Howard, SD - A group that's promoting more investment in renewable energy says that 5,000 jobs could be created in South Dakota with a transition to a clean energy economy. The remarks from Matt McGovern, South Dakota state director of Repower America, were made this week at a 'Made in America Jobs Tour' at the Knight and Carver Wind Group blade manufacturing facility in Howard. McGovern says the visit highlighted the importance of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which is still pending in the U.S. Senate. Opponents say the legislation will raise household energy costs by up to $13,000 annually by 2015. However, McGovern says the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released a study showing costs closer to $175 per household per year.

"That comes out to about 45 cents a day and that did not include money that will be refunded to help lower their bills. It also did not include the money that we'll be saving from the energy efficiency provisions. The costs are going to be pretty minimal and will have tremendous benefits in creating new jobs, helping us break our dependence on foreign oil and helping solve the climate crisis."

The clean energy legislation would give a jolt to the state's economy by creating new jobs in the state's wind energy industry, he adds, as well as other opportunities for workers to make homes and businesses more energy efficient.

Doug Sombke, president of the South Dakota Farmers Union says that, in addition to promoting the cap-and-trade system that pays farmers to store carbon emissions, the legislation also creates another strong economic job engine for South Dakota's rural communities.

"I'm pretty excited about what can happen for these smaller communities. We've seen some of these people that are going to be here for awhile actually buy homes in the communities; are going to live here. A lot of good things are going to happen because of the development, not to mention the carbon credit cap-and-trade."

Repower's 'Made in America Jobs Tour' in Howard was conducted as part of a national partnership with the Alliance for Climate Change and the Blue Green Alliance to promote a clean energy economy for the state and nation. A second tour is being planned for Western South Dakota.






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New global guidelines for aquaculture aim to address growing concerns about the industry's impact on the oceans.

Scientists have suggested ways to protect aquatic ecosystems, reduce antibiotic use, and even prevent ocean litter from discarded aquaculture gear.

Danielle Blacklock, director of the Office of Aquaculture at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, calls the guidelines "a big deal," as consumer demand for seafood outpaces supply.

"We're developing a new food system for the first time in millenia," said Blacklock. "That means that things are changing quickly. We're learning fast. We're adapting."

Blacklock said the U.S. currently imports up to 85% of its seafood.

She said the new guidelines should help level the playing field for Massachusetts farmers to ensure they, too, can reap the financial benefits of aquaculture while using sustainable practices.

For the first time, the amount of seafood produced on farms has surpassed the amount harvested from the wild, according to the United Nations.

Critics of finned fish farms, in particular, say they're no different than land-based factory farms and are detrimental to ocean habitats.

But Blacklock said aquaculture, including New England's numerous shellfish and kelp farms, will play an important role in countering food insecurity.

"When we mix climate change with our growing population," said Blacklock, "it clearly starts to rise to the top as part of our solution set to fight hunger."

Blacklock said the new guidelines also suggest ways aquaculture itself can reduce its carbon footprint.

She said the new guidelines are voluntary - but if implemented, they could help lift local economies and coastal communities, while building climate change resilience.



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Idaho is accepting proposals for projects that improve confined animal feeding operations in the state.

The operations - also known as CAFOs - can cause pollution in a variety of ways for water, soil, and air nearby.

Mary Anne Nelson is the surface and wastewater division administrator for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.

She said the state's grant program seeks to mitigate the potential environment harm CAFOs can cause.

"We are concerned about anything that comes off that production facility," said Nelson, "that's going to contaminate nearby surface water or groundwater, that could potentially then move into nearby surface waters."

Excessive nutrient runoff from the animal feeding operations are also a concern.

The Idaho DEQ is accepting proposals for grants until August 30. The grant program has funded 35 projects in the past two years, including $5 million to 14 applicants in 2023.

This year, DEQ has $2 million to support the selected proposals.

Nelson said the DEQ is looking for ways these projects can managing animal waste.

"We are looking to do any kind of project," said Nelson, "that would help improve the way in which that manure management process is done."

Nelson said her agency also is considering the ancillary benefits in applications as well.

"So if they're proposing to do something that reduces odor coming off their lagoon," said Nelson, "we would consider that an air quality benefit as well as a manure management benefit."




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Farms in the Midwest should become more resilient to challenges created by climate change, with a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The money will go toward working with farmers in Ohio and Missouri on ways to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, improve soil and water quality and respond to extreme weather conditions, all while remaining profitable.

Ernie Shea, president of the nonprofit Solutions from the Land, one of the partners in the project, said the grant is unique because it centers around farmers' needs.

"When you approach a farmer in that way, you're beginning the conversation with what's important to him or her, which is surviving, continuing to operate," Shea explained. "You then can talk about co-benefits that can help the public."

This grant will also feature partners like Ohio State University and will fund education programs, research and collaborations with other stakeholders. The federal government is investing billions in climate-smart programs trying to reach its goal of a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050.

Agriculture is responsible for about one-tenth of the greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., mostly from livestock and fertilizer use. Shea pointed out there are many ways for Midwestern ag producers to be climate smart, including no-till operations, where farmers do not plow the ground and plant directly into soil, and much more.

"They could plant cover crops that provide green photosynthesis activity beds for many months of the year," Shea suggested. "We could implement practices where we're substituting nutrient inputs; where we're making a greater use of livestock manure instead of synthetic fertilizers."

Ohio has more than 13 million acres of farmland and agriculture is responsible for about 3% of the state's gross domestic product.


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