s bought into being CHEAP.  Will I ever meet a guy who’s not Creating Health, Emissions, and Attitude Problems, in other words – CHEAP?
 
        “For example, dinner was tasty enough, but HEALTHY?  Not so much.  Not for us or for the environment.  And all that aimless driving seems inexpensive, but it’s not when you count the ‘social cost of carbon.’  If you add up the dollar value of the economic harms and other socialized costs of carbon dioxide EMISSIONS, gas is expensive!  That’s why in Europe gas costs $5 - $7/gal. to help cover those ‘hidden’ costs.

        “And with an endless stream of every imaginable mass-manufactured material product practically begging to be bought (Thank you advertising – Not!) all of us could think twice about our ATTITUDE concerning accumulating and then discarding mounds of stuff just because it takes so few dollars to do so.

        “So Dear Diary, Everr’s such a sweet guy that I’m going to talk to him about the difference between being frugal and being CHEAP.  Then who knows?  Maybe Everr and I, Val Uwe, will find a long-lasting future together on our only home where we’re all forever… Earthbound.”

       The two friends read the survey results; most Americans, about 60%, understand that the warming climate is mostly human-caused.  And 2/3 are at least somewhat concerned, some much more so.  They also learned that the typical American family of 4 adds to the problem by pouring the equivalent of 45 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year.  “I want to do my part, but 45 tons!  How we ever going to put a dent in that?” Nell Naysayer moped. 

        “It’s pretty overwhelming,” Dottie Do-Right agreed. “But catch this; my cousin Dudley’s family replaced a couple dozen incandescent light bulbs with LEDs.  That reduced their CO2 use by almost a ton.  Their new Energy Star frig saves another 500 lbs.”

        Dottie asked Nell to help her carry out the recyclables. “You know by taking the time to recycle plastic, glass, magazines, newspapers, and aluminum and steel cans a household can save another ton every year.” 

        Walking back from the curb they saw Mr. Peabody carrying in his groceries and offered to help.  They pulled him into their “carbon footprint” conversation.  “Food choices have a big impact too,” Peabody said.  “In our house we plan a couple meatless meals each week reducing our CO2 impact by about a ton.  The kind of meat you eat matters too.  Unless you’re eating local grass-fed cattle, beef’s impact is almost 4 times that of pork and 5 times that of poultry,” Mr. Peabody added.  

        Sherman came in from the back yard.  “Did you show them our smart thermostat?” he chimed in.  “We program it to reduce either our heating or cooling when we’re not at home and in the evenings saving us money and about 1,500 lbs. of emissions a year.  And from our utility provider we chose 10% green power, saving an additional ton each year,” Sherman beamed.

        As they stepped off the porch their buddy Boris peddled up.  Chatting with him, they learned that Americans typically drive about 250 mi. a week.  With a little planning to reduce that distance by 40 miles a week, families would save another ton of emissions annually.  Just driving the speed limit and reducing idling can save up to 15% more.

        “Golly!” Nell practically cheered, “without much effort each family really can lower its carbon emissions and help protect our only home where we’re all forever… Earthbound.”

*With acknowledgements to Rocky, Bullwinkle and their Friends!

        The torrential rainstorm had pounded the countryside throughout the night.  Now, the first rays of dawn stretched across the landscape.  In that first light, Rich realized a new neighbor had moved in under cover of darkness.
       
        “Howdy,” he called.  “I’m Rich, Rich Soyalls.  Welcome!”
       
        “Whoa!  What a wild ride.  Where am I?” the newcomer called back from the muddy quagmire.  Will E. Rhode explained that before the storm he had been covered with rows of young corn plants, apparently up-stream somewhere.  He went on to tell the sad tale of how, decades ago, he was healthy, fertile topsoil.  “But after years of mismanagement, I guess I’m not surprised that I’ve been torn from my home and now am a wrung out muddy mess.”

