There are no simple solutions to complex problems. Share this article or talk about the importance of soils to your friends. As Ian Somerhalder says in the documentary, Cows can be good. While many blame cows for carbon emissions, and rightfully so, they can actually be a part of the solution. Another issue with our modern methods is that we plough to remove existing plants, and then plant, or even leave the field bare over winter. If we want to lower our environmental footprint the single most important thing we can do iseat more plants. Healthy soils can store more carbon than all the trees and plants combined, so is more important than saving the rainforests or the ocean phytoplankton in reversing climate change! The farmers are now starving or have moved on as the soils wont grow anything anymore, they have become dirt. And so, with these words, Harrelson immediately draws us into "Kiss the Ground," a documentary focusing on growing our food in a way that builds and protects our precious soil and also draws back into the ground the carbon dioxide that is causing climate change. Despite all of this, my fear is that many will be left with a complete misunderstanding of where environmental science truly lies. San Francisco have an amazing system, and are the most sustainable city in the US! The movie stars Woody Harrelson, David Arquette, Gisele Bundchen, Jason Mraz (and others) and three newly minted stars you may know personally: Understanding Ags Ray Archuleta, Gabe Brown and Kris Nichols, Ph.D. Those of us who have been in the regenerative ag arena for some time, already know these three as soil health super-stars, but now a wider, world-wide audience will benefit from their experience, insight and wisdom, too. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 141(34), 310-322. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2011.03.009, Plus a recent LCA funded by General Mills: (PLEASE VOTE November 3rd or earlier!! Im Alexa, the Founder and Editor of Novel Hand. Simple reducing emission does nothing to decrease the greenhouse gases that are already in our atmosphere. I dont know a single holistic management practitioner that advocates cutting down forests to grow more cattle. Unfortunately, these incredibly superior solutions are less sexy because they are not tying livestock, and more specifically the consumption of beef, to the solution. Gabe: I would have liked the movie to highlight the importance of grazing animals. Rising animal production and consumption, whatever the farming system and animal type, is causing damaging greenhouse gas release and contributing to changes in land use. A plant-rich dietary pattern that places emphasis on regeneration but really could be chopped in a number of ways to suit the individual Mediterranean, paleo, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, etc can all be done in a plant-predominant manner. Ill summarise the main points for you in this article; what the issues are, why soil is the answer, and how you can help to save you having to invest the time to watching it yourself. Ray Archuleta, previously a conservation agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the co-founder of the Soil Health Academy, stands at the front talking to the farmers, and to us. You can see all of thisherefor yourself. All farmable soil could be gone in 60 years. The rest of our topsoils are projected to be lost within 60 years. Harvard research has shown that these chemicals can build up in breast fed babies this use of chemicals has to stop! Please read our Comment policy before commenting. Its not the most interesting topic of conversation for most, so try just mentioning a one or two of the following points and see if that gets a conversation going. If we pull the pin on that, it means one thing and one thing only. If you have found your way to this article, I can only assume that we have something in common: both of us want to see a better world where humans and all life on earth is thriving. We all know that science has its failings. Kris:The time and effort that the team put into the interviews and edits as well as probably debating and refining the perspective the film takes should be commended. Kiss the Ground has the perfect documentary mix of celebrity activists and wise elder scientists. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Given soil grows 95 per cent of our food, and sustains human life, this is a huge problem. Tilling and chemical agricultural methods have disrupted this cycle and increased the rate of carbon release. Eat quality (organic, pasture raised meat, or, even better, that from regenerative farms) meat as a treat not a staple. Or this breakdown of the many myths he perpetuates inThe International Journal ofBiodiversity. