THE BEST WAY FORWARD IS TO SEE THE INSANITY OF THE PAST, AND CHOOSE BETTER. #GreenNewDeal

 

ON REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE AND A GREEN NEW DEAL

Just a Note to Start. when writing a business plan, the first thing to do is to lay out a worse case scenario. Then the plan, and then a detail of goals, short range and long range goals. If we do not face the absolute possibility of worst case scenarios, in relation to the ongoing climate disaster, we stand to continue down the worst path forward  . It will take everyone we can get to take part in repairing our planet, our society, and our economy. Hit the subscribe button, and introduce your self in the comments below.

       In these unprecedented times of pandemic and rapid climate destabilization, it is clear that we must change our way of dealing with questions around agriculture, commerce, economics, and government, proactively implementing remedies.                       We Must have a new story, a story of where we must go to save our planet from what is the existential threat or our time. Return our planet to Balance. We can remove all the carbon from the atmosphere, we just have to return to natural forms of agriculture soon!

    Business as usual just absolutely will not cut it any more. The corporatism agenda of profit at any cost, or the specious supreme court decisions about the responsibility of corporations to profit for shareholders is insane, and is a dead end insanity.

    Reaganomics and Neo-liberal economics must be stabbed in the heart once and for all. The privatization of legitimate functions of government, and the natural monopolies of public utility's, must be publicly held by state or local entities, or fashioned in the form of local cooperatives.

    The lack of consideration of long term consequences for short term gain, have brought us to the brink of planetary wide extinction. It is not to late to do it right. We know what does and does not work, but short sited remedies like nuclear power or giant Hydroelectric bring large downside problems of there own. If we continue to do quick fix, at the expense of long term solutions, we will create more long term problems. If we continue to do giant projects, instead of local and decentralized solutions, to problems we have created ourselves, we just create more long term problems. Simple systems analysis and common sense should be enough to show us the errors of our ways.

    This includes economic, environmental and socioeconomic problems. The climate justice movement is just a reflection of the lack of foresight in our extractive and abusive economic forms of capitalist economic systems. Not that the other forms of economic systems used widely on the planet do not have some of there own drawbacks, but that is a longer discussion than I can get side tracked into here.

    The Biden Climate plan is light years ahead of anything presented or attempted by any previous administration in our country.

Even though Joe Biden did not like to use the phrase “Green New Deal” during the election process, the selection of Gina McCarthy former head at NRDC and Ali Zaidi to lead the new office of Climate Mobilization shows that he is serious.

    Dealing with questions of the environmental reality around a looming climate disaster is a good start. We have heard most of the problems, it is time to focus on, and implement solutions.

    We must green the economy while restarting it. Creating many millions of good next generation jobs, and creating fully integrated infrastructure projects, and tens of thousands of jobs for almost every kind of engineer, architect, and construction engineers and designers. Millions of other jobs in everything from R&D for new types of environmentally friendly construction materials, material science, production and supply, manufacturing and construction, installation and maintenance for this project and much more.

    The logistics of a project of this caliber will require the involvement of every local, county, and state government. The federal government and all of the many agencies must be fully on board to accomplish this in a timely fashion.

    Solar and wind are already partially underway. Wind and solar are best local and widely distributed. This will lessen loses from transporting electricity long distances.

    Harden the electric grids in case of solar flair or EMP. This is now more important with the magnetic poles starting to move or shift, and the possibility of terrorism. In a mostly electric economy this must be considered of utmost importance.

    At the same time, a Continent wide water system, small bypass systems with an integrated state of the art Micro-hydro electric generation (1) and water distribution system. Overshot wheels and Pelton turbine style for some conditions. Producing enough electricity to get off of fossil fuels and at the same time refill water tables continent wide. Some of these must be designed as a two way system for flood control, pumping water to the driest parts of the area or country, while it is flooding in another. Much of this should be automated or computerized, with information links to NOAA and the National Weather Service.

    We must have small bypass systems and ponds, with hundreds or thousands of Micro-hydro systems in every county, and tens or hundreds of thousands in every state. Refilling water tables will slow the speed of sea level rise for a short time while being refilled, and make more water available for landscaping, agriculture, and more trees to help remove carbon from our air.

    Hydrodynamics. Refilling the water tables, using Ram pumps, Archimedes pumps, or siphon systems, and gravity feed systems.

    We have seen how destructive and problematic the giant dams and hydroelectric projects are worldwide. This includes the Americas, the giant projects of the Desert Southwest like Hoover dam and Lake Meade or Elephant Butte, and the South American disasters. In Africa like the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance or the High Aswan, and the near east or the Three Rivers project in China. Large Hydro is not a solution, it is very destructive of ecosystems and biodiversity. With the climate being so much warmer the air holds so much more water. Flooding is now much more prevalent and will get much worse before it gets better. The possible damage of a dam breach from giant dams are so disastrous, even if not just above a large city, it must be considered.

