We're sunsetting PodQuest on 2025-07-28. Thank you for your support!
Export Podcast Subscriptions
cover of episode 'Sea of Grass' chronicles the disappearance of the North American prairie

'Sea of Grass' chronicles the disappearance of the North American prairie

2025/6/11
logo of podcast NPR's Book of the Day

NPR's Book of the Day
AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
D
Dave Hagee
J
Josephine Marcotty
Topics
Josephine Marcotty: 作为一名环境研究者，我亲眼见证了草原生态系统的脆弱性和恢复的希望。我热爱草原，每当我来到一片恢复的自然区域，总能惊喜地发现动物们迅速回归。这让我深信，只要我们给予机会，大自然具有强大的自我修复能力。然而，我也深知，农业发展对草原造成的破坏是巨大的。化肥和农药的使用，以及排水系统对湿地的改造，不仅破坏了草原本身的生态平衡，还对远在千里之外的墨西哥湾造成了严重的生态影响，导致了“死亡地带”的出现。我呼吁，我们必须改变现有的农业模式，采取更加可持续的土地管理方式，以减少对环境的负面影响。 Dave Hagee: 作为一名历史学者，我深入研究了草原的演变历程，并对早期欧洲移民对草原的恐惧感同身受。他们不熟悉这种开阔而狂野的景观，因此难以适应。钢犁、化肥和瓷砖排水系统等农业技术的发明，加速了草原向农田的转变。然而，我们今天仍然承受着这些转变带来的后果，如水污染和土壤退化。我强调，我们必须尊重农民的贡献，但同时也需要改变激励机制，鼓励他们采取更加环保的耕作方式。只有这样，我们才能在保护环境和保障粮食安全之间找到平衡点。我希望，通过改变政策和提供经济支持，我们可以帮助农民在保护土地和水资源的同时，也能获得公平的收益。

Deep Dive

Chapters
The American prairie is disappearing rapidly due to agriculture. The authors discuss the ecological consequences of this loss and the potential for restoration. The conversation takes place in a partially restored prairie outside Chicago.
  • Rapid disappearance of the American prairie due to agriculture
  • Loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services
  • Conversion of prairie land to farmland
  • Illinois, once known as the Prairie State, has almost no prairie left

Shownotes Transcript

The North American prairie is home to bison, elk, wolves and bald eagles – and it's disappearing at a rapid rate. In their new book Sea of Grass, writers Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty chronicle the forces behind the loss of this ecosystem. In today's episode, they join Here & Now's Chris Bentley at a prairie outside of Chicago for a conversation about their research. They discuss the innovations in industrial agriculture that have transformed the prairie to farmland, the ecological consequences of that change, and what could be done to restore parts of the prairie.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)