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 71(2), 156-164. doi:10.2489/jswc.71.2.156 http://www.jswconline.org/content/71/2/156.abstract, Rowntree, J., Ryals, R., Delonge, M., Teague, R. W., Chiavegato, M., Byck, P., . Industrial agriculture (left) causes desertification through tilling and synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. While Morgan Freemans voice might have been a better match for shots of billowing fields of grain, perhaps Harrelsons raspy tone is an appropriate fit for the seriousness of the climate crisis. Did you have any reservations about appearing in it? If we adopt regenerative farming practices, we can reverse carbon release into the atmosphere and stabilise the climate, and it wont take long! Hi there to all, for the reason that I am genuinely keen of reading this websites post to be updated on a regular basis. Narrated and featuring Woody Harrelson, Kiss the Ground is an inspiring and groundbreaking film that reveals the first viable solution to our climate crisis.. What do you hope viewers will take away from the movie? A group of activists had gathered to see what could be done about Climate Change. Due to its immense scale, and ability to sequester (store) greenhouse gases, it could be the one thing that can balance our climate, clean our water and feed the world! A Feb. 27, 2023, video of U.S. President Joe Biden purportedly shows him announcing a new national draft, in which 20-year-olds would be conscripted into military service on account of a growing . There was mention of a regenerative diet but what does that mean? By 2050, it is estimated that 1bn people will be refugees of soil desertification. Enteric methane is broken down in a short period of time, and microbial methane is the same carbon cycling and recycling over and over. Hosted by Robbie Lockie, Plant Based News delivers pioneering vegan news and ethical views weekly. By As Hannah Ritchie, Phd (Geosciences) puts it: Whether you buy it from the farmer next door or from far away, it is not the location that makes the carbon footprint of your dinner large, but the fact that it is beef.. A powerful message during a time where the climate emergency is without a doubt causing climate anxiety. And of course, havinginterviewedthe co-founders ofKiss the Ground, Ryland Engelhart and Finian Makepeace, in early 2020, I was particularly excited to watch theKiss the Grounddocumentary(and I recommend you watch it too if you havent already). Kris: When I was working as the Chief Scientist with the Rodale Institute, I was asked to be interviewed by the Kiss the Ground team who were also interviewing Maria Rodale. Gabe: No, but only because I am on to the next project, bringing society together in supporting regenerative ag. Get exclusive content in your inbox each Monday. Emerging land use practices rapidly increase soil organic matter. So really, the idea of conservation and restoration, needed to be absolutely front and center ifKiss the Groundtruly wanted to educate the masses about how agriculture can help tackle climate change. Copyright 2021 Understanding Ag, LLC | Website by RVT Solutions. Hotter soils during the day create hot rising air, which pushes any of these clouds away, and is how deserts are formed and grow. To start tiny or full-size victory gardens, turn their lawns into meadows, petition their city councils to zone land for community farms/gardens, or donate to conservation nonprofits or farmland trusts? And as we all know, this creates a slippery slope. Rumi. And lets not forget, this is the same man who ordered40,000 African elephants to slaughterbecause he incorrectly thought they were damaging the land. Its absolutely good to love the earth and want to save the soil. At Novel Hand, Im specifically interested in learning about topics related to justice and poverty, and how to create equitable, sustainable impact. We knew the film would really embody the spirit of the regenerative agriculture movement if Ray and Gabe were in it., And from the first days that Kiss the Ground the organization started, the work and research of Kris Nichols were fundamental to grasping why rebuilding soil was not only possible but the biggest solution to the climate, water, and food crises. If you want to hear a bit more explanation of these, click here or scroll down. Watch the Film OUR COMMUNITY I would simply build on the work of Michael Pollan, a well-known science writer: Where possible eat regenerative food, not too much, mostly plants.. Its predicted that, if we can scale up some of these farming methods over the next 30 years, we can REVERSE global warming. I am optimistic because the major issues we are currently facing economic stress, climate change, and food quality are all addressed by the same solution regenerating soil. The movie doesn't just dive into the microbiology of soil and soil carbon interactions, it also covers the four main principles of soil health: increasing diversity, minimizing soil disturbance, keeping above ground covered and below ground active at all times, and animal integration. (2015). Yes, whats on our plate is even more important than where its come from or buying local. Its not too long, but youll learn a lot from it. Soil organic matter [SOM] is largely created through microbial necromass. For teachers, educators, schools, community organizers and home schoolersthanks to a generous grant from the Bia Echo Foundation and Triptyk, there is a free 45-minute-long Educational Version of the Kiss the Ground movie and also a free DVD with both the 85 minute long feature and the educational cut on one disk. Any plans to hire an agent or move to L.A? If the U.S shifted away from intensive