https://civileats.com/2022/03/25/can-nature-reclaim-iowa/
"Iowa is a surprisingly hilly state with an unsurprising abundance of corn. In
high summer, tightly packed stalks rise overhead and roll out in waves of
uniformly stippled green. Every so often, a white farmhouse or a silver grain
silo interrupts this monochrome view. There are also billboards—most promote
varieties of seed; many condemn abortion; some warn of government land grabs.
Land is political—especially so in Iowa. Today, 85 percent of Iowa’s land is
used for agriculture. Farmers produce more corn, soy, and pigs here than in any
other state—a dominance that has taken a heavy toll. Since 1850, nearly seven
inches of nutrient-rich glacial topsoil have been lost to erosion. Growers now
compensate with what the industry calls “soil enhancements”—fertilizers that
drain off fields and wreak havoc on groundwater and wetland biodiversity. A
steady stream of herbicides and pesticides adds to the pollution. According to
the Department of Natural Resources, the water in more than half the state’s
lakes and rivers is unsuitable for swimming, fishing, or drinking.
In one of the most used and abused states in the nation, a small but growing
number of conservationists have advanced a radical theory: Iowa is ripe for
rewilding."
Via The Fixer March 30, 2022:
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/fiji-micronesia-food-security-covid/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
