By Beverly Jones
Do you find that every once in a while, a book or movie comes along that you really like or connect with and you think, wow, I need to share this piece with folks who I think may really appreciate it? This happened for me last year with Douglas Tallamy’s book Bringing Nature Home and it has happened again recently with a movie titled “Kiss the Ground” with Woody Harrelson. In this documentary, Harrelson asks the viewer to consider the concept of utilizing soil as a means of keeping our planet healthy and vibrant. The concept is very basic. Healthy soil leads to healthy plants which leads to healthy animals which leads to healthy humans which leads to a healthy planet. Now, who can argue with an objective of aspiring to great health, no matter for which organism?
Harrelson believes that “If we get the soil right, we can fix a lot of our issues.” In addition to discussing the immediate benefits to our bodies by eating healthy food, the movie goes on to explain that healthy soil will also clean the water we drink and will pull CO2 from the air that we breathe. We have all learned that through the process of photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, so, we know that plants are a vital component to reducing atmospheric CO2. That having been said, I had no idea that soil, which grows these CO2 loving plants is a fantastic tool for sequestering Carbon Dioxide. If we want to address rising temperatures in our environment, we should look to our soils for help. In order to do this, we need to take a major step forward by reevaluating our current agricultural practices.
The movie is a proponent for regenerative farming. Regenerative farming applies agricultural techniques which enhance the health and condition of the soil so that there is more organic material in the soil so that more CO2 can be sequestered. Real life stories are shared by farmers who transitioned to regenerative farming and how the new processes are working for them. The greatest teachers are those who live and then share the experience. Because you can see the difference these individual farmers are making, the movie left me feeling optimistic and inspired about my ability to make a difference and our future on the big blue planet. If you would like to learn more, “Kiss the Ground “is currently available on Netflix.