Sam Burnham, Curator @C_SamBurnham By now I’m sure you’ve heard this term being slung around. The mystical, magical plan in which all proven sources of energy and economy are discarded for unicorns and glitter and the Federal Government saves the world from menacing onslaught of “cow farts.” Leave it to a New Yorker to blame cows for climate change. This proposal is the handiwork of the freshman member of Congress from New York City, the amazing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She argues that the deal will reverse climate change while revolutionizing the economy and creating mind blowing prosperity. But, as is to be expected, the plan is as silly as it is ignorant. For one thing, she cuts out air travel. Then she tweets advice to kids on how to reduce their carbon footprint. One of her points is to give up eating meat and dairy, recommending instead her go-to breakfast of banana and peanut butter. At home in NYC that means opting for peanut butter trucked in from Alabama or Georgia and a banana flown in from South America or maybe even Indonesia instead of a dairy product produced within 100 miles of her home. According to the EPA, ranchers and dairy farmers account for about 2% of all greenhouse gases while transportation accounts for about 28%. So a relatively short truck or train trip could bring her dairy produced in state but she opts for a banana flown in from the other side of the planet and some peanut butter from over 1000 miles away. The trick to a greener, more sustainable, more ecologically friendly future is with local and regional sources for food, energy, water, goods, services, etc. The more products we use that are locally sourced or at least regionally sourced, the less transportation is required and we cut into the 28% and never mind the 2%. Quit straining at gnats. As the South continues to develop cleaner, more sustainable energy solutions, and broadband internet services connect our region better, options will arise that will cut those transportation and energy emissions more and the bovine emissions will matter even less. If Ms. Ocasio-Cortez is really interested in fixing emissions, she should find sustainable methods to heat homes in and travel through that wretched city she lives in. She should deal with the Sasquatch sized carbon footprint of New York before pointing at the ant sized one in rural areas. As the flora in rural areas, especially trees in forests and farms, continues to consume the infinitesimal greenhouse gas emissions from rural sources, the cities continue to make far more than their flora can contain. If greenhouse gas emissions is the conversation she wants to have, then her town needs some greenhouse Beano first. Regardless of any legislation or action in Washington, a localized grass roots economy will always be the greenest option. The closer we are to the goods and services we use, the more our sources of energy match our climate and topography, and the more walkable sour communities, then the greener our environment, the more prosperous our towns, and the healthier our people will be. We can never have a green economy so long as our small towns are cluttered with shuttered workplaces. We need Washington to step out of the way so we can rebuild this nation on our Main Streets.That would be a Green New Deal.
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Sam Burnham, Curator @C_SamBurnham i read a recent article in the New York Times.Times writer Glenn Thrush was in Camilla interviewing farmers who lost so much, some everything they had, in the storm. His article didn’t focus on the losses, the recovery efforts, or the work of farmers. No, he chose to focus on climate change. I’ve done several rebuttals to the arrogant work of East Coast elite “journalists” over the years. This time I’m not wanting to just vent off my frustrations with an angry reply because I think there’s too much at stake this time. This time it’s not just a typical New Yorker looking down his nose at the “dumb Southerners” who don’t understand science. As the political and social divide continues to grow in America and we inch ever closer to whatever cataclysm awaits us at the end of this bumpy road, somewhere the chorus of a Greek tragedy is crying out “this is how they got Trump.” At some point there has to be a realization. I’m sitting in Georgia, an advocate for the defense in this case. So my position is admittedly biased. But I’m also a writer and I know a bit about that craft as well. Let me just say that a person who can take a woody shard of genetic material, shove it in a hole in the ground, and allow the sky to provide the needed hydration and photosynthetic energy and thereby derive a living for himself and his family is either a scientist or a witch doctor. Either way, his livelihood requires much more understanding of science than a newspaper writer needs. And that is where the realization must happen. Mr Thrush May have spent the decade of tropical silence between Katrina/Rita and Harvey attending cocktail parties but the farmers in South Georgia were busy trying to turn seeds, dirt, rain, and sunlight into money. While Thrush was rubbing elbows with celebrities, the farmers were looking at late frost dates, finding days that were dry enough for planting, planning crop rotations, timing fertilizers or defoliants, setting traps for boll weevils, planning irrigation, paying property taxes, researching breeds of hogs to determine which will be most profitable. You know, science stuff. But the biggest realization that needs to be made is that what happened in South Georgia when that storm ripped through wasn’t political. It wasn’t about climate change. It wasn’t even about the $2.5 billion in agricultural losses. What happened was bigger than all that. It was a human tragedy on a colossal scale. Farming is a ridiculously difficult job. Yes, there are some factory farms raking in subsidies and turning massive profits. But there are far more that are covering expenses and maybe a little more. Many of these farmers are working the land their parents, grandparents, and perhaps further generations worked before them. Many hope to pass down the land and the livelihood to their children. Recovering from this disaster is the only way such a cultural and familial heritage can be passed on because there is presently nothing to hand down to the next generation. I'm sure part of the article's bourgeois tone was Thrush's own frustration. He was the NYT's White House correspondent until several of his female coworkers brought allegations of unwanted sexual behavior against him. I'm sure he'd rather be reporting on policy in Washington than covering the ruination of some backwards hayseeds in Mitchell County. So instead of covering the human tragedy, he made it all about politics. It says a lot that his employers think covering a human tragedy in South Georgia is a demotion worthy of sexual harassment. Why are these people the ones reporting this story in this way and telling the world it