Groundwater Recharge and Aquifer Storage and Recovery: Injection Projects, Challenges, and Impacts

     The U.S. EPA defines and distinguishes aquifer recharge (AR) and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) as follows:

“Aquifer recharge (AR) and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) are manmade processes or natural processes enhanced by humans that convey water underground. The processes replenish ground water stored in aquifers for beneficial purposes. Although AR and ASR are often used interchangeably, they are separate processes with distinct objectives. AR is used solely to replenish water in aquifers. ASR is used to store water, which is later recovered for use.”

     They also note that both AR and ASR projects are increasing in number, often as a way to address water shortages in areas of high population density, intense agriculture, and high groundwater withdrawal rates. The projects occur more in the drier regions of the U.S. in the southeast, southwest, and west. There are projects in coastal areas as well where freshwater is injected into aquifers to stave off saltwater intrusion. The EPA mentions three methods of aquifer recharge, including surface spreading, infiltration pits and basins, and injection wells. Injection wells are used where surface methods are impractical.

     AR and ASR injection wells are regulated under the EPA’s Underground Injection Control (UIC) program. The main goal of AR and ASR regulations is to protect underground sources of drinking water. States granted primacy for regulating these wells may have additional requirements.

“no owner or operator shall construct, operate, maintain, convert, plug, abandon, or conduct any other injection activity in a manner that allows the movement of fluid containing any contaminant into underground sources of drinking water, if the presence of that contaminant may cause a violation of any primary drinking water regulation under 40 CFR part 142 or may otherwise adversely affect the health of persons.” (40 CFR 144.12L)

     Water injected into AR and ASR wells may have different origins, including drinking water from a public water treatment system, untreated groundwater and surface water, treated effluent, and reclaimed or recycled water.

     Below are some potential contaminants that may be inadvertently introduced into an aquifer if the water is not treated properly before injection. These include pathogens which can be removed by disinfection, disinfection byproducts which can be reduced by pretreatment before disinfection, and leaching of metals from the surrounding rock, or precipitation of carbonates if water pH and red-ox potential are not ideal. There are some cases where injecting water into aquifers has improved the groundwater quality of naturally poor-quality groundwater. However, it is more typical for groundwater quality to remain the same or go down where it is being withdrawn fast enough to lower the water table significantly.

Natural Groundwater Recharge

   Groundwater is recharged naturally from rain and snowmelt. Human activities like paving and development can reduce groundwater recharge. Loss of topsoil can result in decreased infiltration rates. Soil infiltration rates also depend on soil grain size. Larger soil grain sizes, such as soil with abundant sand or gravel and low amounts of clay, will be more permeable than clay and loamy soils. Low infiltration rates often lead to lower recharge rates. Groundwater hydrologists are often interested in the areas where groundwater recharge is highest and, in the case of drinking water aquifers, in protecting those areas from contamination. These are known as groundwater source protection areas. Salts that accumulate in the root zones of plants can be washed out by infiltrating water, improving the quality of the lower soils.

     Wetland soil is often impermeable and impedes water flow, but areas around the perimeters of wetlands are often good recharge areas. Thus, areas with abundant small wetlands with high perimeter-to-wetland ratios can be very good recharge areas. In the U.S. Upper Midwest and Plains areas, groundwater recharge areas can be areas with abundant prairie potholes.

     One method of natural groundwater recharge that is enhanced by human activity is depression-focused groundwater recharge. This method involves natural or constructed depressions, ponds, or basins that collect water and let it infiltrate into the subsurface. These depressions concentrate water in places where the soil is highly permeable, enhancing flow into the aquifer.

 

Artificial Aquifer Recharge

     As noted by the EPA, artificial aquifer recharge may involve streambed channel modification, bank filtration, water spreading, and recharge wells. In urban areas, stormwater runoff retention basins may become aquifer recharge areas. In hot, dry agricultural areas where groundwater levels have dropped due to depletion caused by over-withdrawal, like much of India, where over 60% of irrigation water is groundwater, there are many ongoing aquifer recharge projects. Over-pumping groundwater also causes land subsidence, and this has occurred in some U.S. cities. Adequate recharge can prevent such land subsidence if it is done in time.

     According to a 2021 paper in Environmental Research Letters and Wikipedia, estimating and measuring rates of groundwater recharge is inherently difficult:

“Rates of groundwater recharge are difficult to quantify. This is because other related processes, such as evaporation, transpiration (or evapotranspiration) and infiltration processes must first be measured or estimated to determine the balance. There are no widely applicable method available that can directly and accurately quantify the volume of rainwater that reaches the water table.”

“The most common methods to estimate recharge rates are: chloride mass balance (CMB); soil physics methods; environmental and isotopic tracers; groundwater-level fluctuation methods; water balance (WB) methods (including groundwater models (GMs)); and the estimation of baseflow (BF) to rivers.”

“Regional, continental and global estimates of recharge commonly derive from global hydrological models.”

