For Immediate Release:

Friday, October 14, 2016

Oct 14th 2016
How Climate change affects the soil
Organic farmers that practice sustainable agriculture know that there is a relationship between the health of the soil ( and in turn the health of what grows upon it the health of what eats what grows upon it), and the climate. Many old time farmers actually know what the weather will be like (based on past experiences) and they plan according to the climate.
One of my radio shows I call “It’s Alive” and is all about the soil. If you managed to read my last column, I mentioned that I was having a food allergy test. Well, one of the things that I had always known was brought back into my consciousness and that is that my gut (the microbiome which is actually a mirror of the soil [yes I said soil, not soul]) that the body is full of trillions of bacteria, microbes (viruses, fungi, and archaea -(these are also microbes (archaea; singular archaeon) but they are prokaryotes, meaning that they have no cell nucleus or any other membrane-bound organelles in their cells. This is exactly like the soil with its similar microbial life. I remember when I was living in Cuba with my Great Grand Parents. Of course they had an organic farmer (mainly I think because they did not have a local store that sold the stuff, but I am not sure of that. I would like to think they were organic. They practiced all the right things as far as I can tell. They used cover crops (called green manure), they use farm animals for the manure to all of their parts, they saved their seeds to grow next year, picking the best to grow again.
Of course they made compost. I remember the steam and the wonderful smells that came from the piles. The piles were always big (maybe cause I was small?).
One of the things that stuck in my brain is this: that everyone basically would tell me that it was good for my health to go out into the garden; pull out say, a carrot, clean it off a little of the soil and eat it! Of course, at that time, I did not connect what I was actually eating as I do now. Can you guess? I was also eating from the soil microbial life and I was giving it to my body and it went right into my body and became part of my microbiome! The microbes, etc., that were part of the soil were now in my body and it was helping my body to process the food! What is important to understand here is the effects that climate change has on this microbiological life and how that reverberates through the whole living organism called earth, and nourishes it.
There are many reasons why we need to protect and nourish the soil besides just for our growing needs.
We humans seem to be bent on killing and destroying everything in sight. We have destroyed over 50% of the world’s fertile soil where we grow our food. Keep up this type of destruction and it will not be long before we cannot grow any food at all, in this manner. This is also complicated by desertification — the drying up of farmlands and a messed up water cycle (either flood or drought).
But here is actually the bigger problem. Did you know that soil carbon is dependent on decomposing organic matter and the microbial life needed to do that? Did you know that organic matter holds water in the soil and is an important foundation of living soil? Top soil is important in holding in the rain and using it slowly as it needs it. Without the top soil, the rain washes away, and then there will be no reserves for when needed. By us destroying the topsoil, we have been contributing to drastic climate change, not just by our industrial use of oil and other pollutants. It seems that humans have developed this offensive ability or habit of doing just the wrong things for all the wrong reasons. The loss of all this top soil along with the loss of over 50% of the world’s forests, along with the overuse of carbon dioxide polluting machinery (cars, etc.), along with the toxins in the water, air, soil. Then throw in ignorance, and arrogance and we have a prescription for disaster.
Speaking of carbon in the soil, Without topsoil, the soil cannot hold carbon dioxide. It is called carbon sequestration. Farmers have been tilling the soil more and more since equipment have been used. In the past, you were limited to how much you could till with a horse and plow. Now its millions of acres. Did you know what happens when you till the soil? You release the carbon dioxide that it holds, plus you till off the microbe’s that are living there. Think of the soil as a high rise condo with separate microbial living on the different floors. They each have a job to do. When you turn over the soil, you are bringing down this “condo” and have destroyed the soil’s ability to function. It will not be storing any carbon dioxide anytime soon. It has been estimated that around 40% of the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere comes from this release in the soil by our current farming practices.
While there is not much one can do about these farming practices other than to demand change, we can take care of our piece of earth. It is, therefore, important that we, as home and property owners, must take better care of our home. Malibu also has the responsible for taking care of its piece of earth. We can be sustainable. During these next few months, we must start to apply rock dust, compost and then mulch. This mixture is necessary to keep the soils microbial life alive. Not just by adding wood chips which do nothing to the soil other than protecting it from the heat. This is good for most areas if nothing is being grown on it but not for productive areas.
Any questions? Email me andylopez@invisiblegardener.com response next article
Andy Lopez
Invisible Gardener