We can never survive as a planet by despoiling the Earth. And, those in rural communities respect the Earth as much as anyone. They look to the cities and see the belching fumes and feel fortunate to be living in their cleaner, rural air. They visit the mountains and streams so close to them, and are grateful for their beauty and serenity. The farmer is, by nature, a lover of nature.
But, these same farmers and ranchers often do not realize how much climate change is impacting them. Poor agriculture practices cause soil erosion, which leads to a loss of nutrients in the soil, the nutrients being swept away into the rivers.
Also an impact: When crops are raised where there are high carbon dioxide concentrations, they have fewer nutrients. So, the farmer provides a better product when carbon dioxide levels are reduced. Not to mention that the whole world would be eating better, since the food is more nutritious.
Does tilling affect the environment? This centuries-old practice loosens the soil, aerates the soil, and kills weeds. But, the practice also has harmful effects, drying the soil, removing nutrients, and killing earthworms and useful microbes.
And, causing dust storms. The loosened soil dries and is blown away when the next wind comes. Some dust storms have been so severe as to blind drivers and bring traffic pileups and accidents. Dust storms have claimed the lives of hundreds during the past decade. Surprisingly, they have a death rate similar to that of hurricanes and wildfires.
Enter no-till (or low-till) farming. Instead of tilling before planting, the farmer uses equipment to create a narrow channel where the seeds can be planted, thus minimizing how much the soil is disturbed. With lower erosion rates, no-till farming is a viable option for farmers. There will be situations where it is not practical, however, such as when the leaves of a crop are mowed, rendering it impossible to cut a small channel in which to plant the seeds. (Cover crop systems, though, do allow the channels to cut through the mulch, or whatever you want to call it.)
At a recent climate summit here in Utah, innovation was lauded as a key to fighting climate change. In addition to the things being done that are described above, another innovation is drip irrigation. As much as 40-50 percent of the water from a sprinkler system can be lost, some to wind, some to evaporation, and some to runoff. It will not always be that a farmer can use drip irrigation, as opposed to line sprinkling, but when it is possible, it can be a big benefit. As much as 70 percent of the world's fresh water is used to irrigate crops and water livestock. Why not try to save water, especially in a desert-type state such as Utah?
Drip systems, also called trickle irrigation, can use hoses with holes in them, or use tubing, or pipes. Sometimes the water drips directly above the root system, and other times the piping is underground. (Though underground systems would be rare in farming. They are more for lawns and gardening.) Thus, drip irrigation is more efficient than sprinkler or surface irrigation. Speaking again of innovation, finding ways to make drip irrigation more practical to farmers would be a great innovation to pursue.
Installing smart systems and rain sensors are other ways farmers can reduce their water usage.
Agroforestry, cover crops, and permaculture, are among the many other agricultural practices that tie in with climate change. All we learn and all we do can make a difference. Since we have acknowledged that climate change is real, we should want to make our agricultural practices part of the solution. One of the world's greatest environmentalists, John D. Liu, at the climate summit in Utah, discussed how agriculture practices can bring huge change in ecosystems. Applying some of the practices described above would carry the spirit of what Liu has done around the world.
(Index -- Climate change info)
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