 

Gutter-Based Recharge in Urban Areas

      In dry areas, individual residents can help by helping rainwater to percolate into the soil rather than run off into surface water bodies. 

     In urban and suburban areas, especially in arid regions, gutter and downspout systems can increase local aquifer recharge and decrease runoff to storm sewers. Gutter-based recharge in urban areas can also help to mitigate urban flooding. 

     Gutter water management company Euroguard gives some recommendations.

     They also give some factors that affect soil infiltration rates and recharge.

 

Induced Seismicity is Apparently a Potential Issue with Recharge, but I Doubt It Will Become a Concern

     Alluvial groundwater aquifers beneath rivers are one major source of water, including my own water, which comes from such aquifers under the Ohio River. Such aquifers are typically unconsolidated and very permeable, which means the water recharging them is younger than for many consolidated hard rock aquifers, which may naturally take years or decades to recharge.

     A project recharging the Potomac Aquifer under the James River in Virginia has installed seismometers to listen for seismic events, but none have yet been found. Such events due to water injections at high pressures are common in oil & gas fields where wastewater is injected into disposal wells in high volumes at high pressures. The risk for seismic events depends on geology, depth, and injection pressures. I doubt that this will be a concern in the future, even as more recharge projects are initiated. It is rare for freshwater aquifers to be hydraulically connected to subsurface faults, especially basement faults, which are more susceptible to slipping with high-pressure injection.  

 

References:

 

Replenishing sapped groundwater could trigger small earthquakes: A boom in aquifer injection projects could unlock long-quiet faults. Hannah Richter. Science Advisor. December 10, 2025. Replenishing sapped groundwater could trigger small earthquakes | Science | AAAS

Aquifer Recharge and Aquifer Storage and Recovery. U.S. EPA. Aquifer Recharge and Aquifer Storage and Recovery | US EPA

Groundwater Recharge: A Vital Solution for Sustainable Water Management. Euroguard. July 25, 2025. Groundwater Recharge: Methods, Benefits & Importance Explained

Groundwater recharge. Wikipedia. Groundwater recharge - Wikipedia

Mapping groundwater recharge in Africa from ground observations and implications for water security. Alan M MacDonald, R Murray Lark, Richard G Taylor, Tamiru Abiye, Helen C Fallas, Guillaume Favreau, Ibrahim B Goni, Seifu Kebede, Bridget Scanlon, and James P R Sorensen. February 16, 2021. British Geological Survey. Environmental Research Letters, Volume 16, Number 3. Mapping groundwater recharge in Africa from ground observations and implications for water security - IOPscience

Water Reclamation Via Improved Wastewater Treatment Along the Santa Cruz River in Arizona: A Restoration Success

      The Santa Cruz River begins in Southern Arizona, flows into Mexico, then turns and flows north back into Arizona through Tucson, and joins the Gila River south of Phoenix, a tributary of the Colorado River. The river is about 200 miles long. The riverbed is often dry, but this is partly due to both natural and human actions in the nineteenth century, including overgrazing, excessive pumping of groundwater for agricultural irrigation and industry, and the construction of dams and ditches. Since 2019, releasing treated wastewater into the river has resulted in higher flow rates along parts of the river. 

     According to Wikipedia:

“In June 2019, the city of Tucson began releasing treated wastewater daily into the Santa Cruz River bed near West Silverlake Road as part of the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project. This has resulted in renewed perennial flow in an approximately 1-mile (1.6 km) stretch near downtown Tucson. Further upstream, perennial flows returned to a half-mile stretch of the river through the San Xavier Indian Reservation of the Tohono Oʼodham Nation in 2019 as a result of reduced ground water pumping due to greater availability of water from the Central Arizona Project. This has led to the revival of vegetated riparian zones along the river, including areas of cottonwood shoots and seep-willow. Further downstream at the Roger Road Waste Water Treatment Plant has been releasing treated wastewater, which extends the perennial flow of the river for approximately 46 miles (74 km).”

     Indigenous people created an extensive system of irrigation canals, supporting an agricultural society that lasted thousands of years. From the 1600s and through the 19th century, first Spanish explorers and then Anglo immigrants all depended on the river. The area is very dry and part of the Sonoran Desert. As a result of decades of groundwater pumping, often for irrigation, the water table, once at 25 ft below the surface, is now closer to 300 ft below the surface. That led to the local rivers drying up and not flowing year-round like they used to do.

     The restoration project, known as the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project, began releasing treated wastewater into the river in 2019. The treated water does not meet drinking water standards but does meet effluent standards for treated water. One hope of the restoration is to get the river to flow year-round as it once did in the 1900s.

A Section of the River Showing Increased Flow and Clearer Water Downstream from the Introduced Cleaner Effluent

     According to Tucson Water:

“In the early 2000s, Tucson Water began storing and recovering potable water from the Colorado River via the Central Arizona Project canal — further alleviating aquifer overdraft from the well fields that served most customers.”