is All the News That's Fit to Print? How is this worthy of a newspaper of record? How can we ever expect to change the tone of this conversation when human tragedy isn't fit to print but the writer's ideas about the role of climate change in the tragedy is? As it is becoming increasingly clear that big city journalism is trending toward caring less and less about what goes on in places like Nashville or Alapaha, Georgia, Southerners need to be trending more toward small journalism to tell the stories about what is really going on. Support your local papers and other journalism. We need better regional options as well. Maybe if the New York Times wants to cover a story like the hurricane and agriculture they should partner with the Valdosta Daily Times rather than send a Washington-based Times writer who doesn't understand farming or rural life. Mostly, we need thoughtful reactions. We need to be more and more self-sufficient, more and more regionalist and localist in how we operate. Perhaps instead of giving an out-of-town big city writer a chance to try to make us look stupid in the Times, we need to throw him off the property as soon as he shows up. To their credit, the New York Times did open comments to farmers and others in the area to add input through a comments section on a follow up to the original article. But what did that prove other than admitting, after the backlash, that sending Thrush to Georgia was also a disaster? So I offered the Times my advice on the matter in the form of a comment I'll add here: My name is Sam Burnham, I’m the Curator of All the Biscuits in Georgia (allthebiscuitsingeorgia.com) and an advocate and supporter of agriculture and the people who make it happen. Rather than sitting in Manhattan waiting for responses, you need to send people down here to look and see. They need to know some farmers and the local businesses who depend on the success of an agricultural economy. Get off the paved road, get your hands dirty, be real journalists. More importantly, be a real humans. You want to understand why what you printed was so wrong? Come see for yourself. Come open minded and ready to learn. Oh, and come hungry. Sam Burnham, Curator @C_SamBurnham Hurricane Michael made landfall on Wednesday October 10. As I’m writing this, on the 17th, we have reached they say FEMA resources are expected to start reaching the affected areas. That’s a week. If this was New Orleans, there would be outrage in abundance. But this is the rural South. So this national spotlight has largely moved on. Now the inhabitants of this racially diverse area get to start picking up the pieces. Major media outlets poured in to capture the chaos, mispronounce the names of towns, rake in some ratings, and then move on to the next story. President Trump and Vice President Pence toured damaged areas in South Georgia yesterday. US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue was in Cordele this weekend to assess losses to crops and livestock. GOP gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp visited South Georgia this weekend while Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams marched in Atlanta’s Pride Parade. Thats the rundown of the dog and pony show. As far as the work of recovery, that has been well underway. While politicians observed damage (or celebrated in parades), news networks made a lot of money, and FEMA did...whatever they’ve been doing for a week, Georgia put boots on the ground. The State activated GSAR - Georgia Search and Rescue - task forces that respond to disaster and other special incidents. The Georgia Forestry Commission dispatched rangers to do tree removal, clearing roads, and making the logistics of moving resources possible. The National Guard and State Patrol have been involved. Several charitable organizations have stepped in to raise funds, provide shelter, meals, medications, supplies. Duracell sent out its response units to provide batteries to storm victims needing power for flashlights, radios, and other equipment needed to get through a prolonged power outage. Utility companies, including local electric membership corporations, have been working nonstop to restore power to the area. But dont worry. FEMA is on the way. This would be a great time to consider the pros and cons of decentralization of resource allocation. Georgia has been busting it for a week with the resources it has. The efforts that have already been put into motion have me wondering if FEMA is on the way or if they’re coming to get in the way. Maybe it would be better if they just sent some stuff and stayed wherever they are. Between the quick actions of Georgians and the resilience of rural Southerners, this might be over by the time the federal behemoth gets moving good. Thats the rundown of the dog and pony show. As far as the work of recovery, that has been well underway. While politicians observed damage (or celebrated in parades), news networks made a lot of money, and FEMA did...whatever they’ve been doing for a week, Georgia put boots on the ground. The State activated GSAR - Georgia Search and Rescue - a statewide network of task forces made up of local emergency personnel who come together to respond to disasters and other incidents that require a specialized response. The Georgia Forestry Commission dispatched rangers to do tree removal, clearing roads, and making the logistics of moving resources possible. The National Guard and State Patrol have been involved. Several charitable organizations have stepped in to raise funds, provide shelter, meals, medications, supplies. Duracell sent out its response units to provide batteries to storm victims needing power for flashlights, radios, and other equipment needed to get through a prolonged power outage. Utility companies, including local electric membership corporations, have been working nonstop to restore power to the area. But dont worry. FEMA is on the way. This would be a great time to consider the pros and cons of decentralization of resource allocation. Georgia has been busting it for a week with the resources it has. The efforts that have already been put into motion have me wondering if FEMA is on the way or if they’re coming to get in the way. Maybe it would be better if they just sent some stuff and stayed wherever they are. Between the quick actions of Georgians and the resilience of rural Southerners, this might be over by the time the federal behemoth gets moving good. In an election year, it is a good idea to consider candidates and policies that favor agriculture. It is also wise to consider ways to decentralize disaster relief to get the response closer to the people. We need to be able to beef up our state and local response and be less dependent on a distant and clumsy national response. Most importantly, we need leaders who understand rural people and places. |
Sam B.Historian, self-proclaimed gentleman, agrarian-at-heart, & curator extraordinaire Social MediaCategories
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