Cover Crops Help Farmers Stand up for Clean Water
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ISSUE 51 • August - OCTOBER 2018 – CLEANING UP THE WATER! – FALL HARVEST – FREE! SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR VT, NH, MA, NY, ME and Beyond R S! EA Y 8 Energy Independence, Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Living and MORE! www.greenenergytimes.org | 802.439.6675 COURT RULES Cover Crops Help Farmers Stand Up IN FAVOR Jessie Haas This spring I watched for Clean Water a beautiful cover crop of winter rye grow in a field I OF YOUTH often pass. Later, corn was seeded into the rye. For PLAINTIFFS several weeks the crops grew together in two-toned George Harvey harmony, the rye sheltering In 2015, a group of youthful plaintiffs the young corn. Now, the rye aged eight to nineteen filed a lawsuit is smothered in the dense against the United States claiming that corn planting, but it’s done the federal government was “delib- its job, adding nutrients and erately allow[ing] atmospheric CO2 structure to the soil, and concentrations to escalate to levels retaining moisture. unprecedented in human history.” They Cover crops are a power- further claimed that by doing this, the ful tool for that. They also government was violating their rights to have a major role to play in the life, liberty, and property they would keeping sediment, nitro- have in the future. gen, and phosphorus out of waterways. According to Sustainable Agriculture Resource and Education, a division of USDA, cover crops Farm along the Connecticut River. Runoff from chemicals like Round-Up®, with known carcinogens, run off into the river wreaking can reduce sediment losses havoc on the environment and are threats to human and wildlife health as well as to the health of our waterways. Image: Flickr. 31% to 100%. They also lead to a 48% reduction in nitro- gen losses and between 15% and 92% of Unfortunately, cover cropping as cur- soaring-pesticide-use). phosphorus losses. Remember, every- rently practiced in Vermont has led to a There are other ways besides herbicides thing a farm field loses, a nearby water vast increase in the use of pesticides. It to knock down a cover crop, including body ‘gains’, usually to its detriment. has become standard practice on large mowing, discing, crimping with a heavy For that reason, cover crops are man- farms to knock down cover crops with roller, grazing, or simply choosing plants Youth plaintiffs make history. Image from Robin dated for annual crops near lakes and glyphosate (Round Up) or other pesticides, that will be killed by hard frosts. These Loznak, Our Childrens Trust. streams under Vermont’s new Required including atrazine and 2,4-D, the active methods cost less and leave more crop Agricultural Practices. Given the many ingredient in Agent Orange. According residue on the surface. So why are many environmental benefits of cover cropping to figures put together by Michael Colby farmers wedded to chemicals? On July 30, 2018, the Supreme Court such as water protection, increased rain- of Regeneration Vermont from Vermont For decades farmers have been ruled on applications from the Trump fall infiltration (6-fold in some systems), Agency of Agriculture reports, glyphosate educated to believe that getting bigger, administration to stop or delay the case erosion prevention, drought mitigation, use doubled between 2014 and 2016. 2,4- moving cows indoors, using agricultural in various ways. Simply put, the Su- and carbon sequestration--environmen- D applications increased from 418 pounds chemicals, computerizing, will finally be preme Court of the United States ruled talists should be cheering, right? in 2014 to 5,361 pounds in 2016. (https:// the key to making dairy that the youths have a right to sue, and Cont’d on p.20 the case will go forward as scheduled. Juliana v. United States is an extraordi- nary lawsuit with implications that may give it an important place in history. It IN THIS ISSUE: goes beyond the question of whether RISING SEAS: Florida is About Nat’l Drive Electric Week pp.4-5 the federal government and its agencies are doing damage exacerbating climate Solar ‘On Golden Pond’ p.11 change. It takes the issue of challenging to be Wiped Off the Map climate policy into the court and even SimpliPhi Lithium Batteries pp.12-13 creates questions about whether and Casey Coates Danson Levi Jeans Sustainability p.18 when the courts can direct the govern- Sea level rises are not some ment’s policies. This is a real issue of the distant threat; for many Americans Worth the Ride to the Wayside p.18 doctrine of separation of powers. they are very real. In an extract The plaintiffs have had a fair amount from her chilling new book, Rising, Fidelity Investments p.19 of help in this case. Earth Guardians, an Elizabeth Rush details how the U.S. VT Soapworks Solar p.19 environmental organization, and Dr. coastline will be radically trans- James Hansen, who brought the issue of formed in the coming years. Passive House Ventilation p.28 climate change to the attention of many In 1890, just over six thousand Americans, are giving their support. The people lived in the damp lowlands Recycling News p.39 legal fees are being paid by donors, or of south Florida. Since then, the the work is being done pro bono. Sup- wetlands that covered half the port is coming from many quarters, and state have been largely drained, Many of our cities, such as Miami, are at the water’s edge. the issue is being brought to the atten- strip malls have replaced Semi- Image: Wikimedia Commons. Please recycle or tion of authorities in other countries. nole camps, and the population share this publication The case went through a typical set has increased a thousand-fold. Over the U.S. also increased a thousand-fold, as of legal stages, slowly roughly the same amount of time, the did the speed at which we when finished grinding its way through number of black college degree holders in fly, the combined carbon Cont’d on p.32 Cont’d on p.25 A SOLAR POWERED G.E.T. IT! COMPANY Many thanks to our Bringing Save the Date! sponsors for this edition G.E.T. Nov. 30 NYSES to NY: ‘Bridge to Action!’ EEN ENERGY T MES of Green Energy Times: nyses.org GR... be energy independent! ™ GREEN ENERGY TIMES (G.E.T.) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1749 Wright’s Mountain Road • Bradford, VT 05033 Explore the power of the past! NEWS AND HAPPENINGS .............................3 t/f: 802.439.6675 • [email protected] Take a guided tour of an historic AMERICA FALLING FAR BEHIND ....................3 G.E.T.’s COMMUNICATIONS TEAM: Publisher/Editor/Production ...................Nancy Rae Mallery water- and steam-powered sawmill, VT’S GHG EMISSIONS RISE ...........................3 General Factotum ............................................ George Harvey gristmill and woodworking shop FREE TESLA POWERWALLS ...........................3 Coordinating Director ..................................Michelle Harrison TRANSPORTATION ................................... 4-7 Copy Editor ...........................................................Ray Brewster in the Catskills. 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