Hope for saving water, crops in WI and other ag states
For some years and also in recent days this blog has focused on the damage being done to Wisconsin waters, a crucial publicly-held finite resource.
Now comes some good news: UW-Madison researchers say that modest changes in some agricultural land use and rain gardens in urban areas can save large amounts of groundwater:
MADISON, WI – The Natural Resources Defense Council will unveil a major new report detailing how farmers in Wisconsin and America’s other top nine agriculture states would eliminate tons of carbon pollution from the air, significantly cut crop losses, and prevent the loss of hundreds of billions of gallons of water by shifting to more climate-resilient soil conservation methods.
WHAT:
Release of NRDC report, “Climate-Ready Soil: How cover crops can make Farms more resilient to Extreme weather risks.” The report includes specific data for Wisconsin and the nation’s top nine farming states: California, Iowa, Texas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, North Carolina, and Indiana. In the last five years, farmers in those states have lost in excess of $25 billion in crops due to drought, heat, hot wind, extreme rainfall, flooding, and other related impacts.
WHEN:
THURSDAY (November 19, 2015) at 1 p.m. CT.
MEDIA CONTACT: Reporters can contact Max Karlin, The Hastings Group, mkarlin@hastingsgroup.com, (703) 276-3255.
Now comes some good news: UW-Madison researchers say that modest changes in some agricultural land use and rain gardens in urban areas can save large amounts of groundwater:
…reducing the amount of cropland to below 60 percent [on some parclels] or restoring wetlands to above six percent of a given area could bring about significant improvements to surface water quality...[the researchers] aren't calling for slashing cornfields or removing city blocks.
Instead, they say it is possible to get big gains in freshwater benefits by making small changes in targeted places, such as adding rain gardens or parks to urban areas.Separately, the Natural Resources Defense Council has sent out this information in advance of a report release Thursday on water preservation initiatives:
REPORT TO SHOW SHIFT TO “CLIMATE-READY SOIL” IN WISCONSIN FARMING COULD SIGNIFICANTLY CUT CARBON POLLUTION AND MINIMIZE DROUGHT PROBLEMSMove to Resilient “Cover Crop” Soil Conservation Needed After Farmers in Top 10 Ag States Lost More than $25 Billion in Crops Over 5 Years Due to Extreme Weather.
MADISON, WI – The Natural Resources Defense Council will unveil a major new report detailing how farmers in Wisconsin and America’s other top nine agriculture states would eliminate tons of carbon pollution from the air, significantly cut crop losses, and prevent the loss of hundreds of billions of gallons of water by shifting to more climate-resilient soil conservation methods.
WHAT:
Release of NRDC report, “Climate-Ready Soil: How cover crops can make Farms more resilient to Extreme weather risks.” The report includes specific data for Wisconsin and the nation’s top nine farming states: California, Iowa, Texas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, North Carolina, and Indiana. In the last five years, farmers in those states have lost in excess of $25 billion in crops due to drought, heat, hot wind, extreme rainfall, flooding, and other related impacts.
WHEN:
THURSDAY (November 19, 2015) at 1 p.m. CT.
MEDIA CONTACT: Reporters can contact Max Karlin, The Hastings Group, mkarlin@hastingsgroup.com, (703) 276-3255.
1 comment:
As long as Walker and Republican legislators occupy the Capitol there is no hope of protecting Wisconsin's resources. They have committed to the misuse and abuse of our air, water and land in exchange for big campaign donor funding from big agriculture and corporation to have access to Wisconsin's precious resources. They argue that there has to be a balance between economic growth and resource protection. There is no need for a balance as without protection the resources will be eviscerated and there will be no economic growth to even balance. We have only this one planet and if we continue to destroy it we have nothing! The hope is to throw Walker's cronies out on the street next November.
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