Agricultural pollution – Rural Tompkins County

The Secret Cornell 18

You’re the NYSDEC.

You’re responsible for a program to clean up nutrient pollution in Cayuga Lake.

Your own documents show that Agriculture is responsible for more than four times the phosphorous pollution of all the other sources combined.

You need to establish a TDML: the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can accept and still meet the state’s Water Quality Standards.

You give the only Land Grant University with a College of Agriculture in the state: Cornell — the authority “to fund and manage a monitoring and modeling program with NYSDEC oversight.”

So how well did this work?

Press Release: “DEC Proposes New Phosphorus Limits to Protect Cayuga Lake Water Quality”

“Phosphorus comes from facilities that include wastewater treatment plants, municipal separate storm sewer systems, agricultural runoff, and other sources.”

Since the NYSDEC mentions Agriculture last — it’s not too hard to figure out.

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Agriculture is the biggest contributor to climate changing Methane emissions; and the only sector that is still increasing these emissions. The 2021 White House U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Plan removes “Agriculture” from the featured Methane Emission by Source pie chart – and moves it down to number four in the Reduction Plan list: replacing regulations with “Incentive Based and Voluntary Partnership Efforts.” When you have that sort of power; and apply it to a powerless rural community — welcome to rural Lansing, NY.

“The World According to Doctrine” — A CAFO Carol

When they already know what they’re doing – education isn’t enough. In rural America no one can hear you scream.

“The World According to Doctrine” — The New Farm Statement

It’s easy to see the bad times are coming — we’re not doing anything to stop it. It’s the New Normal of death, disaster, and fear – and we’re being taught to accommodate it with a Total Daily Maximum Load of suffering and denial. First we’re taught to blame, then we’re taught to demand, then we realize the reality.

With the New Normal of sticking our head in an anthill; we’re all expendable — Well, that’s what the people who aren’t expendable tell us.

“The World According to Doctrine” — “Fish Skimming”

Fish Skimming begins in the impaired waters where Noodling goes belly up. It a sport and a living [well, some of it is] laboratory in the same rural setting. Under Agricultural Law: what’s a “nutrient” when spread on a farmer’s field; and spreading into the waterways – is only “toxic waste” when it’s spilled on urban streets – so it’s safe for rural children if they stay clear of the meth labs.

Fish Skimming is to the “Old Swimming Hole”; what Xbox is to Howdy Doody. “Kowabunga.”

“The World According to Doctrine” — Urbites: “Where there’s smoke . . .”

Folks in rural areas don’t live under the same laws as other people – or have the same worth.

But, what would you know about it. And why don’t you?

“The World According to Doctrine” — More Urbites 7

Who do they think they’re fooling? You, of course. Just as there is public participation and meaningful public participation – there is regulation and meaningful regulation. How can we affect a slowdown in Climate Change – when those most responsible are held the least accountable? When the reduction of our country’s greenhouse gas emissions is due to the production of our goods in other countries – and the shipping of electric vehicles creates more pollution than those electric vehicles actually save.

“The World According to Doctrine” — More Urbites 5

It’s not what you do: it’s who you are – never more so than now. In a country that’s still covering up for their biggest polluters; how far away are we from doing anything about it? If they can’t have the world: no one can.

“The World According to Doctrine” — More Urbites 4

Agriculture is more than just a “cash cow” – it’s a regulatory carousel that goes around and around to the tune of money and votes. If you want to predict what the future holds for a reduction of Agricultural Pollution; just look at the past 50 years: gathering data, updating “Best management practices” [BMPs], voluntary programs, and incentives that have resulted in increased in levels of pollution – and a flood of tax money into farming pockets – over and over. Even as we enter the drain that we’ve been circling; Agriculture isn’t changing — if the climate disaster they’re helping bring about harms their profits – tax dollars will be found to fill the gap.

“The World According to Doctrine” — More Urbites 2

Agricultural farming practices are the biggest contributor of the Methane emissions that are “turbocharging” our planet’s Climate Change – but when the weather that these modern farming practices help create cuts into agricultural profits — we’re taxed to make up the difference. Agriculture is also the greatest polluter of our water and our waterways; and their use of fossil fuels is actually still increasing. Our government is trying to curb agricultural pollution by “voluntary programs” and “incentives” – decades of voluntary programs that have proved completely ineffective; and the incentives are limited to just pouring more tax dollars into Industrial Agriculture’s pockets.

Could there be anything worse? Yes, there could – for those living in our country’s rural areas: where Industrial Agriculture is steamrollering a carpet of poverty, crime, toxic fumes, and impaired water over their communities – and nobody cares.

It’s Urban Colonialism; bringing a self-serving “modern agriculture” to the backwards rural natives — profiting at any cost.

“The World According to Doctrine” — Agricultural Regulations?

Agricultural interests always talk about regulations; because they never want to talk about the results. Agricultural regulations legitimize polluting by creating worthless standards that legally shield the polluters.

The TDML [Total Daily Maximum Load] paradigm sets the maximum level of pollution possible before environmental disaster – and then requires polluters to “try” to meet it.

Decades of Voluntary Guidelines and Nutrient Plans have proven worthless to curb Agriculture’s destruction of the environment – and the health of the rural communities they politically dominate.

The Agricultural sector is the only sector in the US that is still increasing its polluting; and increasing it across the board – from use of fossil fuels, to methane emissions, to nutrient pollution of our water: they are the fuse for global destruction.

The next time you see one of those “green” farm promotions; realize — it’s the polluting that you don’t see that will kill you.