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

In this episode of NPR's Book of the Day, Chris Bentley interviews authors David Hage and Josephine Marcotty about their book, "Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin, and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie." The discussion takes place in Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie outside of Chicago, a restored prairie land. The authors discuss the historical transformation of the American prairie due to agriculture, the ecological impact of this transformation, including the destruction of ecosystems like the Gulf of Mexico, and the ongoing conversion of short grass prairies into farmland. They also touch on potential solutions, such as incentivizing farmers to adopt more sustainable practices and restoring prairie strips within agricultural land. The authors express respect for farmers while advocating for changes in the agricultural system to protect the environment.