     Restored water flow on the river has led to riparian habitat revival with the return of native plant species and endangered wildlife. In fact, the return of native species like dragonflies, damselflies, mayflies, toads, snakes, birds, and the federally endangered Gila topminnow has been faster and more intense than predicted. The return of cottonwood, mesquite, and willow woodlands along the river’s banks has been a welcome change.

“Tucson Water adds chloramine as a biological control for the reclaimed water system. For the Heritage Project, Tucson Water began releasing Class A-treated recycled water into the Santa Cruz River from a newly constructed valve station built onto existing reclaimed water infrastructure. Sodium bisulfite is added at the valve station to remove any residual traces of chlorine.”

“A small treatment facility near the bank of the river dechlorinates flows and is metered to provide real-time monitoring of water quality.”

     Before the heritage section of the river was restored near Tucson, treated wastewater was first added upstream. In 2013, the Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department constructed the Agua Nueva Water Reclamation Facility to replace former treatment facilities. The Agua Nueva facility produces effluent that is safe for all uses, excluding body-contact recreation and consumption.

     Another goal of the project is to recharge local groundwater aquifers, hopefully reversing the considerable groundwater depletion that has dropped the water table considerably. Below are some goals and highlights of the project from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

     USFWS also notes that challenges remain due to non-native species:

“Nonnative vegetation including Tamarix spp., bermuda grass, buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris), and Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense), and nonnative aquatic species including western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeinas) pose ongoing management challenges in the Heritage Reach.”

     The river’s restoration has been well-received by the local public. A recent paper in the journal Restoration Ecology explored the project, noting that using treated wastewater to restore rivers was a new idea and needed further analysis. The authors verified the fast and thorough return of native species. However, they did caution that more precise flow increases to key areas would be needed to restore some sensitive species. The paper’s abstract is below.

“Simply adding effluent to dewatered urban rivers has the potential to restore diverse aquatic fauna, but targeted reintroductions may be needed for sensitive or dispersal-limited taxa.”   

     Dredging on the river for flood control near Tucson, where flows can increase quickly due to rain, gave the researchers a chance to see the effects of a temporary flow stop, and another quick return of species was observed when effluent flow was returned. The region, though very dry, does have a monsoon season where floods can and do occur.

A Section of the Santa Cruz River After Heavy Monsoon Rains

     Pima County spent $600 million to upgrade two wastewater treatment plants, which output cleaner water than the previous treatment plants. Some species were introduced or reintroduced to the area. The researchers noted:

“Effluent is an important and underappreciated tool for creating new habitat for many riverine species in arid and semiarid regions.”

     It is widely acknowledged that if effluent from the treatment plants before the upgrades were released, there would not be restoration, which is dependent on the better water treatment provided by the upgrades. Reduced levels of nitrogen and other organic compounds in the effluent flowing into the Santa Cruz River after cleaner effluent was introduced was key to the return of species. A mass die-off of cottonwood trees that occurred along the river’s banks in 2005 was seen as a wake-up call. Research and monitoring on the river intensified in 2008. Reduced nitrogen levels also increase infiltration into groundwater and could account for reduced flows in some parts of the river.

     The Sonoran Institute has been a key partner in the project with a huge database on river parameters.

“Together with Pima County, the Sonoran Institute since 2013 has been compiling Living River reports on the Lower Santa Cruz River, a 23-mile stretch northwest of Tucson. Modeled on those for the Upper Santa Cruz, these reports began with baseline measurements of conditions prior to the treatment facility upgrades, and have continued with annual assessments, tracking water quality, native fish, wildlife, and the overall ability of the public to enjoy the river.”

     Before the upgraded effluent was introduced, the river was often plagued by rotten egg smells in Tucson, which no one enjoys, including plant and animal species.

“Thanks to the effluent that flows out of the nearby Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Santa Cruz River in this stretch has surface-flowing water for most of the year, supporting an abundant diversity of plants and animals, including a cottonwood-willow forest, one of the rarest forest types in North America. It provides habitat for mountain lions, coyote, bobcat, deer, coatimundi, and javelina. It is also part of what Audubon Arizona has named an “Important Bird Area” for the density and diversity of birds it supports, including nesting Yellow-billed cuckoos, a species of conservation concern. All of this life has made the park and connecting Juan Bautista de Anza Trail, the two publicly accessible parts of the river in this area, increasingly popular with hikers, equestrians, and birders.”

     The return of the endangered Gila topminnow is an important biological indicator that the river is cleaner.

     Mexico has domestic rights to the river in its upstream reaches, which can affect flow into the U.S. They have also been upgrading wastewater treatment plants to get better quality effluent into the river. Collaboration is ongoing, but there is still a threat to the river as other sources of contaminants, like grazing cattle and nutrient runoff, still threaten the river’s water quality. Stephanie Sklar, CEO of the Sonoran Institute, noted:

“We’ve spent over 25 years working on the Santa Cruz River on both sides of the border, so the river is part of our DNA.”

