Sask. premier needs ‘4 per 1000’ solution

Editor:

Dear Premier Scott Moe,

I was thrilled to hear that you turned towards farmer Megz Reynolds' invitation to take a seat in her harvest combine. Research shows that turning towards is the best response.

Turning towards is not giving in but connecting to seek a positive outcome.

Are either you or Megz aware of the "4 per 1,000" initiative?

It offers a positive climate change outcome. 4p1000.org explains carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere at a rate of that 4.3 billion tons per year. Soil contains 1,500 billion tons of carbon. By increasing the carbon in the soil by "4 per 1000" (0.4%) per year, we can offset all our carbon emissions.

This offset can be done by shifting to regenerative agriculture practices like no-till.

Plus, regenerative agriculture has many benefits; increased food security, improved soil fertility, healthier food and environment, lower input costs, and reduced ocean acidification. A local farmer who practices regenerative agriculture gleefully recounts his lower input costs, especially lower fuel costs.

Individually, every bite we eat moves us towards or away from regenerative agriculture. Provincially, rather than turning against a carbon tax, would it be wiser to turn our province towards the "4 per 1000" solution? Defeating the carbon tax will not mitigate climate change.

Committing to regenerative agriculture would move us towards mitigating climate change and could move us away from a carbon tax.

If you have not investigated the "4 per 1000" initiative, please direct your Minister of Agriculture to do so. If you have, please share the results.

Nancy Carswell

Shellbrook, SK