livestock farming to traditional grazing, its been calculated that theavailable grasslands would only be able to produce 27 percent of the countries current beef supply. Bare ground is hotter in the day, and cooler at night; threatening the microorganism populations within, and increases water evaporation, as the ground temperatures rise, the soils become dryer, again, impairing the ecosystem the microorganisms exist within. Celebrity activists, including Ian Somerhalder and Patricia Arquette, drop by to promote a suite of carbon-capture climate change solutions theyre personally involved in, from diversified permaculture to compost toilets. . Heal the planet is a phrase that implies not only the existence of some kind of natural balance to which we can return, but the existence of a cure that human benevolence can deliver. But 99 percent of those crops go to feeding livestock. (Though theyre still good ideas.). This dirt then cannot store water, and heats up massively under the sun with no protection, baking the soils and exacerbating the problem. So its incredibly facile. forests are typically far better at doing this than grasslands, when you factor in the land that would be freed up if the entire world shifted to a plant-rich diet, there are many types of regenerative agriculture that do not involve animals, available grasslands would only be able to produce 27 percent of the countries current beef supply. Why not let the viewer know what theworlds leading climate scientists have to say about diet? The evidence for this claim is research-based, clearly communicated, and visually supported with animations that illustrate submicroscopic events like carbon cycling and expansive drone shots for grand reveals, like the actual desert plateau that is turned back into rolling green farmland. (Source: Maggie Eileen Lochtenberg, freelance artist and transformational witch. Humans have created such a massive disturbance in our topsoil and atmosphere that the only way out is forward. Understanding Ag is an equal opportunity provider and employer. I help with that too , Join my supportive community to move to eco-friendly eating and receive tips, advice, recipes and support. There was a huge opportunity for the filmmakers to ask open-ended questions and seek new avenues of thought and action, but they went the safe route of trying to be inspiring. Please check your entries and try again. https://blog.whiteoakpastures.com/hubfs/WOP-LCA-Quantis-2019.pdf. However, after spending time with the Kiss the Ground team particularly in Paris, I understood howpassionate the filmmakers are about the soil solution. Take the Inflammation quiz - what's your level? Suggestions for viewers to compost and eat a plant-based diet come off as both insignificant and off the mark after the grand scheme of carbon cycling via production agriculture the whole film had been setting up. When receiving subsidies for crops like corn and beans, farmers know that they will make a profit. The basic premise of Kiss the Ground is that the destruction of soil is contributing to the severity and intensity of climate change. Find farms local to you that are farming in a regenerative way and support them by buying your produce from there. doi:10.1093/jas/skx060 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jas/skx060, Stanley, P. L., Rowntree, J. E., Beede, D. K., DeLonge, M. S., & Hamm, M. W. (2018). Grow your own veg using your home compost! Without them we will starve. Personally, I think its a must watch for people to truly understand the situation we are in with the soils, why its important to save our soils, and how we can help. Today, our platform reaches millions through immersive media and education initiatives. So ifKiss the Groundhad taken a more evidence-based approach and included dietary recommendations what would it have looked like? There is extraordinary potential in the layers beneath our feet our Earths soil. Commercial meat farming has one of the highest negative impacts. Here are five things I learned from Kiss the Ground. We have now decoupled these so farmers are either crop or livestock, and each are done on an intensive scale, with no natural cycles in place. For millions of years the world has self-healed and self-balanced. Neither does the author. One of my favorite elements of the documentary is the perspective that Earth has always been managing and sequestering carbon we just need to mimic that. There are over 200 peer reviewed papers that tie/correlate the increase of these chemicals with increases in ADD, child cancers and birth defects. Often, our best solutions arent actually that innovative; they simply mimic natural processes and what the Earth already does. We need to talk about agriculture in a way thats meaningful to people with boots on the ground and enumerate specific steps that lead to material change. Kris: Im always excited by the opportunities to discuss Regenerative Agriculture. Just consider the thousands of peer reviewed papers advocating this diet or that diet and the people in the US are still among the most malnourished in the developed world. Consumers falsely see meat as part of the solution, and although they may do their best to seek out regenerative meat (