     Although the success will need to be further monitored and ensured, the restoration of the Santa Cruz River via cleaner treated wastewater could be used as a model for other threatened rivers with low flow in desert and arid areas.

References:

 

Turning Reclaimed Water Into Wildlife: How Tucson Saved The Santa Cruz River (Twice). Water Online. December 6, 2024. Turning Wastewater Into Wildlife How Tucson Saved The Santa Cruz River (Twice)

Scientists bring Arizona river, biodiversity back from the brink — by adding sewage water. Kamrin Baker. Good Good Good. September 3, 2024. Arizona river sees biodiversity boom after scientists add wastewater

Ecological Response to Restored Flows in the Urban Santa Cruz River: Case Study by the Conservation and Adaptation Resources Toolbox: Status: Completed. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Response to Flows in the Santa Cruz River | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Tucson Water revitalizes Santa Cruz River. World Water, March/April 2020. Tucson. scrhp_article_world_water.pdf

Santa Cruz River: Paradise Lost, Paradise Reborn, Will it be Lost Again? The Sonoran Institute. 2025. Santa Cruz River: Paradise Lost, Paradise Reborn

Santa Cruz River (Arizona). Wikipedia. Santa Cruz River (Arizona) - Wikipedia

Macroinvertebrate community development and resilience to channel dredging following flow restoration using effluent in an urban desert river. Michael Bogan, Hamdhani Hamdhani, Drew Eppehimer, Kelsey Hollien, and Brian Gill. Restoration Ecology. Volume33, Issue2. Special Issue: RE‐AL Thematic Series. February 2025. Macroinvertebrate community development and resilience to channel dredging following flow restoration using effluent in an urban desert river - Bogan - 2025 - Restoration Ecology - Wiley Online Library

 

 

 

 

AI and Automation in Recycling: Better Sorting, Higher Efficiency, Optimization, Improved Materials Recovery, Better Black Plastic Detection, and of Reclaiming PET Plastic Contamination

   

      Municipal Recycling Facilities (MRFs) can benefit from AI-enabled technology. AI has several applications in recycling, waste management, and materials processing and recovery. These include real-time mass balance accounting and assessing the value of missorted materials. An AI-enabled system can map, analyze, and sort different materials coming down the line.

     Vision AI systems can “see” what is going down the line for accurate materials estimates. Sensors can be put in many places on the line. These systems can be installed quickly. One is Everest Labs’ RecycleOS, which is designed for recycling plants.

     One thing that needs to be known is how much of each material comes in and goes out. This is known as mass balancing.

      The MRF Operations Forum session Emerging Technology and Approaches in October 2024 brought together recycling engineers and executives, and AI platform providers. AI Vision systems utilize AI-powered X-ray and camera equipment to analyze material coming into recycling facilities to identify nonconforming items, such as lithium batteries. One goal of the forum was to discuss what data should be collected and analyzed. Estimates indicate that recoverable materials are being missed, which, if recovered, could increase revenue. Modularity of technology and robotics is being pursued to enable plug-and-play advantages. Companies in recycling AI include Everest Labs, Glacier, and Greyparrot. Recycling is a tough business, and increasing recovery rates can be helpful. Facilities are also being oriented to aid in improving extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs. Increasing “waste intelligence” with data analysis enables materials recovery optimization and retention of undesirables.

     An article in Sorted Tech gives five ways AI is aiding MRFs: 1) Improved recycling efficiency - faster, more precise sorting, leading to higher recovery rates and improved material purity, 2) improved material type recognition – this improves recovery value, 3) Better detection of black plastic, which is hard to detect, 4) AI systems are adaptable to changes in the waste stream, markets, and regulations, and 5) AI systems are the best way to optimize processes in an MRF, including sorting.

     In an article in Resource Recycling, Inc., Everest Labs notes that AI-enabled data analytics can help MRF operators modify equipment settings to improve commodity recovery. Improved recovery of aluminum cans, known as used beverage cans, or UBCs, for instance, can increase facility revenue. One facility was able to catch $28,300 per month, or $336,000 per year, of $43,300 per month of lost UBCs, with AI-enabled robotics in a pilot, and another to catch 600,000 extra UBCs per quarter.

     Below, Everest Labs' Nellis and Pradhan give the seven steps to transforming to an AI-enabled facility through its RecycleOS system. 

     Automating MRFs also cuts down on labor costs, which can be significant for the low-profit facilities. In facilities that handle plastic, robotic arms are used to reclaim PET plastic contamination. Everest Labs’ Katherine Nellis noted:

“In a plastics recycling plant, they’re all about having a high throughput, which is how much material they’re processing, but at the same time, it’s important that they maintain a high yield on the output of the PET flakes and recycled content that then they are sending out to their customers,” Nellis said.

     MRFs will likely refine their AI-enabled technologies in the future, which hopefully will aid them in efficiency and profitability.

