[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by CFrance

Were gonna pay a heckuva lot more if we just ignore the problem.

Expound.

[Polar Bear]

Originally Posted by CFrance

Were gonna pay a heckuva lot more if we just ignore the problem.

Not sure I follow you,

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Polar Bear

Not sure I follow you,

Short form (my laptop spazzed & hard for me to type on iPad) is my feeling is the problem will only get worse if we ignore it. It will get more expensive to fix down the road. Our grandchildren will have to pay. We have the means to fix these things, but no one wants to be the bad guy. So the can gets kicked down the road.

That is my personal opinion, and I'm not likely to change it. I also feel that others who disagree are not likely to be swayed either. So I shouldn't have entered the discussion.

[graciegirl]

,,,

[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

1. Perhaps crop rotation would cost a lot more?

2. Perhaps then we would have to pay a lot more for our Wheaties and our green beans?

3. Perhaps then the poor would suffer.

And all of the new mouths to feed that have immigrated in the last couple of years?

I don't know. Maybe it costs the same.

Farmers are real people.

4. I don't see anybody rotating their lawns.

1. You are quite perspicacious. Crop rotation would require a major investment by farmers whose equipment for planting and for harvesting crops is designed for a particular crop, like corn. This same equipment would probably not work for an alternative crop like wheat, barley or potatoes, which are the crops that trail corn and soybeans in Minnesota. (Minnesota run off of fertilizers is said to be part of the problem contributing to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.)

A possible solution is offered in the close of the article, where it suggests "regulations, financial incentives for farmers to adopt conservation practices, and technical assistance to help farmers incorporate the changes."

2. Neither Wheaties nor green bean prices would be affected by crop rotation of corn and soybeans. Wheaties are a wheat crop and soy beans are quite different from green beans.

3. Studies show that many recipients of Food Stamps spend them on luxury foods, such as lobster, rather than on staples like corn and beans.

4. You have no option to "rotate" your lawn. Most Home Owner's Associations have severe restrictions on the grasses that are acceptable for lawns. In my area in Tampa they even specify what percentage of the overall lawn must be in turf grass as opposed to flower beds, etc. In The Villages I have noticed a few lawns that are Zoysia grass. (You were joking, right?)

[manaboutown]

Reflecting upon this situation brought to mind the Dust Bowl of the 1930's although I was yet to be born then. Dust Bowl - Wikipedia

[Trlmx]

Ethanol is made from corn. You could buy electric cars that are powered on coal or LP, or get gas from vendors that don't use it, but you're trading one polluter for another unless you bike or scooter and consume less fuel, reduce your personal carbon footprint, eat less meat so less plant feed is required.

[justjim]

Originally Posted by suesiegel

Researched and based on experience-my father used to work for CBS news.

In the 1960's 49 companies owned the major news sources. Today it is five. Interesting fact is that DISNEY is one of the top owners. For me, it reminds me of the book 1984. Much of the,"news," is not original reporting but is government dispensed-big brother. Of the five major news OWNERS four are left wing and Fox is right wing.

All information has a spin to it. You and I only report/repeat things that agree with what is important to what we know or think we know.

You/we would hope that who owns the news source would not effect what we are informed about or the spin placed on the story. IN THE REAL WORLD, this is of course not true.

The OP talks about dead zones in the gulf of mexico and blames it on farmers fertilizers. Of course they add to problems. The article blames the farmers. The fact is WE use far more fertilizers, insecticides, weed killers, WATER, fungicides on our LAWNS then a farmer could possibly use PROFITABLY

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees a free press. Our major news outlets get it right most of the time (we might not always agree with their interpretation or spin) but social media not so much.