One of the goals included in Nebraska's Department of Environment and Energy's Priority Climate Action Plan recently submitted to the federal Environmental Protection Agency is to increase the use of regenerative agricultural practices in the state.

The plan identifies "cover crops, no-till, and reduced reliance on chemical fertilizer" as important practices to improve soil health, which increases its ability to sequester carbon.

Dennis Demmel is now semiretired after farming 1,800 acres in Perkins County. He was a certified organic farmer from 2007 to 2016, and said cover cropping and no-till farming have greatly improved the state's soil health. He noted the changes "really accelerated" when people began to bring in livestock.

"I think of them as walking composters almost," Demmel observed. "They convert residue into manure, which also includes microbes coming from the rumen in the cattle and going into the soil to activate additional microbiology activity in the soil."

Letting cattle graze for just the right amount of time has also been shown to increase the ability of water to penetrate the soil.

Demmel pointed out improvements in technology such as cross-fencing make it easier to rotate cattle more often and prevent overgrazing. He does not raise cattle himself but has an arrangement with a nearby buyer, whose cattle graze on his perennial grasses and legumes.

Demmel emphasized it can be a mutually beneficial arrangement.

"When it gets hot and dry in August, we may be out of grass," Demmel explained. "If there was a neighbor that was growing cover crops for a year, you could go move cattle over to that. It brings about cooperation between neighbors, bringing cattle back into the operation from one farm that has cattle and the other one doesn't."

In addition to contributing to greenhouse gases, fertilizer runoff has led to high nitrate levels in ground, surface and well water in parts of Nebraska, which have been linked to pediatric cancers. Demmel argued farmers reluctant to reduce their fertilizer application because it will reduce their yield might be surprised at how organic and regenerative practices actually affect their bottom line.

"For example, in organic farming, we would have yields that were maybe substantially lower than conventional methods," Demmel recounted. "But when we looked at the bottom line, well, we were getting a better price for our crop."

Demmel explained with organic farming, microbes fix the nitrogen so there's less need for fertilizer, thereby reducing costs. And since cover crops help the soil retain water, irrigation costs may be reduced as well.


get more stories like this via email

New legislation would help build more wildlife crossings across Oregon highways to make roads safer for people and animals.

Research shows that Oregon has the highest likelihood of wildlife crashes among West Coast states, with nearly 5,000 damaging or deadly collisions in 2022.

Wildlife collisions are costly and dangerous for drivers and take their toll on wildlife as well.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates that nearly 15 million animals are killed on Oregon's roads each year.

Karl J. Findling is on the board for the Oregon Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. He said it is time for Oregon to do more to address the problem.

"Oregon is behind nearly all Western states, with only five and a potentially new sixth crossing," said Findling, "where some states such as Colorado have 50."

Crossings have been shown to significantly reduce wildlife collisions. For example, an underpass near Bend cut them by more than 85%.

Findling said that along with driving population declines in many species, when you factor in medical and vehicle repair costs, collisions with wildlife are pricey.

"I've seen numbers around $7,000 per collision with a deer," said Findling, "but what's striking is $73,000 when someone hits an elk."

Although polls show wildlife crossings have broad, bipartisan support across the state, Findling said funding wildlife crossings remains a challenge due to high costs.

The first wildlife overcrossing along the West Coast's Interstate 5 is just north of the California border, and cost about $30 million to build.

But, said Findling, with all the money they save, crossings pay for themselves within 15 years.

"When we see these crossings go in," said Findling, "the returns are close to $3 for every dollar invested."

The bill currently in Salem would push the issue higher up on the state's priority list, in part by directing the Oregon Department of Transportation to seek federal funding to install and maintain wildlife crossings.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.




get more stories like this via email

Concerns are growing in Ohio over the use of oil and gas waste for dust control on rural roads, a practice some environmental groups argued is exposing communities to radioactive materials without their knowledge.

An informational symposium is coming up at the Ohio Statehouse March 6, featuring experts and activists discussing the potential risks.

Anton Krieger, symposium organizer for the Buckeye Environmental Network, said the event aims to raise awareness among lawmakers and the public.

"It's a public education campaign," Krieger explained. "We're willing to work with everybody. They may not even know the full health ramifications of oil and gas waste brine. They may not even know that they're being exposed themselves. We're going to be educating our legislators about why radioactive waste doesn't belong on our roadways in Ohio."

Current Ohio law allows brine from oil and gas drilling to be used as a dust suppressant on roads. Supporters argued regulated brine application is practical and cost-effective, particularly for rural areas with unpaved roads. However, environmental advocates said state testing has shown the waste contains radioactive elements, raising concerns about long-term exposure.

Roxanne Groff, a former Athens County commissioner and longtime environmental advocate, thinks many people are unaware of what is being spread on their roads.

"It's radioactive. It's radioactive. It's radioactive. And the State of Ohio knows this," Groff asserted. "They admit it. They've tested it. They've said it's radioactive."

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which oversees oil and gas waste regulations, maintains its brine management policies align with state law. The agency has said it continues to review environmental and public health concerns while working within legislative directives.

Minnesota remains focused on making non-carbon sources the bulk of its energy portfolio.

But policymakers are trying to figure out the best way to manage a side effect - discarded solar and wind farm materials when they've reached an endpoint.

A Minnesota House committee advanced a bill last week that calls for the creation of a stewardship program, where old solar panels or wind blades would be collected and processed for recycling.

State Rep. Peggy Scott - R- Andover - is the bill's sponsor, and with the state and the country continuing to shift toward renewables, she said she saw the need for a uniform way to deal with these materials.

"My concern was that when the infrastructure reached its useful life," said Scott, "that it wasn't just dumped in a landfill somewhere."

She pointed to regional examples of that scenario.

The bill had bipartisan support in its initial committee vote, but industry voices expressed concern about certain provisions.

They say they share the vision for more recycling of these components - but under the plan, producers would have to pay an annual fee. Those skeptics call for a more efficient model.

Madelyn Smerillo, deputy director of siting and permitting policy with American Clean Power, is among those who have said the industry is already working on sustainability solutions for retired parts.

She added that the approach within the Minnesota House bill could hinder development, if manufacturers have to pay for a program that could have a redundant feel to it.

"Increased prices disincentivize manufacturers from selling solar and wind products in Minnesota," said Smerillo. "Importantly, increases are passed to ratepayers by driving up overall project costs, making Minnesotans pay for services that would have otherwise been efficiently managed by a developer in partnership with a recycling company."

But Scott suggested in some cases, local communities have to use up resources when deciding what to do with old parts left behind.

As the broader debate takes shape around the globe, advocates for renewables say this issue shouldn't be used an excuse to abandon the movement - noting that carbon reductions from this infrastructure are still greater than the waste they produce.




get more stories like this via email