"Save our soil, save the planet"
 

I heard a programme on Radio 4 yesterday that really made me sit up and listen, so I decided to see what I could find out about it.

In a series of programmes about Australia entitled A Sunparched Country, it was looking at managed animal herding as a way of actually extracting CO2 from the atmosphere and putting it back into the soil, which then had the added benefits of providing more pasture and better plant growth, and so the cycle continues. It suggested that it was a far more efficient way of reducing CO2 levels than the traditional thinking of planting forests, as it had a more immediate effect.

You can listen again for the next week here, and I also found a pdf explaining the principle here. Not only is this fascinating stuff but, if it works, it is a lifeline for the planet for sure.

Re: "Save our soil, save the planet"
 

Will give that a listen later today.

I wonder if our next head of state listened in?

Re: "Save our soil, save the planet"
 

Coming from farming and agricultural communities as a kid, what the PDA shows is just common sense; it's not some breakthrough. Bravo for putting up such good links, especially to the PDA, Jane. People who are unfamiliar with the benefits of a well managed agricultural system would do well to pay attention, because this not only works as a stopgap for our CO2 problems, but it also helps preserve land, protects endangered fauna, as well as flora, sustains higher herd numbers (for the carnivores, like myself), and yields bigger crops.

Of course, the challenge, as always, is making the practice cheap and practical for developing nations.

Re: "Save our soil, save the planet"
 

just like my Grandad used to tell me on his allotment 'feed the soil, not the plants'. 15 years ago when it wasn't fashionable he was constantly explaining to me the benefits of his compost and using green manures to improve the soil fertility

Re: "Save our soil, save the planet"
 

Its difficult to remove it and make sure it is gone for good, no doubt.