The Soil Will Save Us
How Scientists, Farmers, and Foodies Are Healing the Soil to Save the Planet
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Journalist and bestselling author Kristin Ohlson makes an elegantly argued, passionate case for "our great green hope"—a way in which we can not only heal the land but also turn atmospheric carbon into beneficial soil carbon—and potentially reverse global warming.
Thousands of years of poor farming and ranching practices—and, especially, modern industrial agriculture—have led to the loss of up to 80 percent of carbon from the world's soils. That carbon is now floating in the atmosphere, and even if we stopped using fossil fuels today, it would continue warming the planet.
As the granddaughter of farmers and the daughter of avid gardeners, Ohlson has long had an appreciation for the soil. A chance conversation with a local chef led her to the crossroads of science, farming, food, and environmentalism and the discovery of the only significant way to remove carbon dioxide from the air—an ecological approach that tends not only to plants and animals but also to the vast population of underground microorganisms that fix carbon in the soil. Ohlson introduces the visionaries—scientists, farmers, ranchers, and landscapers—who are figuring out in the lab and on the ground how to build healthy soil, which solves myriad problems: drought, erosion, air and water pollution, and food quality, as well as climate change. Her discoveries and vivid storytelling will revolutionize the way we think about our food, our landscapes, our plants, and our relationship to Earth.
Customer Reviews
Optimistic
This is one of the only books on conservation that gives me hope.
I’m buying it for everyone I know.
The Soil Will, Indeed, Save Us
This should be required reading. Humans have always maintained a superiority complex with Mother Nature, as if we are to conquer and control Earth to satisfy our every whim. Once we see that Grapes of Wrath is more than a theater romp and more of a nearly 100-year old warning, we’ll realize the soil is our partner. Can we switch from government subsidies for Big Ag to financial incentives that reward no-till, crop rotation and cover crops? It will take a lot of education but one thing everyone listens to his money. When a farmer can become substantially more profitable with regenerative agriculture, ears will perk up. We as individuals have a huge role to play….promote our own soil diversity, demand sustainable farming produce, and demand politicians support regenerative agriculture. This book is extremely well written and breaks down some heavy duty botany for the non-scientific reader. I’ll be re-reading this many times over!