We are so screwed if there's another pandemic. The leadership of this state has rewritten history to conclude that we did too much COVID-19 mitigation. If another deadly virus starts spreading, we won't even take minimal steps to protect vulnerable people.
I'm older than dirt, a southern gal with a love of science and enough smarts to care about addressing problems. Outside of once tending a backyard garden (no longer able) I have a barely rudimentary knowledge of the challenges faced by farmers, but I care. I'm heartened to read your assessment but wish that a wider audience of the people who need to know this were reading this and not me. Still, I want to thank you. I wonder if young people who are savvy about the real dangers know you exist. I'm betting that some bright young people are capable of seeing the harm and need for real change and could learn from you. I wish you the best.
Chris, thank you for calling a shitty diaper a shitty diaper. I lived in Ames long ago and still keep track of Ames news, and I see that Ames is about to help fund nineteen diapers, all bioreactors and saturated buffers. No wetlands were mentioned. As pointed out in this post, nutrient-reduction wetlands are not the greatest nutrient solutions either. But at least wetlands provide a little habitat for frogs, ducks, and dragonflies.
But Ames is getting official DNR nutrient-reduction credits for those bioreactors and saturated buffers. I always appreciate the posts that explain how the crazy Iowa farm-pollution system works. One result of that crazy system is that Ames taxpayers are going to help pay for diapers that, as this post points out, are being asked to do the highly improbable. I'd bet many Ames taxpayers have no idea.
And if any of those are on private lands, you can bet your bottom dollar that the landowner will be touchy when it comes to opening the control structures at first sign of rain.
Thank you for publishing informative (and frightening) articles that we ALL need to read. You absolutely have my vote. I’m tired of state- sanctioned slow death by poison.
Animal generated disease jumping into the human population, in addition to killing Iowegians, would be a real problem for Pravda, I mean Farm Bureau. How would they successfully spin the source to nefarious Chinese, or blame it on undocumented immigrants? The Lumpentariat will need someone to blame, or at least a basis for a conspiracy theory. After all, the nitrate issue is caused mostly by urban runoff doncha know.At least that was the Ag pushback until study after study showed otherwise. See you in Iowa City next Friday as part of your campaign!
I am thrilled that we now have a candidate for Secretary of Agriculture that isn’t afraid to speak Truth to Power. And, a candidate that has the science and research background to lay out the facts to explain why our waterways have become cesspools.
Iowa continues to lack state and congressional leadership that has a backbone to address our deep dive to bottom of the barrel in water quality in this country.They have been on their knees so much, I’m amazed they can even walk.
Maybe Naig can explain how keeping Iowans in the dark about disease outbreaks is in the public’s best interest?? - “Safeguarding producer confidentiality during a foreign animal disease or major disease outbreak..”
I wish Naig would also explain why IDALS press releases regarding bird flu reports in Iowa poultry CAFOs and flocks don't include the numbers of birds in the affected CAFOs or flocks. Mainstream news stories usually include those bird numbers, and not providing that information in official state press releases seems...odd.
It was my hope the high price of fertilizer would curb excessive use. Certainty, provided by the heavily subsidized "Crop Insurance" program, is now subsidized even further. The taxpayer supplying money for fertilizer so our farmers can fight low commodity prices. Meanwhile, more public money is used to expand the demand for the excess. And round and round it goes. SSP, the subsidy squared program. Wishing in one hand and ....., well, you get the picture.
I'd bet that the manure spreaders I saw working several weeks ago on soil that was already frozen according to the ISU soil temperature chart weren't the only ones doing that in Iowa.
Much like Wuhan (where confinement bears, snakes, turtles, and rare fishes were exchanging viruses in the "wet markets" leading to the covid pandemic), Iowa is very likely the ground zero of another major tragedy from the proximity of massive hog lots and multi-million chicken confinement facilities, and often immigrant labor that work in both of these horrific places. Why are the virologists and state and federal public health officials so silent about this recurring disaster?
We are so screwed if there's another pandemic. The leadership of this state has rewritten history to conclude that we did too much COVID-19 mitigation. If another deadly virus starts spreading, we won't even take minimal steps to protect vulnerable people.
We are perhaps the state at highest risk too
Plenty of geezers and wheezers living far from medical care are very vulnerable to another virus. Keep your fingers crossed.
