Searching for Sustainability

4½ days. That’s how long it takes to add a million people to the Earth. Though the rate of population growth is potentially unlimited, resources to sustain the population growth are not. The Earth is at its limit of good air, water, and soil quality, and the rate at which humans are degrading these resources isn’t going to allow us to survive. The Door County Environmental Council and Kewaunee Cares will present a free film, Searching for Sustainability, by Into the Outdoors, on Thursday, February 22, 2018, 7:00 pm at Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay.

One of the greatest contributing factors to the degradation of our resources is the shift in agriculture since WW2. After this time, chemical farming became the norm. All the things that make up the environment and the health of the environment are affected by these current practices: the food we eat; the water we drink; the landscape and ecosystems; wildlife; soil health; and community life.

Environment, economy, and social responsibility are the three synergistic cornerstones of sustainable agriculture. “If one fails, the others degrade. When one flourishes, the others are enhanced,” says Michael Finney, Eco-Services-Oneida Tribe. Sustainability must be the goal of farmers or they won’t survive economically. Nor will the environment.

Searching for Sustainability explores the history of Wisconsin’s agricultural practices and the resulting condition of the land and water resources. It also discusses the causes of pollution in the bay of Green Bay. “By the 1970’s we had pretty much cleaned up the human sewage problem of Green Bay, but the runoff from agriculture had more than replaced it,” says Prof. Steven Carpenter, UW Center for Limnology.

How do we become sustainable to assure the survival of our future generations? In the 1930’s, Aldo Leopold believed that the oldest task in human history is to live on a piece of land without spoiling it. Searching for Sustainability suggests ways for agricultural stewards and the general public to reverse this turning point, through practices such as ground cover, managed grazing, demanding organic food, and contacting legislators about concerns. Please join the Door County Environmental Council and Kewaunee Cares for this informative and momentous film. A discussion will follow the movie. For more informationvisit www.dcec-wi.org.