Farm runoff

[DPoulson]

The erosion of soil and nutrients from farmland is a significant source of water pollution. Read this story for background and participate in the poll. You can explain your vote by clicking on reply.

[John]

Obviously strict enforcement of ag runoff will result in increased prices for food. but that should not deter the government taking measures to assure that runoff is sufficiently regulated to stop the horrible problem that both chemical and organic materials are kept from our water supplies.

For too long, the whole agriculture business has acted as if they should escape nearly any sort regulation although they are one of the largest sources of water pollution in the country. Their indifference to their pollution has resulted ini water systems being polluted with deadly bacteria and nutrients that result in gigantic problems like the ever growing "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico.

[Emma]

I concur with John. Any forced regulation on farmers would spike the prices of food. However, government could help out by regulating what types of ag. chemicals are sold to farmers because as long as the most lethal chemicals are out there to wipe out crop menaces, farmers are sure to use them to increase their output.
What is wrong with biological measures of controling pests and weeds anyway? Growing a single crop in large scale is a contributing factor to toxic levels of ag. runoff.

[chrisbedford]

All,

Runoff of agricultural chemicals, nutrients, and soil into the Great Lakes is only an issue because so many Michigan farmers pursue an industrial model of farming. Nature is controlled and limited thru chemicals and genetically modified organisms.

When a farmer farms uses organic principles, building healthy living soil and working with nature processes to control pests and weeds, runoff is not a problem. Healthy soil, full of life, dramatically reduces soil and nutrient runoff almost to zero.

The whole issue of government regulation of farmland runoff would be moot if organic agriculture was the norm in endangered watersheds. The City of Munich in Germany pays farms up stream of the city's water intake point to farm organically. The city has found it cheaper to pay farmers not to put soil and chemicals into the water than to remove it at the intake point after they did.

This whole argument about government regulation of runoff is just another example of the failure of industrial farming. If we do the right thing with the soil, the right in everything else will follow.

Chris Bedford

[adb]

I agree that some pollution control regulations should be enforced, but by encouraging farmers to be proactive in reducing non-point source pollution by offering incentives to apply Best Management Practices designed and overseen by technical staff is a compromise that keeps food prices low while reducing pollutants from entering surface waters. In general the agricultural community does not invite government into their farms, but an existing a local unique of government led by a board of directors comprised of environmentally complying farmers from the community has proven to be a successful way to reach farmers without the pressures of the big government. These Conservation Districts are available in all counties in Michigan and work directly with landowners to be proactive and protect themselves and the environment from potential adverse impacts of farming operations. Farmers are not out to destroy the environment, they rely on the land and water to be successful in growing crops and raising livestock. By working with farmers to understand GAAMPS (Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices) to ensure they are incompliance with Right to Farm laws and encouraging participation in MAEAP (Michigan's Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program http://www.maeap.org/maeap) certification, a strong industry of environmentally friendly farmers emerges to proactively reduce pollution from the farm. In a state such as Michigan where Agriculture is our second largest industry, we should not supress its growth (we need all the jobs we can get to combat our 15+% unemployment rate).

On a side note, non-point source pollution from residential sources rivals and, in some cases, even surpasses that from which comes from the farm. More should be done to encourage homeowners and businesses such as golf courses to reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides and encourage the proper application of these chemicals and apply practices that protect ground- and surface water sources.

[monay]

CSI Lasvegas
CSI lasvegas series is one of the best TV series of the last few years (with Law and Order: Special Victims unit and That 70's show). Not only is it original and exciting, but the acting is top shelf as well. The producers and the people from casting, most famously represented by Jerry Bruckheimer, really did a great job in bringing together a perfect team of actors. The two most famous to me were Marg Helgenberger (Catherine Willows) and Paul Guilfoyle (Jim Brass) who have had a couple of minor roles in some films I saw. The rest of the crew are William L.Petersen (Gil Grissom), Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle), Gary Dourdan (Warrick Brown) and George Earls (Nick Stokes).The main characters from CSI, although flawed, like all human beings, are all likeable in their own way, including Greg Sanders (portrayed by Eric Szmanda). Despite the fact that all of the characters like their work and seem a bit obsessed by it, all characters are unique. Grissom is the wise, well educated loner, who seems to be the tough yet soft mentor to the rest of the crew. He likes to play with bugs and at times he seems not to forget what it means to be social. Sidle portrays some kind of a younger version of Grissom. She is eager to be the best, dedicated to her work night and day and quite the loner as well. Willows plays the modern woman. Dedicated to her work, but also a mother, which seems hard to balance at times. Warrick and Stokes are the manly men in the series, always competing to prove themselves and showing the other one who is the best.In CSI lasvegas 9 they are more revealled.CSI lasvegas seasons 1-9 dvd boxset is all what I have seem.Once CSI lasvegas on dvd, I will not wait one second to look around to find CSI lasvegas dvd for sale,then I will buy CSI lasvegas dvd and keep it in my collects.