I'm older than dirt, a southern gal with a love of science and enough smarts to care about addressing problems. Outside of once tending a backyard garden (no longer able) I have a barely rudimentary knowledge of the challenges faced by farmers, but I care. I'm heartened to read your assessment but wish that a wider audience of the people who need to know this were reading this and not me. Still, I want to thank you. I wonder if young people who are savvy about the real dangers know you exist. I'm betting that some bright young people are capable of seeing the harm and need for real change and could learn from you. I wish you the best.
Chris, thank you for calling a shitty diaper a shitty diaper. I lived in Ames long ago and still keep track of Ames news, and I see that Ames is about to help fund nineteen diapers, all bioreactors and saturated buffers. No wetlands were mentioned. As pointed out in this post, nutrient-reduction wetlands are not the greatest nutrient solutions either. But at least wetlands provide a little habitat for frogs, ducks, and dragonflies.
But Ames is getting official DNR nutrient-reduction credits for those bioreactors and saturated buffers. I always appreciate the posts that explain how the crazy Iowa farm-pollution system works. One result of that crazy system is that Ames taxpayers are going to help pay for diapers that, as this post points out, are being asked to do the highly improbable. I'd bet many Ames taxpayers have no idea.
And if any of those are on private lands, you can bet your bottom dollar that the landowner will be touchy when it comes to opening the control structures at first sign of rain.
Thrilled you are running for Secretary of Agriculture! Thank you!
Here's my guess. Cargill. Bayer. Syngenta. Correlation. Koch.
https://youtu.be/VVkfP0Q9-20
Watched it
Thanks.
Thank you for publishing informative (and frightening) articles that we ALL need to read. You absolutely have my vote. I’m tired of state- sanctioned slow death by poison.
How surprising that any senator at all would link nitrate pollution with agriculture. Mine maintains that it is all caused by geese.
Animal generated disease jumping into the human population, in addition to killing Iowegians, would be a real problem for Pravda, I mean Farm Bureau. How would they successfully spin the source to nefarious Chinese, or blame it on undocumented immigrants? The Lumpentariat will need someone to blame, or at least a basis for a conspiracy theory. After all, the nitrate issue is caused mostly by urban runoff doncha know.At least that was the Ag pushback until study after study showed otherwise. See you in Iowa City next Friday as part of your campaign!
They'll figure out a way. They always do. Space aliens maybe.
I am thrilled that we now have a candidate for Secretary of Agriculture that isn’t afraid to speak Truth to Power. And, a candidate that has the science and research background to lay out the facts to explain why our waterways have become cesspools.
Iowa continues to lack state and congressional leadership that has a backbone to address our deep dive to bottom of the barrel in water quality in this country.They have been on their knees so much, I’m amazed they can even walk.
Chris - you’ve got my vote. And I admire your courage in taking this on…👍
Thank you Chris! It's so refreshing to see someone looking at the big picture and not just Bandaids.
Suzan: Your writing is excellent, too. Thanks.
Thank you Mike! You're very kind.
Maybe Naig can explain how keeping Iowans in the dark about disease outbreaks is in the public’s best interest?? - “Safeguarding producer confidentiality during a foreign animal disease or major disease outbreak..”
I wish Naig would also explain why IDALS press releases regarding bird flu reports in Iowa poultry CAFOs and flocks don't include the numbers of birds in the affected CAFOs or flocks. Mainstream news stories usually include those bird numbers, and not providing that information in official state press releases seems...odd.
It was my hope the high price of fertilizer would curb excessive use. Certainty, provided by the heavily subsidized "Crop Insurance" program, is now subsidized even further. The taxpayer supplying money for fertilizer so our farmers can fight low commodity prices. Meanwhile, more public money is used to expand the demand for the excess. And round and round it goes. SSP, the subsidy squared program. Wishing in one hand and ....., well, you get the picture.
Harvest doesn’t remove enough nitrogen when farmers are frantically applying anhydrous and liquid manure all fall before the ground freezes.
I’m so glad you are running. I will tell everyone I can why they should vote for you.
I'd bet that the manure spreaders I saw working several weeks ago on soil that was already frozen according to the ISU soil temperature chart weren't the only ones doing that in Iowa.
"Safeguarding producer confidentiality." Give me a fucking break.
The disingenuous behavior will crumble when the truth is known by the majority. Keep up the good work.
Bob
Much like Wuhan (where confinement bears, snakes, turtles, and rare fishes were exchanging viruses in the "wet markets" leading to the covid pandemic), Iowa is very likely the ground zero of another major tragedy from the proximity of massive hog lots and multi-million chicken confinement facilities, and often immigrant labor that work in both of these horrific places. Why are the virologists and state and federal public health officials so silent about this recurring disaster?
Exactly