by Dan Murphy

    “The salvation of nature is watchfulness in the citizen.” Given his appreciation of Native American culture and spirituality, it’s likely that Nebraska-born philosopher, professor and iconographer Hartley Burr Alexander would appreciate this version of the inscription carved over the north entrance of the Nebraska Capitol. Helping you keep an eye on the environmental goings-on in our neck of the woods is what sparked this brief roundup of ecological concerns.
Survey says …
    Ever feel as if you’re among a minority of people who care about conservation? Think again.
    A recent New Bridge Strategy survey of Nebraska voters commissioned by Audubon Nebraska, The Nature Conservancy in Nebraska, the Sierra Club, and the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District revealed overwhelming support for conservation efforts across political lines. Seventy-nine percent of Republicans, 84 percent of Independents and 83 percent of Democrats agreed that “more needs to be done to protect land, water and wildlife.”
    Concern extends to the preservation of family farms and ranches, with 60 percent of Republicans and 52 percent of Independents labeling the potential loss of these cultural and economic drivers “an extremely/very serious problem.”
    Fully 90 percent of respondents — again, across party lines — backed the use of Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund dollars to activate conservation easements.
    “It’s heartening that Nebraskans are united by nature,” noted John Cougher, State Director for the Nature Conservancy in Nebraska. “Whether they hunt, fish, birdwatch, hike, bike, or simply want clean water, the people of this state care not only about nature, but also about the families who are stewarding our land and water.”
Speaking of water …
    Nebraska versus Colorado? Next time, the game might not play out on the gridiron, but along the South Platte River in Eastern Colorado and Western Nebraska.
    Invoking a nearly century-old agreement between the two states to ensure the equitable flow and use of river water, Nebraska leaders are considering the construction of a canal to irrigate Nebraska farmland. The canal would begin in Colorado and end in Nebraska. In addition to its estimated $500 million cost (woefully short of the actual price tag, according to some experts), the effort is likely to trigger eminent domain considerations, lengthy lawsuits, and environmental studies. There is also the question of whether Nebraska’s use of $100 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to help finance the project would meet federal guidelines for allocating COVID relief monies.
    Experts interviewed by the Omaha World-Herald note that neither state has violated terms of the 1923 South Platte River Compact, and an editorial in the paper strongly advocates for continuing constructive dialogue identifying possible paths toward an amicable and equitable resolution.
    Regardless of how this yet-to-be-formalized proposal plays out, the situation underscores the life-or-death consequences of water conservation in the West.
The buzz about pollinator protection
    ASO’s own Glenn Pollock is promoting a resolution sponsored by State Senator Carol Blood to “determine what is needed to develop a plan to protect managed and native Nebraskan pollinators from current harmful practices.”
    The resolution, which was referred to the legislature’s Executive Board in mid-January, would create an interim study, which would, in turn:
•    Analyze the effects of neonicotinoids (insecticides chemically related to nicotine) on such pollinators as bees, butterflies, moths and bats;
•    Understand the population decline of managed and native pollinators;
•    Identify and promote best practices for enhancing and creating habitats to support the continued viability of Nebraska pollinators;
•    Identify and promote efficient and cost-effective practices that will protect pollinators; and
•    Provide leadership and guidance to localities and the private sector to protect pollinators.
Carbon neutrality is officially a Nebraska ‘thing’ now
    Did you know that, in 2015, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that Nebraska was No. 1? Yep, carbon emissions increased more in Nebraska than in any other state from 2000 through 2015. Not exactly GBR, unless our faces were flushed with embarrassment.
    Good news now, though! On December 9 of last year, the board of directors of the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, joining the state’s two other major electric utilities — Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) and Lincoln Electric System (LES) — in targeting net-zero
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carbon omissions. That means nearly every Nebraskan is now served by a utility pledged to decarbonization.
    This isn’t just serendipity, however. Nebraska Conservation Voters Deputy Director Chelsea Johnson reminds us that, “In recent election cycles, voters have elected new NPPD board members who more closely reflect their values … NCV supported these candidates in their elections and ensured that, over the course of the last year, the board heard from their constituents in regards to the decarbonization goal.”
    NCV’s grassroots engagement has advanced energy and environmental policies, as well as preventing bad bills from becoming laws. In fact, NCV advocacy efforts have led to wins in 88 percent of targeted races, placing conservation champions on the boards of OPPD and NPPD and across Lincoln’s city government. In addition, through Conservation Nebraska, NCV offers monthly educational programming analyzing critical conservation issues, such as water quality, soil health, pollinators and climate change.
Control+AltEn+Delete?
    Anyone following the continuing drama surrounding the AltEn ethanol plant in Mead, Nebraska, is probably wondering when — or if — it will end.
    AltEn has operated a biofuel plant in Mead, using seed coated with pesticides to produce ethanol and, unfortunately, highly contaminated solid and liquid byproducts, which the company deposited on area fields, describing the waste as a “soil amendment.” Over time, Mead residents reported pets “stumbling about in a stupor, dead wildlife and their own bloody noses, headaches and respiratory problems,” according to the Omaha World-Herald. Entomologists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln argued that pollution from AltEn’s plant killed 100 percent of the bees at its research facility.
    Eventually, governmental bodies in Mead voted to prohibit AltEn from manufacturing ethanol, but allowed the company to operate on-site so it could remediate pesticide-contaminated soil and water at the facility. Cleanup efforts have been uneven, at best, and have been led by companies that had supplied contaminated seed to AltEn, including industry giants Bayer and Syngenta.
    In mid-January, the sale of AltEn-produced biochar, billed as a natural substitute for chemical fertilizers, was thwarted by analyses conducted by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The analyses concluded that the AltEn product was “prone to breaking down,” that it contained levels of a dangerous contaminant several multiples above safety benchmarks, and that it should be disposed of as solid waste.
    Finally, a recent “Midlands Voices” column in the Omaha World-Herald by John Janovy, Jr., professor emeritus with the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, contends that the “failure of the State of Nebraska to avert an environmental disaster at the AltEn ethanol plant in Mead is a familiar story of money and politics at work to create a public health problem.”