 

     

References:

 

Supercharging Your Recycling Facility with AI: A Practical Guide: Proven use cases & implementation  roadmap to operational excellence. Everest Labs. Waste Dive. wastemanagementdive.tradepub.com/?p=w_defa9741&w=d&email=b09ff1e64348033f5e5154e78f3b49f8&key=EDj3AfNbxXUUKDJn6jqb&ts=1597&u=1661982511161766801484&e=Ymx1ZWRyYWdvbmdlb0BnbWFpbC5jb20=&secure=1&_afn=0

5 ways AI is revolutionising MRF's operations. Sorted. February 13, 2025. 5 ways AI is revolutionising MRF's operations

How AI imaging is helping MRFs and a reclaimer. Colin Staub. Resource Recycling.  April 8, 2025. How AI imaging is helping MRFs and a reclaimer - Resource Recycling

Actionable insights with AI. DeAnne Toto. Waste Today. Published November 27, 2024 | Updated March 31, 2025. Actionable insights with AI - Waste Today

 

 

Regenerative Agriculture: Benefits, Challenges, Hype, and Criticism: USDA Announces $700 Million in RA Spending as Part of MAHA

     Regenerative agriculture (RA) seems to be a ‘catch-all’ term for a set of agricultural practices that promote soil and ecosystem health, low environmental impact, and biodiversity. One might also use the term ‘sustainable agriculture.’  According to the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), RA is a philosophy of farming and ranching in harmony with nature. RA is, however, a vague term, without many specifics. Each part of it, or practice deemed a part of it, needs to be evaluated separately, I believe. There are some excellent benefits to some of the practices within RA, and many of those are in common use and growing in deployment. RA can be used alongside industrial agriculture, rather than being opposed to it. Conventional industrial agriculture with high synthetic fertilizer inputs is still needed and provides the best crop yields. However, these more sustainable RA practices should be incorporated as well. The higher crop yields of industrial agriculture have sustainability benefits as well, including less land use needed and lower fertilizer and pesticide use per unit of yield. Reducing soil erosion, nutrient runoff, and subsequent harmful algae blooms is in the best interests of all farmers and should be widely pursued.

     The NRDC description of RA includes notions of pursuing social equity and environmental justice, which are not likely to be echoed by the Trump administration, which has expressed dislike for anything that might be related to DEI. RFK Jr.’s embrace of RA is likely related to his long-established anti-GMO stance. The anti-GMO movement is also strongly related to the anti-vaccine movement, of which RFK Jr. is a prominent member. He has also opposed pesticide use, or at least non-organic pesticide use. Organic pesticides may be as bad or worse for the environment than synthetic pesticides. Lowering pesticide use of any type is a guarantee for lower yields.

     RA is basically synonymous with sets of practices utilized by soil and water conservation districts around the U.S. in concert with many farmers. These are established practices like cover cropping, rotational grazing, crop rotations, riparian buffers, composting, agroforestry, and no-till farming.

     According to Wikipedia:

“Regenerative agriculture is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems. It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing ecosystem services, supporting biosequestration, increasing resilience to climate change, and strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil.”    

     Some RA practices like cover cropping and double cropping, or intercropping, have gotten more attention in the last few years. Farmers are working on optimizing these practices into their overall system.

     Unfortunately, unsubstantiated claims have been made about RA that are not verified and are probably incorrect. The 2020 Netflix documentary about RA, called Kiss the Ground (and its 2023 follow-up Common Ground) was received in different ways by different audiences. Environmental scientist Ronald G. Amundson argued that it was unrealistic, providing:

"… a hazy view or wish for a return to a past agricultural utopia ignores that there never was one" and that a global soil management system requires complex, fundamental changes involving many actors, rather than "magical thinking" that the problem will be solved simply by shifts in eating behaviors.”

    Becca Lucas of the California Climate & Agriculture Network (CalCAN), a sustainable agriculture group, lamented:

 "…the false and ultimately harmful dichotomy of 'good' versus 'bad' farmer."  

     Other criticisms focused on the ‘hyperbolic "insults and propaganda" of the film and its over-the-top denigration of conventional mechanistic agriculture and useful pesticides like glyphosate.  

     The USDA under Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and RFK Jr. announced earlier in December 2025 that they would invest up to $700 million in RA.

“The pilot program will use $400 million from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and $300 million from the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and will also leverage private funding to promote conservation practices such as cover crops while helping farmers reduce the use of chemicals such as pesticides.”

     Certainly, the second part of this replaces similar USDA programs that have promoted the same basic conservation practices.

"Protecting and improving the health of our soil is critical, not only for the future viability of farmland, but to the future success of American farmers. In order to continue to be the most productive and most efficient growers in the world, we must protect our topsoil from unnecessary erosion and boost the microbiome of the soil," Rollins said.

"And with soil health comes nutrient density -- and without coercion, voluntary action gives them good incentives to do well by doing good for themselves, for their children and for the country," Kennedy said.