        Rich, on the other hand, had soaked up that healthy dose of rain and never felt better.  Settled in this same location for hundreds of years Rich Soyalls hosts a vital, living ecosystem chockful of decaying matter and roots that feed all manner of tiny creatures and micro-organisms.

        “Yeah, I work for Ima Wizepharmer,” Rich explained. “She treats me well, and I grow some great crops for her!  Wizepharmer follows a few basic practices: 
        - Minimize disturbing me. 
        - Cover me with mulch or crop residue.   
        - Keep me well stocked with roots by planting cover crops and rotating in perennial and     forage crops.  
        - Foster biodiversity by varying crops and cover crop rotations.

        “And catch this bonus!  Humans are complaining about all the carbon (CO2) in the atmosphere these days.  They say there’s 411 parts per million(ppm) in the atmosphere.  The long-term average has been 275 ppm since humans first arrived.  So there’s way too much, and it’s messing up the climate!  But these practices pull boatloads of carbon out of the air and incorporate it into the soil making me even more fertile.  I love that stuff!”

        Rich and Will agreed that folks like Wizepharmer are true Heartland Heroes.  Not only do they feed the world, but by using these best practices they draw climate-disrupting carbon out of the air and put it into the soil where it grows vibrant living ecosystems.  It’s a Win-Win-Win: healthier, more stable soils, greater crop yields, and less climate disruption.

        What’s not to like?  With today’s environmental challenges, we really can’t afford to do less.  Because this is the only home we’ll ever know.  It’s where we’re all forever… Earthbound.

        Renae and Olive were packing away the church nativity display for another season.  As Olive wrapped up the baby Jesus figurine, she remarked, “It’s really quite amazing!  In our Christian tradition an earth-shaking transformation took place some 2,000 years ago.  Jesus gave us an enlightened vision of The Spirit and taught us a new way to relate to one another.  Humankind was lifted to a higher level.”

        The women continued to work quietly then Renea said, “Maybe now’s the time to take the next step higher.”  “What do you mean?” questioned Olive.

        Renea told Olive about a recent article in the journal Science.  It stated, "Pervasive human-driven decline of life on Earth points to the need for transformative change.  Continuation of ‘business as usual’ would result in great loss for both humans and the Earth.”  The article lists a litany of human impacts: 70% of land surfaces altered, 77% of major rivers no longer flow from source to sea, the tally of animal species going extinct is rising, biodiversity is being lost. 

         “Yikes!” Olive cried.  “That’s scary!” 

        “You bet it is.” Renae replied.  “But we humans are smart, and hopefully wise as well.  The author says in order to save the planet and ourselves ALL of us need a better understanding of how tightly woven together humans are to the natural world.  Then we need to apply that understanding ‘system-wide across technological, economic and social factors.’ The good news is, we humans have advanced to the point where we are able to understand our world as never before.  It’s time to apply that understanding and make sustainability the new ‘business as usual’ rather than the exception,” Renae concluded.

        Olive furrowed her brow then said, “I’ve got it!  This January instead of making resolutions for just the new year, I say we make a new DECADE resolution.  Let’s make the 2020s the decade we humans embrace a new, healthier relationship with the natural world.  No more willy-nilly extraction, consumption and discarding of Earth’s resources.  This decade we commit to a new way of life,” Olive A. Newway declared.

        “I’m IN,” Renae Sance agreed.  “Jesus showed us how to transform the world; now it’s our turn.  We’re the stewards of this beautiful planet, and this is the only home we’ll ever know.  So we really have no choice because we’re all forever… Earthbound.”

        Brooke Trout was looking forward to this holiday season more than ever.  She had an especially meaningful gift to share and was trying her best to keep it a secret.  But when Helga Heifer happened by, she couldn’t resist.  Helga bent her head down and Brooke whispered in her ear.

