Unfortunately, the courts have decided they prefer to give lip service to this issue but pass the buck to someone else instead of trying to do what they can to help.
Hopefully, an appeals court will have the courage to do what is right. This is another fine example of the horrible situation where we must sue our leaders to attempt to make them do their jobs and what is right for the people. Here is a link to our recent post on this matter.
See the complete article which is posted online in the Gainesville Sun and will likely appear in the Sunday hard copy.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
Isaac Augspurg: Standing up to climate change
Climate change poses a grave threat to my generation and future generations. And my home state, Florida, is especially vulnerable to its impacts.
That’s why I joined seven young Floridians in a lawsuit against state officials such as Gov. Ron DeSantis and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried for enshrining an energy system based on the fossil fuels that is contributing to climate change. My state government is violating rights guaranteed by our state Constitution.
We’ve gone to the courts to protect our constitutional rights to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness because these officials have allowed and caused harm to our constitutionally protected essential public trust resources.
Our lawsuit asks Florida officials to stop taking actions that make climate change worse and to develop and implement a climate recovery plan. Not only will this protect our state’s natural environment, it will create jobs and economic opportunities because any greenhouse gas reduction plan must include Florida’s second biggest industry, agriculture.
This gives me hope because regenerative agriculture, a system of farming principles and practices that increase biodiversity and enriches soils, is part of the solution. Many of the problems that farmers face — such as water shortages, pests, diseases, crop failures and flooding — are all being exacerbated by the climate crisis.
Storing carbon in the soil is important for increasing biodiversity and healing the soil itself because microorganisms rely on carbon compounds to survive. When soil is thriving and an ecosystem is balanced, more food can be produced using fewer resources.
Monoculture, the commercial system of farming where only one type of crop is grown in the same spot year after year, has left soil void of nutrients, and crops more vulnerable to a changing climate.
Biodiversity can be restored through changes in the way we think about and approach commercial farming. Planting a variety of complementary crops together allows symbiotic relationships to form, enhances ecosystems, improves the water cycle and creates a system of agriculture that will be resilient to climate change.
Soil that has been regenerated is better at absorbing water and has more capacity to withstand times of drought and flooding. Soil that has been made healthy with organic matter and is full of life can withstand forces of nature and prevent erosion and absorb water so that the land is more protected for harvest.
Furthermore, biodiversity in the soil creates a natural defense against pests and diseases. When plants have healthy soil the microorganisms provide the plants with resources to create natural defenses, and because the soil is healthier, the plant is healthier as well, which will give the plant a better chance at survival.
When farmers plant more than one crop, not only are they creating better soil, but they also gain better economic stability by diversifying their yields and by sequestering carbon. Regenerative agriculture creates biodiversity by increasing organic matter which feeds the plants to create a stable form of carbon.
More and more farmers are turning to regenerative practices to maintain their livelihoods. Not only do farmers have the opportunity to increase their own productivity, but they can actually help solve the climate crisis.
Topsoil is one of earth’s most efficient ways to store carbon and contains at least three times more carbon than is found in the atmosphere. Carbon kept in the soil where it is meant to be means less is emitted into the atmosphere, therefore, farming is an important part of solving the climate crisis….
What’s at stake is nothing less than my future and the future of generations yet to come.
Isaac Augspurg, one of the eight youth in the Reynolds v. Florida case, is suing Florida officials and agencies for creating and maintaining a fossil fuel energy system that is driving climate change. He lives in A
