Comment

Comment by Sentient Biped on February 16, 2013 at 6:45pm

Joan, you are absolutely right.  I add, the difference between then, and now, is then neither the govt, which facilitated "taming" of the prairie, and the farmers, who did it, neither knew the ecological devastation that would result.  Today, both the farmers, and the developers, and the govt, and the people doing it wither know, or are willfully ignorant.  

Comment by Joan Denoo on February 16, 2013 at 4:54pm

That should be CO2

Comment by Joan Denoo on February 16, 2013 at 4:52pm

The Great Plains were grass covered and trees chomped down by buffalo grazing. Farmers came in, tore out tree stumps, plowed grass and grew crops on this rich, dry soil. Winds came, blew topsoil away and we were left with useless ground and ruined farms. Over time and with water, the plains restored to fertile fields. With global warming, the parched plains can no longer yield its rich bounty. Industry and fossil fuels pumped out tons of CO1 into the atmosphere and created an imbalance in weather patterns. It didn't happe to us. We made it happen.

Comment by Sentient Biped on February 16, 2013 at 4:06pm

What an awful time.  Terrible for the people who had to live through it.  Also an example, I think, of mass agriculture's potential effect on destroying the environment it depends on to survive.

wikipedia.  It's a lesson to us now.