    Doing this ASAP is very important, so we have plenty of energy for the rest of the climate restoration projects which will be very energy intensive to complete, but without using massive amounts of carbon fossil fuels.

    Reestablishing watersheds in urban and suburban environments. Dual parallel water systems installed in all areas that are in need of water systems upgrades.

    It makes no sense to put water that is full of Chlorine or Florine on a garden or landscapes. Chlorine and Florine are toxins that should not be in water for people, pets, livestock or household use. New water purification methods must be used. There are plenty of alternative systems for purifying water without adding toxins. Ozone, UV, or other systems for purifying water for food and household or industrial use, and making it safe must be used.

    At the same time a parallel system to bring clean water for lawns or gardens and landscaping that are free of these terrible toxins and of the quality for agricultural and other outside use.

    Developing household and urban rainwater catchment systems like Los Angeles has done.

    Complete a High Speed Rail system from coast to coast, and north to south. Continent wide high efficiency, high speed rail systems. Local light rail and trolley systems in all larger Metro areas.

    If Republican Governors do not want to do it, put elevated rail along all the interstates highways anyway to start with. This will avoid delays and also help deal with right of way problems, as well as avoiding the destruction of more natural habitats to build these infrastructure projects. There are already many wide easements along interstate highways, and in cities or other areas that will be sufficient for elevated light rails or local electric trolley systems.

    Charging stations along all major highways for electric cars, motorcycles and motorized tricycles or other electric machines.

    The adaptation of food production that is not ecologically destructive. Sustainable, Organic, Permaculture and Biodynamic agriculture systems. Rotational grazing systems that replenish the soils. Carbon Capturing, soil health reestablishing types of agriculture, which if done well, soil holds massive amounts of carbon.

    Establishing worker owned community food and farm Co-Ops to provide local food security. Create community gardens in every neighborhood, preferably near to or in all the schools. The ethic of care for environment and real food must be established while our children are still young and healthy.

    Hemp. Hemp was historically a major industrial product. This should be legalized fully in every state and planted in large acreage plots for food, fodder, medicine, oils, diesel, bioethanol/methanol, and Hempcrete as well as in biodegradable plastics. This plant is also one of the very best ways to quickly grow large amounts of biomass for restoration of depleted soil.

    Working with nature, wildlife and the laws of nature. Addressing the problems of Biodiversity and extinctions. Beavers are natural dam builders and an important part of the natural ecosystems. Just like the reintroduction of the Wolf in the Mountain West were so important to the health of the riparian ecosystems.

    Strategically manage Natural and constructed wetlands where necessary to purify water before it gets to the major rivers or oceans, and spreads more pollution or contamination. Purifying all water before its entering into the oceans. Removing plastic and other contaminants.

    This is so important to implement, both for flood control as the climate becomes more unstable, and for reestablishing healthy hydrated ecosystems for sequestration of carbon, for reclaiming the desert west, and other damaged ecosystems continent wide.

    We must consider abolishing production of all petrochemical plastic. The oceans will in the next year or two have as much plastic as there are fish. Types of biodegradable plastic are available, but even these must be considered mostly unnecessary, and especially if not reusable. There are plenty of alternatives to plastic.

    In the light of recent disasters in relation to rapid climate changes, disastrous fires in the western US in recent years and this summer (2020) the importance of implementing these kind of upgrades to our infrastructure and paradigm have become clear.

    It is the responsibility and duty of all jurisdictions and all people to be the good stewards of the land and water just as it is the joint responsibility of all to take care of our common ecosystem, our planet earth.

    This is not a solution, but must be addressed. The issues around Water Rights have been twisted by recent Supreme Court decisions, Reynolds v El Paso and Sporhase v. Nebraska and must be revisited in law, or addressed directly by congress. Water is a part of the natural commons, and ownership of water is a legal fiction, and not an article of commerce as professed by the US Supreme court. Ownership of water is a legal fiction by state or person.

    The lie of Free Trade and issues of water, are just more corporate grabs for control of the commons for profit. This must end. The question must be asked, where in the US Constitution is any mention of authority to regulate water ownership? Water was never an article of commerce. Water rights are a part of the commons, in common law and ancient traditions.

But I digress.

    Moving quickly towards Restorative and Regenerative farming, more local sustainably farmed. The end of (CAFO) style Concentrated food operations. Parity and price support for organic, Permaculture and sustainable regenerative agriculture. Institution of rotational grazing and managed free range systems for heard farming and ranching that produce much less methane and sequester more carbon. local food (policy) council networks.

    In America the military is the number one user of the most petroleum, the number two user is commercial agriculture.