“Saying there are too many chemicals on the land, Kennedy credited farmers who have been using regenerative practices to reduce their inputs. "They are inspiring to the farm community, to all of us who care about good health, about sustainability on the farm, about soil, about water retention, about soil retention," he said.

     They noted that the program will rely on Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff to implement, even though the NRCS was gutted earlier this year when 2400 jobs were cut, about 20% of the total staff. 2026 plans call for cutting another 1200 NCRS jobs, or 10% of the total staff.

     I think it’s good that the current administration is embracing RA, even if sometimes for the wrong reasons. I reiterate that many of those RA practices are already in wide use and have been widely promoted by the USDA for many years. Thus, it is unclear how this newly branded program will differ from similar previous programs. Earlier this year, many conservation projects were cancelled or delayed when the government implemented a spending freeze amid the DOGE cuts. Some farmers may have suffered financially due to having to wait for already promised and agreed government support in projects for which the farmers had already expended capital.

  

References:

 

Regenerative Ag and MAHA Now Linked. USDA Launches Regenerative Ag Pilot Tied to Make America Healthy Again Agenda. Chris Clayton. Progressive Farmer, December 10, 2025. USDA Launches Regenerative Ag Pilot Tied to Make America Healthy Again Agenda

Regenerative Agriculture 101. Natural Resources Defense Council. November 29, 2021. Regenerative Agriculture 101

Regenerative agriculture. Wikipedia. Regenerative agriculture - Wikipedia

Kiss the Ground. Wikipedia. Kiss the Ground - Wikipedia

Regenerative Ag is Having a Moment: Policy and Markets Starting to Align for Cover Crops, Double Cropping. Chris Clayton. Progressive Farmer. DTN. September 15, 2025. Policy and Markets Starting to Align for Cover Crops, Double Cropping

 

Amazon and Trane Technologies Report 15% Improvements in Building Energy Efficiency with AI-Enabled Tool, BrainBox AI: Plan for Widespread Rollout

      Energy management for buildings and facilities has long been recognized as a means toward better energy efficiency. Amazon teamed up with Trane Technologies, utilizing Trane’s BrainBox AI platform at three grocery fulfillment centers. The project resulted in nearly 15% less energy use. That is significant for an efficiency improvement. There are now plans to deploy the system at more than thirty grocery fulfillment and distribution facilities. The BrainBox system autonomously adjusts temperature control and ventilation systems to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Amazon also plans to deploy the system at its stores in 2026.

     Amazon VP Christina Minardi noted:

“By working with Trane Technologies and the BrainBox AI team, we’re turning our buildings into intelligent systems that learn and adapt, helping us meet both our sustainability and performance goals in real time,” Minardi said.

     According to Trane's press release, the results were significantly better than anticipated, in fact, double what was anticipated:

“Initial deployment at three pilot Amazon Grocery fulfillment facilities in North America exceeded expectations, achieving energy-use reductions of nearly 15% - more than double the original project targets. BrainBox AI, acquired by Trane Technologies, autonomously optimizes heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, reducing energy consumption, carbon emissions, and operational costs without compromising comfort or performance.”

“This initiative aligns with Amazon’s two-pronged approach to sustainability: decarbonizing existing buildings through smart technology while prioritizing energy-efficient and low-carbon materials in new construction.”

“Using AWS’ AI technology which contains over 10 key AWS solutions such as Amazon S3, and Amazon Bedrock, BrainBox AI cleared the pathway for the Amazon Grocery fulfillment sites’ contribution as a driver of progress toward this goal. Its inclusion in the accelerator cemented the company as a recognized leader in climate-focused technology innovation, working alongside other start-ups to drive impactful change within large-scale operations.’

     This successful pilot suggests that similar facilities may benefit from energy and cost savings through similar AI-enabled energy management systems. Energy efficiency improvement remains the cheapest overall form of decarbonization.

   

 

 

References:

 

Amazon to scale AI-enabled efficiency tool after pilot shaves 15% from energy use. Phillip Neuffer. Utility Dive. December 10, 2025. Amazon to scale AI-enabled efficiency tool after pilot shaves 15% from energy use | Utility Dive

Trane Technologies and AWS Collaborate to Accelerate Energy Efficiency and Building Decarbonization across Amazon Grocery Fulfillment Centers in North America. Trane Technologies. December 1, 2025. Trane Technologies and AWS Collaborate to Accelerate Energy Efficiency and Building Decarbonization across Amazon Grocery Fulfillment Centers in North America | Trane Technologies

Work Ethic: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, and the Bullshit

     We sometimes hear about the work ethic, often on job descriptions – ‘must have good work ethic.’ According to Wikipedia:

“Work ethic is a belief that work and diligence have a moral benefit and an inherent ability, virtue or value to strengthen character and individual abilities. Desire or determination to work serves as the foundation for values centered on the importance of work or industrious work. Social ingrainment of this value is considered to enhance character through hard work that is respective to an individual's field of work.”

