Third of Earth's soil is acutely degraded due to agriculture

[muriel_volestrangler]

A third of the planet’s land is severely degraded and fertile soil is being lost at the rate of 24bn tonnes a year, according to a new United Nations-backed study that calls for a shift away from destructively intensive agriculture.

The alarming decline, which is forecast to continue as demand for food and productive land increases, will add to the risks of conflicts such as those seen in Sudan and Chad unless remedial actions are implemented, warns the institution behind the report.

“As the ready supply of healthy and productive land dries up and the population grows, competition is intensifying for land within countries and globally,” said Monique Barbut, executive secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) at the launch of the Global Land Outlook.
...
The Global Land Outlook is billed as the most comprehensive study of its type, mapping the interlinked impacts of urbanisation, climate change, erosion and forest loss. But the biggest factor is the expansion of industrial farming.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/12/third-of-earths-soil-acutely-degraded-due-to-agriculture-study

[Le Gaucher]

1. Extinction of humans is the only hope for rest of the species

Individuals are capable of great feats in arts and sciences. We also can be kind and compassionate. But collectively, I think we are failing as a species, in relation to what we are capable of. Such a shame.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Right now we are suceeding as a species, failing as humans. But extinction is not the only hope.

Progressivism is a great hope, as is real education.

When you look how far society has come from the pollutive attitudes of the 50s to the widespread attitudes today ....

There is much yet to be done in the way of change but never lose sight of the fact that there has already been tremendous change.

[NJCher]

2. most of you know this, but

there is a movement afoot to get us to grow our own food. This counteracts industrial farms. Here is an example, which is taking place on Long Island. I am active in this movement, but in NJ. The movement is huge in California. They are way ahead of everybody in terms of school gardens and teaching the next generation how to grow.

Now, you might say about yourself, I don't have a green thumb. I kill houseplants.

Those of us who are active in this movement know this and are working on strategies that will circumvent that. A couple examples:

--Farmbot. An Arduino-automated garden. A young man--something like 18 or 19--designed this!

--Personal food computers.

Did you think the personal food computer a bit too complicated? It's not! Middle-school kids are building them, and I'm in the process of persuading a middle school I work with to build one.

Along with growing one's own food will go composting, which replenishes the soil. Also, winter cover crops, known as "green manure." Many people don't know it, but a green cover crop can be folded right into the ground in the spring and is equal in replenishing the soil to compost.

Can you throw a handful of seeds into a raised bed? That's a cover crop.


Cher

[Lilyhoney]

4. Thank you for the links!

My 7yr old is going to love this. He is into robotics and engineering. He wants to design bots that help people. I show him examples of existing creations. His ideas get grow bigger by the day.

[mopinko]

5. sad thing about this is that you CAN build new soil in a big way.

i have built about 800 cu yds of new soil on my urban farm from landscape waste. i do something called hugekultur, which is not new.
farmers could get paid to take tree waste instead of landfilling it, they could ring their fields w it, and it would not only build new, it would stop what is there from washing away.

if you are a dirt geek, you can see my speech on the topic here-
https://www.facebook.com/MoahsArk/videos/1556981467656860/

[NickB79]

6. Nice work

If I had easy access to logs I'd do what you've done. As it is, I use a flock of 6 chickens to convert food waste and yard clippings into compost. 10 heaping wheelbarrows a season currently, keeping my gardens lush and bountiful.

[mopinko]

7. just about any tree service would be happy to drop them off for you.

at first i just followed the sound of chainsaws. but folks got to know me, and a kid on the block went into biz for himself.
some municipalities will drop stuff for you, tho chi has a contract w someone who makes compost out of whatever the city takes down.

wood chips are great, too, and not hard to come by, either.
i am up to about 3 doz chickens. i had a 16 cu yd truckload of chips dropped in my yard last spring, and they are about half rotted down. the girls stir them up, poop on them, and they turn into delish soil pretty quickly. this load was particularly rough chop, and they still mostly rotted.

mulch your garden deeply w chips and the contact w the soil will rot them right down. one season and half will be compost.

keep it out of the landfill.