John Steinbecks novel The Grapes of Wrath provides vivid illustrations of the Dust Bowl era in the United States history. In particular, the Joad familys journey during the event is filled with scenes of desperate struggle. While the primary focus of Steinbecks novel is on the human element, he does make references to what he calls the Sodom and Gomorrah of ecological destruction that typified response to the changing weather patterns of the Great Plains. This “Sodom and Gomorrah” is an allegory for the “dust-blowing” phenomenon that resulted from the Haber-Bosch process, an agricultural breeding of industrial-scale farming, which created an artificial desert from once arable land. The dust-blowing is what Steinbeck himself calls the “Grapes of Wrath,” or “the symbol of human brutality and blindness.”
The Haber-Bosch process, which is used to increase the yield of crops through artificial nitrogen fertilization, was developed by German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch. The process created a new form of intensive farming which resulted in the widespread destruction of native grasses and plants in the Great Plains. This was done to make way for modern agricultural methods, such as monoculture, which allowed for greater output from farm fields. However, the process caused a cascade of ecological reactions which in turn caused drastic changes to the climate of the Great Plains.
The dust-blowing phenomenon was caused primarily by reduced surface vegetation, which resulted in higher surface winds and higher temperatures on the ground. The increased winds removed more of the topsoil, which was already depleted due to the unnatural farming methods, and exposed the soil to intense ultraviolet rays. This, combined with a complete lack of rainfall in the area, caused an “ecological feedback” that led to the creation of an artificial desert in the area.
The Dust Bowl era of the Great Plains is also referred to as the period of “Hoovervilles”, referring to the shanty towns created by migrants from Oklahoma and other Great Plains states, who were in search of a better life. These towns were usually created from abandoned farms and buildings, and were known for the extreme poverty of their inhabitants. People living in these towns were forced to eke out a living in the harshest of conditions, including the daily task of hunting for food and water, and often resorted to scavenging for what was available.
The dust-blowing of the Dust Bowl era impacted not only the Great Plains, but the entire country. High concentrations of dust were carried across the United States, being documented as far away as Washington D.C. In addition, communities across the country felt the economic toll of falling crop prices, as the market was flooded with excess and unrecoverable crops. The Dust Bowl era was a time of great hardship, but it was also a valuable lesson in environmental and agricultural stewardship that has lasting repercussions into the present day.
The dust-blowing of the Dust Bowl era serves as a reminder of the fragility of the environment, and the importance of conservation of natural resources. Looking back, it is easy to see the role that technological advances such as the Haber-Bosch process, coupled with shortsightedness, played in the ecological destruction of the Great Plains. It is a reminder of the importance of maintaining a balance between human development and the environment, and the need to be conscious of our actions and how they may impact the environment in the future.