        “Land sakes!” Helga exclaimed.  “That’s the best present ever!  I promise to keep it a surprise.”  But, you guessed it, Helga can’t keep a secret.  So when Stanley Steer shared a drink with her that night at The Barn, Helga spilled the beans.  “This is perfect!” Stanley remarked. “During this dark, cold season it’s easy to feel glum, especially with the daily papers loaded with seemingly insurmountable problems.  This gift will really lift folks’ spirits.  But shhhh… here’s comes Cates.”
 
        Closing the barn door, Farmer Cates slipped into the moonlight admiring how it sparkled on Lowery Creek.  The water’s soothing gurgles soon lulled Helga, Stanley and all the ruminating cattle in Iowa County’s Jones Valley into a peaceful slumber.

        The next morning, Brooke was excited to see DNR Dan pull in to chat with Farmer Cates and his neighbors.  “Good!  Just who I hoped would stop in.  Now I can be sure I’ve got the details right,” thought Brooke as she darted behind Dan’s waders.  She was now well-situated to eavesdrop on the conversation.

        “Yup, that’s right,” Dan said. “Jones Valley farmers have done an outstanding job of managing streamside pastures.  As you know, we’ve been monitoring Lowery Creek for more than 50 years.  Various sections of it have been rated as either a Class 2 or Class 3 trout stream meaning it supports fish, but conditions aren’t ideal.  In fact, we used to stock this creek in order to maintain a trout population.  But with your help, stream health has gradually improved.  So much so that next year we’ll re-classify Lowery Creek as a Class 1 trout steam.  Now, instead of being stocked, we’ll use Lowery Creek to collect brook trout eggs for distribution elsewhere.  Well done!”

        Brooke was proud to share this environmental success story as a gift to the whole world. “These farmers are both growing food and improving the environment at the same time.  It’s a great model for a healthy future because this is the only home we fish and the humans will ever know.  It’s where we’re all forever… Earthbound.”

        “Ohhh,” Wanda Eatalott moaned.  “I stuffed myself again,” she though as she pulled back from the Thanksgiving feast.  “Why do I make myself so miserable by over-eating during the holidays?  I’d have enjoyed it more if I’d had a little less.”

        “Excuse me! Excuse me!” Lemmie Grabatonn practically barked as he pushed his shopping cart through the Black Friday crowd.  Lemmie had been up since early morning and now 8 hours later still had several items left on his gift list.  Later that evening while soaking his tired feet Lemmie though back to last year’s family gift exchange party.  There were so many gifts that many of the children had to actually be coaxed back to the tree to finish opening their presents.  “Huh,” Lemmie thought to himself, “If we’d have had less stuff, we’d probably have enjoyed the day more.”

        “Maybe if I push just a bit harder,” Anita Havalott grunted as she tried to close the storage closet door.  Once more, Anita hadn’t been able to resist the alluring appeal of “The More You Buy, The More You Save” sales at the mall, so she bought another car-full of stuff.  But now the closet, the attic and the garage were all overflowing.  Anita kicked at the closet door and thought, “I really need to get rid of some of this stuff.”

        Meanwhile next door, Les Ismorre picked up the Sunday paper and braced himself for another dose of the 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements that average Americans are exposed to every day.  The not-so-hidden message is, “You are unhappy.  Buy this and you’ll be as happy as the models in this ad are pretending to be.  Our stuff will make you happy!” 

        “Just look at all these ads!  No wonder we Americans are driven to consume, consume, consume!” Les thought.  Estimates are it would take the resources of FOUR Earths if every human devoured resources like the average American.  “Too bad we forget that experiences, especially those we share with others, make us happier than things, and the happiness lasts longer too!

        “This holiday season instead of stuff, my gifts will be to help spread four genuine keys to happiness: friendliness, cheerfulness, compassion and gratitude,” Les resolved.  “So often it really is true that Less is More.  More for me, more for others, and more for our beautiful planet home where we’re all forever… Earthbound.”