“A work ethic is a set of moral principles a person uses in their job. People who possess a strong work ethic embody certain principles that guide their work behaviour; according to proponents, a strong work ethic will result in the production of high-quality work which is consistent. The output motivates them to stay on track. A good work ethic fuels an individual's needs and goals, it is related to the initiative by a person for the objectives. It is considered by fans as a source of self respect, satisfaction, and fulfillment.”

     According to Alexandros Pantelakis at Workable:

“Work ethic is a set of values guiding professional behavior, encompassing integrity, responsibility, quality, discipline, and teamwork. It's crucial for success as it drives productivity, fosters employee satisfaction, and enhances a company's reputation, thereby contributing to individual and organizational achievements.”

     That description paints the idea as a wholly positive idea. In reality, I don't believe that is accurate. Below, Pantelakis gives the components of his idea of a work ethic. These are mostly good qualities one would seek in a worker, and we can agree that they are good for all. 

     Pantelakis also gives a set of desired skills for those considered to have a good work ethic. These are all reasonable, although I would add that there is a limit to the amount of dedication one should be expected to have, for instance, far less than working massive hours and overly difficult tasks. 

     The idea of the work ethic derives from the idea of the Protestant ethic asserted by sociologist Max Weber in his 1905 book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. While the idea has been popular, it has also been controversial from the start.

“Weber asserted that Protestant ethics and values, along with the Calvinist doctrines of asceticism and predestination, enabled the rise and spread of capitalism.”

     I would argue that valuing work and the whole idea of a work ethic is really more an individual matter that varies among people rather than a simply defined concept. There should absolutely be no religious or political connotations to such an idea. One might harbor a utilitarian motive, wanting to contribute to society and the public good, as a work ethic, and that should be enough.

     I think that tying the idea of a work ethic with someone who favors being a “workaholic” or a highly ambitious maker of money should not be the standard. People have differing levels of opportunity. If the work is there, doable, and suitable to the worker, then sure, work as much as you can. However, most people don’t like work that much. I think that ideas like work-life balance should be prioritized. Making work a big competition to see who can work the hardest and the most should not be emphasized. That is one reason I do not see Trump’s proposed elimination of taxes on overtime as a wholly great idea. Sure, it can help people make more money and help businesses as well, at the expense of government revenue, but it also encourages a work culture of ‘more is better,’ and perhaps of quantity over quality. Overtime work already benefits from ‘time-and-a-half pay’ and other bonuses. Further rewarding overtime work encourages more of it, which also means fewer workers overall and more overworked workers. Instead of giving more overtime, companies should perhaps hire and train more workers. Giving overtime helps companies by allowing them to avoid hiring more workers and to avoid associated costs for training, health care, paid time off, and other benefits. It encourages workers to become overworked, tired, and more likely to make mistakes, which should not be promoted. It also says to the workers that their time at work is valued far above their work-life balance. No one really wants to be a workaholic unless they really get enjoyment from their work.

     Now, I can admire someone for a commitment to work quality. That is a part of the work ethic that I like. I can also appreciate how people like to get the job done and get it done correctly and efficiently. What I don’t like is expectations for flawless work, especially if the work involves a lot of uncertainty. A colleague of mine, who died many years ago from an unexpected heart attack, used to always say, “perfection or better.” It was a joke, but if you think about it, some expectations are just too high. Make one mistake, and you’re fired is not a good place to be. I have been there.

     Among religionists, the work ethic idea seems to bode well with what has been termed Christian prosperity doctrine, which sees earning money as inherently godly or virtuous, somehow. This is often juxtaposed to the Christian history of helping the poor, which, unfortunately, seems to be less emphasized these days.

 

Less, Not More: Unreasonable Expectations are Not Good for Health or Morale

     Countries in the EU have been rolling out four-day work weeks without pay cuts, and the results have been positive and well-received, with employees reporting less burnout, better sleep, and higher job satisfaction after six months.

     Meanwhile, for other companies, massive work hours and deep dedication (to the point of exhaustion, arguably) are being advocated by some companies, mostly for Elon Musk’s companies in the U.S. Morning Overview reports:

“Employees inside Elon Musk’s empire describe a work culture that has tipped from intense to unsustainable, with some staffers now expected to log up to 120-hour weeks…”

     That level of hours is insane. I have done it a few times. It’s insane, and no one should be expected to do that. Such unreasonable expectations are leading to an exodus from those companies, they report.

“The mythology around Elon Musk has long rested on the idea that extraordinary products demand extraordinary sacrifice, but the latest accounts from inside his orbit suggest that bargain is collapsing under its own weight. Employees at Elon Musk’s five companies now describe schedules that can reach 120 hours in a single week, a level of strain that turns even the most mission-driven job into a health risk rather than a career highlight. The same culture that once drew ambitious engineers with promises of impact and equity is now pushing them out as they confront the physical and emotional cost of a workload that leaves no room for rest, family, or basic recovery.”

