What if we approached the whole climate change challenge constructively instead of reactively, asking what we can add instead of what we need to eliminate? What if a solution were less difficult than what we thought? What if the solution were right under our feet?
We have vilified carbon even though everything in this world is made of and with carbon, you, me, and the soil that grows our food and sustains us. In nature’s perfect cycle a plant makes life sustaining oxygen by transforming water, sunlight, and the CO2 we and all animals breathe out, as if by magic, and grows vegetables, beautiful flowers, shade giving trees, green pastures and grassy savannas, gardens and parks, and fruit and nut trees. As part of this process the plants sequester the CO2 from the atmosphere through their root system in the ground. More plants, more oxygen and less CO2, less plants, less oxygen and more CO2. Therein lies the solution because carbon is not bad per se, only if too much of it is in the atmosphere.
Logging, raising cattle in feedlots, and industrial agricultural practices such as tilling, monoculturing, and annual instead of perennial plantings (here a previous post on that what the heck is kernza? ), are huge culprits that leave the soil exposed for long periods of time. The world’s topsoil literally flies away with the wind at the rate where it’ll be gone within 60 years. A naked field points to a farmer who doesn’t practice sustainable agriculture. Our deserts have been expanding, our rain forests are shrinking, millions of people are migrating away from arid areas where they can no longer grow food, causing the biggest population migration in the history of the human species.
So, where plants grow, bio- or carbon sequestration happens. Hence, we need to grow more – more trees, more grass, more vegetables, more plants. The inspiring new documentary Kissing the Ground beautifully illustrates how relatively easy it is to turn entire landscapes around in about 20 years. It’s already been done! With great success. There is hope yet!
Currently, the world is trying reactively to cut back emissions through international negotiations and agreements, shifting to renewable energies and reducing coal and fossil fuels, as well as converting transportation to electric. While that it’s not a bad thing, the real solution lies in reestablishing our connection to the soil and rebuilding it everywhere we can, so it no longer flies away, instead nourishing our body and spirit.
If you are not a farmer, you might wonder what you can do about such an enormous problem. Actually, a lot. Plant trees, a vegetable or flower garden. Shift to buying pastured meat and produce from sustainable farms (see a previous post on healthy and nutritious produce as health insurance inside of saying it’s too expensive). Go paperless wherever possible or buy recycled paper products. Work on land preservation efforts, or elect leaders who do. Read eBooks and borrow magazines from the library, and let me know if you can think of something else
Our planet Earth can be our Garden of Eden again, in a short 20 years, and you can do something about it.