    End subsidies to agribusiness in a phase out, to allow time to change to regenerative and sustainable forms. Agriculture in the style of war destroys soil, water and the health of the people, livestock and wildlife. Subsidies of destructive types of agriculture, cost much more than just the subsidies. The excess release of carbon, lose of top soil, water pollution, and destruction of the general health of our people, are just some of the off balance sheet costs of continuing to fund and subsidize destructive methods of agriculture.

    Stop the use of agricultural Biocides and toxins. These Herbicides, Fungicides, Insecticides, are destroying the soil, the oceans, the health of our people, and especially our younger generations. This Biocides are also partly responsible for the disappearance of the insects and birds that are so important in natural types agriculture.

    Allowing Agribusiness to force other countries and parts of the world into using Eco-destructive farming is unethical and amoral, this most be stopped. This includes supporting destruction of tropical or temperate forest lands for many international agribusiness production. International transportation of foods also move non native pests to new areas. The large amounts of rain across Africa and the middle east have brought on locust plagues of Biblical proportion, and the possibility of more widespread famine.

    This project will take massive amounts of materials. Support of new and better, more environmentally friendly construction products and systems are a paramount consideration. There are excellent new forms of Eco-Concrete. Hempcrete and other types of alternative materials, research and Development, and production must be funded and implemented as quickly as can be prioritized.

    Hydrogen and BioGas. Hydrogen is totally clean and easy by splitting water. BioGas from and for agriculture, municipal sewer waste, etc.

Change of the paradigm to a win-win point of view. 

This was the Garden of Eden, and it can be again.

    Food for people and not for profit, not to feed agribusiness, a broken capitalist system, insurance or Disaster Capitalism, greedy corporations or a usury banking system. Art 1 sec. Eight US Constitution, it is the responsibility of congress to regulate money…not private banks. Profit for the sake of profit in this situation is Immoral and unethical. This will end, one way or another.

    Methane is out gassing from the permafrost and along the arctic coasts. Setting up capture systems to stop methane from escaping into the atmosphere, and also acidifying the oceans, collect the methane for use as energy or agriculture uses. Methane is a very important problem that must be dealt with as timely as possible.

    Environmental Remediation. There have been many kinds of environmental pollutants that are related to the fossil fuel and petrochemical pollutants that can be in part or as a whole remediated by natural and Mycological processes. This is the guy who knows about as much as almost anyone on the planet about these kinds of issues; Paul Stamets at the Fungi Perfecti. Removing these toxins from the environment will save at least as much as it costs to get rid of them on the back end, in medical and health costs to our populations, more pollution of water tables, and general environmental degradation.

    The issue of remedies for dealing with nuclear and nuclear waste must be addressed. The end of nuclear must be brought about soon, before there are more accidents like Fukushima, Chernobal or Three Mile Island. The Biden plan to promote a new generation of Smaller Modular Reactors must be considered misguided at best. It is time to get beyond Nuclear once and for all. This must include nuclear for weapons of war as well. We already have the best nuclear reactor powering the planet and weather. It is called the Sun.

    Even if we have totally safe types of reactors, which we do not, to create more nuclear power, to create more nuclear waste is insane. This must not happen. We have not come up with ways to safely store or get ride of this toxic waste that is deadly for thousands or tens of thousands of years. Other waste sites around the country have showed many problems. YuccaMountain Nevada and the WIPP plant in New Mexico are not safe for this extreme length of time. The Fukushima disaster has run out of space at the site to store contaminated cooling water, and are now talking about dumping in the ocean, if not already started. This is a disaster of international proportion. Nuclear contamination of the Oceans will have far reaching effects beyond anything as yet imagined. Destruction of the food chain in the oceans, will badly reduce the ability life cycles in the oceans to recycle oxygen.

    To think we can violate the laws of nature and natures god and not suffer the consequences sooner or later is beyond insane. Nuclear is something that has the potential to make our planet into a complete wasteland. We have enough nuclear material out of the ground for medical uses to last hundreds of thousands of years. There are much better ways to accomplish these things now anyway. The use of deadly weapons technology to boil water just to make electricity, when there are much more beneficial ways with much less down side, make no sense.

    This is to say nothing of the massive areas of the western US or around the world contaminated by Uranium Mining or processing.

Footnote

(1) This is not an American company. The US and Americas must develop and upgrade this technology and manufacturing, and processes. Deploying quickly. These have a dump load built in some of them. Dump load should be put into the grid and used for agriculture, manufacturing, and moving water to the driest areas of the continent, depending on the season and conditions. These are excellent for off grid use in isolated areas away from grid power.

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    Check out this interview, He is the grass farmer featured in the Michael Pollen Book “Omnivors Dilemma” World Changer Interview Series - Nicholas Burtner Interviews Joel Salatin

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Check out this interview, This is the grass farmer featured in the Michael Pollen Book “Omnivores Dilemma” World Changer Interview Series - Nicholas Burtner Interviews Joel Salatin