     Musk’s goals and expectations for his employees are not reasonable, and one could argue, downright abusive. The Morning Overview article describes it as a “campaign-style work ethos,” but those are temporary.

“At Musk’s firms, that same ethos has been stretched into a permanent operating model, leaving people with no realistic prospect of a cooldown.”

     Morale, retention, and recruitment suffer from such unreasonable expectations. Complaints from the senior staff who left include:

“…unrelenting hours, volatile priorities, and a leadership style that prizes loyalty over dissent.”

“For years, Musk’s companies benefited from a kind of cultural halo, attracting people who wanted to work at the cutting edge of electric vehicles, reusable rockets, and artificial intelligence. That halo is now dimming as his personal political interventions become more central to the public image of the businesses themselves. Employees who joined to build products are finding themselves fielding questions from family and friends regarding Musk’s politics, a shift that adds reputational stress to already overloaded schedules. When the boss’s social media feed becomes a daily flashpoint, it is harder for staff to separate their professional identity from controversies they did not choose.”

     Clearly, Musk’s unreasonable expectations are an out-of-control work ethic. The price for “success” is simply too high.

     I see lots of job listings that call for a strong work ethic, ambition, a need for “talent,” and subject matter experts. Everybody wants an expert, but it takes time (and perhaps enough sleep) to develop expertise in a well-rounded way. Certainly, the wives, husbands, and children of those working 120-hour weeks are not treated fairly. Work should not be the whole of one’s life. There are other healthy ethos that should be pursued as well, such as community engagement, family life, communing with nature, hobbies, etc. It is hard to see how those can even be considered when one is working more than 17 hours per day, seven days a week. That is not only insane, but cruel.

     Former Trump Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross thinks men in America have lost their work ethic. Ross has a net worth of nearly three-quarters of a billion.

“American men have lost their work ethic and feel entitled to a comfortable life without having to apply themselves, Donald Trump’s former commerce secretary has said.”

     It’s another statement by an extremely well-to-do business tycoon complaining that people don’t want to work. Ross writes:

“I think all these [benefits] programs, and also the relative prosperity of the current generation’s parents, have created a feeling that they’re entitled to a nice lifestyle, independently of whether they perform any kind of meaningful work.

“If you’re an able-bodied person who’s not willing to even seek a job, why should you prosper?”

Mr. Ross said: “I think there are a lot of men who just don’t want to work that hard.”

     That is rich coming from a near-billionaire. I would argue that work can be defined in different ways: paid work, volunteer work, educational work, etc. Referring to people as lazy for getting enough sleep and becoming satisfied with less is not accurate, I would argue. Many jobs are inherently unsatisfying. Many people can’t find suitable or reasonable jobs. I would like to basically ‘flip the bird’ to Musk and Ross and their unreasonable work ethic! One person is not better than another because they work more at a paid job.

     An article by David Rice for People Managing People drives the states where workplace culture is best and worst. The results are pretty clear that the best workplace cultures and lowest quit rates tend to be in politically blue states. I would say that Musk’s unreasonable expectations are an abuse of the whole idea of workplace culture.  

 

Bullshit Jobs

     Some have even argued that most societal work, over 50%, is basically unnecessary BS. A 2018 book by American Anthropologist David Graeber, entitled Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, asserts this. Graeber notes that it is a work ethic that ties work to self-worth. I would guess that this is most common with men, although that continues to change. I have said, and many retired people have said, they feel guilty for not working. They feel that they should be contributing. But is that even a real option if most jobs are just BS jobs?  Graeber classifies unnecessary jobs into five types: flunkies, goons, duct tapers, box tickers, and taskmasters.

     Graeber’s conclusions have been in dispute with recent surveys showing that more people are generally satisfied with their jobs than he would have it. I was satisfied with most of my jobs overall, some more than others, but certainly a lot of time was spent on pointless tasks, unnecessary meetings, and unnecessary overtime.

References:  

 

Work ethic. Wikipedia. Work ethic - Wikipedia

What is work ethic and why is it important for success? Alexandros Pantelakis. Workable. December 2023. What is work ethic and why is it important for success? - Workable

Thousands of workers tried 4-day workweeks, and the results are clear. Katherine Li. Business Insider. July 23, 2025. Thousands of workers tried 4-day workweeks, and the results are clear

Men have lost their work ethic, says Trump’s former commerce secretary. Melissa Lawford. The Telegraph. December 9, 2025. Men have lost their work ethic, says Trump’s former commerce secretary

Employees are fleeing Musk’s companies as 120-hour weeks spread. Cassian Holt. Morning Overview. December 28, 2025. Employees are fleeing Musk’s companies as 120-hour weeks spread

The Best and Worst States for Workplace Culture in 2025. David Rice. People Managing People. Last Updated March 12, 2025. The Best and Worst States for Workplace Culture in 2025

Bullshit jobs. Wikipedia. Bullshit Jobs - Wikipedia

Protestant work ethic. Wikipedia. Protestant work ethic - Wikipedia