By now, you’ve probably heard about the detrimental effects of climate change due to the increase of carbon emissions into our atmosphere. At this point in time, our society currently depends on the burning of fossil fuels for over 80% of our energy needs. We must learn about how important it is to take care of our soil because it is the unlikely hero in the climate change debacle.
How much carbon has been released into the atmosphere?
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Humans have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by 45% since the Industrial Age
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Carbon moves from fossil fuels into the atmosphere when these fuels are burned
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Carbon is also released in the atmosphere through a process called tilling, where the soil is ripped up in order to plant seeds, it is predicted that soils have lost between 50-70% of original carbon stock
What is sequestration?
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The process in which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and stored “in the ground”
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Stored in plant roots, plant residues, and other organic solids
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About 25% of emissions have been captured by Earth’s forests, farms, and grasslands
So, why is healthy soil important?
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Absorb more water before becoming saturated (making it more resilient in drier years)
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Reduce runoff from croplands
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Produce more food for a growing population
What can be done to protect our farmland soils?
About 44.37% of all of the land in the US is used for farms!
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Using new tilling processes on farmlands such as no-tilling (leaving the soil undisturbed between seasons), in-row subsoiling (soil surface and residue are undisturbed except for strips up to one-third of the row width where deep-tillage technologies loosen this soil), strip-till (tilling in strips only where some plants are being planted), etc.
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Plants that are utilized to slow erosion and increase biodiversity in farms but are not sold for profit. Cover crops improve soil health and increase the yield of the desired crop.
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Planting different crops after each yield on the same plot of land in order to optimize nutrients in the soil.
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For example, a farmer may plant corn on a plot of land one year and beans on the same land the next year.
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Personal Actions
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Compost!
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Buy organic food
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Vote with your dollar and support organic farming
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Organic farming dramatically helps reduce soil erosion and increases soil fertility
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Check out this website to get provided an individualized action plan based on your interests and lifestyle! https://kisstheground.com/find-your-path/
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Check out the Kiss the Ground documentary on Netflix for more info and inspiration on why global regeneration starts with soil health!