        The alien craft had apparently landed!  As my trusty dog, Fritz, and I stepped out into the moonlit night we could see the glow of its lights and hear the roaring engines just beyond the trees.  We cautiously approached only to find that the craft was merely a huge multi-row corn combine disgorging its grainy meal into the waiting trailer.  A far cry from the 2-row Farmall corn-picker my dad pulled with the old Ford 960 tractor.

        The climate-controlled high-tech cabs on today’s huge harvesting machinery are emblematic of the technological advances we have made here in the 2nd decade of the 21st century.  Back then, Dad would come home from the fields to a drafty house warmed by a coal burning furnace.  Now, instead of corn, his son harvests solar energy to heat his home, power his appliances and propel his vehicle.  Dad would be flabbergasted!

        That coal-burning furnace and the other energy sources and systems employed in the 20th century brought great prosperity and convenience to us all.  But much of that technology is no longer suitable in today’s world.  A case in point is the transmission-line-triggered fires in California.  With the changing climate, our huge system of exposed overhead power lines that travel hundreds of miles over land is increasingly vulnerable to the rise in extreme weather (and to techno-terrorists too).  That system has to periodically be shut down to avoid additional fires.  It can no longer be assumed that this is the best way to provide reliable, economical energy.

        At least that’s what the U.S. Navy, the State of New York and many others think.  They’re building micro-grids as an alternative.  A micro-grid is a small-scale power system that produces and stores its own locally generated renewable energy from home-owner and community sources.  When the grid system fails, the micro-grid can function independently to keep the power on.  Meanwhile, it provides economic development, jobs, and innovation to local communities while reducing the need to expand the expensive grid system.

        Like it or not, the Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line and the Badger Hollow Solar Farm have thrust Iowa County into the forefront of the energy conversation.  We can either let outside forces determine our energy future, or we can harvest and manage our own energy sources while growing our local economy.  Seems like an easy choice for our beautiful Driftless Area home where we’re forever… Earthbound.

        The approaching holiday season brought the old friends together to reminisce.  Now all in their “golden years,” the talk soon turned to questions of how each would be remembered once they were gone.
 
        Bea Quest said she intended to donate her extensive book collection to the local library.  “Who knows?” Bea hoped, “Maybe I’ll get a plaque on the reading room wall!”  Wealthy Pearson noted that her investments had done well. “I’ll be able to leave my children a tidy sum,” she boasted.  N. Dow Mennt intended to bequeath his antique furniture collection to the local museum.

        Liv Engwell sat quietly as she listened to the grand plans her friends had made.  She’d lived a quiet, modest life and wondered, “What have I to leave to future generations?”  With sagging shoulders she shuffled home.  “I’ll soon be forgotten,” she sighed.

        That evening granddaughter, Dee Sendant, stopped by.  She saw at once that Livie was troubled.  “What’s wrong Gram?” Dee asked.  Livie poured out the apprehensions she’d had since that afternoon’s conversation.

        “Gram,” Dee smiled, “your friends just have things money can buy.  But you have something much more valuable to give - your example of how to build a healthy, livable world.”  Dee reminded Gram how she makes a practice of Reducing her acquisition of stuff by borrowing, renting and sharing.  She Reuses and Re-purposes things instead of buying new, and then Recycles once things are truly beyond repair.  “And Gram, you’ve taught us how to eat lower on the food chain by mostly filling our plates with fruits, veggies and grains.”  Dee also reminded her that Gram was the first one in the neighborhood to have a home energy audit.  After completing the suggested improvements, her home energy use dropped dramatically saving her a bundle of money.

        Dee continued to list Livie’s prudent practices: minimum use of pesticides, harsh chemicals and artificial fertilizers, consolidating car errands to reduce travel, reducing her mowed lawn area, and on and on.

        “Gram, your friends will leave fine gifts to the future, but yours will be a far greater legacy.  As Earth Day founder, Gaylord Nelson said, ‘(Our) biological systems are the sustaining wealth of the world.’  Gram, you’re living a life in harmony with those systems.  And that’s a blessing to us all, here on the only home we’ll ever know where we’re all forever… Earthbound.”