The Dust Bowl is a tragic time in United States history though producing technologies to improve life today. Reviewing information reveals how entire ancient cultures disappear. Going forward we might have gone backwards.
Currently we look for methods to plant and harvest food without gasoline. Previously steam engines for combines and plows sewed seeds for harvest. These engines run on coal or firewood. Firewood is a renewable source of energy. With modern science it is possible to refine steam engines to utilize less wood. It is also possible to grow and replant trees that assist in protecting the environment.
A finding of Soil Conservation Service is trees provide cool air by collecting moisture in the air and soil. This offers two defenses against scorching sunlight. During the Dust Bowl, farmers and ranchers cleared trees and grasslands to produce cash crops that are not indigenous to the area. Wood is wood. Indigenous wood burns as well as any variety of wood.
Large squares or tracks of trees to fuel steam plows creates a natural barrier around acres of land for growing fruits and vegetable. This method assists in resolving two major issues in satisfying growing demand for food.
Another forgotten technology is the Ogallala Aquifer. It is a combination of drill and water pump using windmill power. While searching for alternative methods to stop burning fossil fuel a windmill prototype already exists. Able to drill hundreds of meters into the ground to access water supplies the windmill provides a plentiful amount of clean water for irrigation.
There are concerns about drilling wells. Ideally a rain tower is the best method for collecting water. Basically, a water tower collects rain water. Several meters above ground to create pressure for running water it is the most efficient method for maintaining a water supply, because there is a chance removing underground water effects the earth's ability to remain temped during hot and cold months. Regardless windmill are able to move water. This is extremely useful in reducing dependencies on fuel.
People tamed the plains with these machines. It is now proven these machine were not the problem, it was the actions of the people using them. The Dust Bowl is known for killing several people and unleashing black clouds of dust across six states: Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.
China, Brazil and several other countries are suffering from dust storms. China utilizes all ideas from the Soil Conservation Service, yet demand for food and resources generates huge dust storms capable of crossing the Pacific Ocean. Occasionally these dust storms are called, "inversion." Living in Utah, there is an inversion every winter since I remember.
An awareness of our existence on earth and the importance of living in harmony with nature is a scientific fact. Transcendentalists were amongst the first to become suspicious of population growth. It is possible to live well when considering our impact on nature. There are rumors humankind could destroy the earth. The earth is sturdy. It is more likely we will destroy ourselves before destroying the entire planet.
Though a dismal time in history it is potentially the first live experiment after discovering deserts might be manmade. Producing several good ideas hand tools are a product of taming the Great Plains. Improvements on gardening equipment are extraordinary. Most people own a shovel. It is easier to tend to home gardens and reduce shipping costs of food during the growing seasons though it is frequently easier to go to a grocery store.
The combination of these tools reduces a need to drill for coal and oil. Only a mastermind of soil conservation and public utility risk management could design an ultimate plan to avoid another desertification of the United States. The United States must begin tapping resources and produce its own organic materials. With a conscious goal of opening resources while being environmentally friendly, we are able to regain independence ethically.
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