Farm work is unglamorous, underappreciated, and not very well-paid for the most part, but it just so happens to be crucial to the survival of our species. To move the conversation forward with the urgency this topic deserves, filmmakers have to use the emotion they elicit to generate willpower and give the public the conceptual framework they need to act, not just to feel. They correctly state that Bison would pass through land and not be seen for around a year. Science experts and celebrity activists unpack the ways in which the earth's soil may be the key to combating climate change and preserving the planet. Local water cycles produce 40% of our rainfall. This seems like pretty important information that was left off the table. Harvard research has shown that these chemicals can build up in breast fed babies this use of chemicals has to stop! After all, this method of grazing, which Gabe Brown and Alan Savory speak about at length, is being positioned in the documentary as the solution we have all been waiting for to reverse climate change. There are many things you can do, all varying in difficulty. A major criticism is that there is a lack of science to back up claims. Required fields are marked *. Gabe: Yes, I am very optimistic about our future if regenerative practices are widely adopted. Yes, whats on our plate is even more important than where its come from or buying local. This means that compared to factory farms, or traditional grazing where cows are overgrazing and destroying the soil, a regenerative farm using holistic grazing would require a lot more land for any given number of roaming cows. Try: Compost Toilets in Africa: Human Feces as Fertilizer | Thrive4Good (thriveforgood.org) or GiveLove. Journal of Animal Science. Grazing management impacts on vegetation, soil biota and soil chemical, physical and hydrological properties in tall grass prairie. Our farming systems have moved too far out of alignment with mother nature. This is actually seen using satellites which monitor the CO2 levels. Ganrett also doesnt have a clue how tropospheric hydroxyl oxidation works. Personally, I thought this was one of the better Netflix documentaries, mainly because, whilst theres a lot of negatives about where the world is heading, the overall message is one of hope. Nicholas Carter and Simon Hill (MSc Nutr). Sure, its easy to see with our own eyes that there is more life on land that is managed in a regenerative way, but in order to really know that it is a climate solution, we would need evidence that carbon levels in the soil are not only increasing but increasing by more than the emissions emitted by the animals involved in the system. For a great deal of land, there are other, more evidence-based ways to sequester carbon. There are a number of others as well as many more in the pipeline. Many countries signed, including the UK, but not the US, China or India, the biggest agricultural and CO2 producers. For Schools & Educators | Kiss the Ground Film The film begins by examining . The farmers are now starving or have moved on as the soils wont grow anything anymore, they have become dirt. Unfortunately, Savory seems to have led himself to believe that his unscientific approach should be expanded across the world really, tear down more forests to make room for holistic grazing? Over the years, tilling causes the soil to dirt, leaving it vulnerable to erosion and desertification. Im Alexa, the Founder and Editor of Novel Hand. Above all, its great to see this conversation growing from what has very much been a fringe movement to now entering the mainstream. 70% of US cropland grows only corn, soy and hay, and this is mainly to feed livestock (99%!). Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. This form of regenerative agriculture is by no means the silver bullet that its so often portrayed to be and is certainly not what theworlds leading climate scientistsare most excited by. I enjoyed Woody Harrelson as a narrator; he felt genuine. Soil organic matter [SOM] is largely created through microbial necromass. 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. Dont get me wrong. Rousing speeches have their place in communicating the gravity of the situation to the public, funders, and policymakers, but its not a framing that suggests concrete action, or even a plan. It was very much positioned as absolutely crucial to confronting this climate emergency we find ourselves in. This is the central statement of Kiss the Ground, an eco-educational Netflix documentary directed and produced by Josh and Rebecca Tickell.On-the-ground agricultural practices carried out by millions of individual farmers directly affect the health of the soil, and by extension, global atmospheric carbon levels and the pace of climate change. If we choose healthy foods, there is a reciprocation. After all, its communities of color, low-income communities, and immigrant communities who do the majority of the essential work of growing food and yet are most exploited and harmed by the agroindustrial complex. Also that we can fix this and the fix is quite simple. I honestly thought it would stand on its own. 2 Creation of a false dichotomy. Regardless of the above claims being scientifically supported or not (well come to that) if one is to advocate for a shift to holistic grazing this will inevitably result in a dramatic reduction in global meat supply. Understanding Ag is an equal opportunity provider and employer. If you want to hear a bit more explanation of these, click here or scroll down. It is possible that this is coincidence, but the correlation is striking! 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. Find farms local to you that are farming in a regenerative way and support them by buying your produce from there. At Novel Hand, Im specifically interested in learning about topics related to justice and poverty, and how to create equitable, sustainable impact. Something went wrong. Kiss the Ground Shares Steps To Protect The Ground Beneath Us Hi there to all, for the reason that I am genuinely keen of reading this websites post to be updated on a regular basis. Scientists work hard to do science, yet despite thousand of papers produced by human nutrition scientists, the diet health of US occupants is at its worst level ever. Livestock and Land Use: How Are We Feeding The Planet? 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). Kiss the Ground: Documentary Review - United Church of Christ Bare soils are at great risk of erosion by heavy rain, and its also been shown that bare soils vary in temperature much more, so the microclimate is changed. Any plans to hire an agent or move to L.A? What do you hope viewers will take away from the movie? Consumers falsely see meat as part of the solution, and although they may do their best to seek out regenerative meat (Did Biden Call for a Military National Draft? | Snopes.com Regenerative agriculture is an important part of the solution when it comes to climate change. BOOM found that the viral video has been cropped from a longer conversation during a press conference where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned a hypothetical scenario of Ukraine losing the war and Russia invading other NATO countries including the Baltic states in Eastern Europe which would force the US to get involved and send troops. The basic premise of Kiss the Ground is that the destruction of soil is contributing to the severity and intensity of climate change. Despite the documentary not spelling it out, its very clear. kisstheground. I promise its way easier to mail one ballot than to cut meat out of your diet or petition your city to collect compost! star wars fanfiction terran alliance; when a girl says i'll keep that in mind; hillsborough disaster who was to blame; how to get into stanford with a low gpa have no problems. Heres what he said: From the beginning stages of pre-production for the movie, Ray and Gabe were proposed because of their profound passion and dedication to soil health and their amazing ability to share it with others. You can see all of thisherefor yourself. Farmers need to make profits but we need to be transparent here and lay down all solutions on the table to have an open discussion. By partnering with Kiss the Ground, youre making a difference in the world and demonstrating that you are committed to supporting a regenerative future. Agricultural Systems, 162, 249-258. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2018.02.003, Teague, W. R., Apfelbaum, S., Lal, R., Kreuter, U. P., Rowntree, J., Davies, C. A., . Juries have now even started to pay out to people who have developed cancer after using glyphosate!! Until recently, however, the roles of soil and grazing animals have been missing pieces of the climate puzzle. But the agreement is that all of the richest grasslands in the world have large grazing animals. Mitos y realidades sobre las algas | Mitos y realidades sobre las algas Or this breakdown of the many myths he perpetuates inThe International Journal ofBiodiversity. Nature Communications, 6, 6995. doi:10.1038/ncomms7995 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7995, Wang, T., Teague, W., Park, S., & Bevers, S. (2015). Gabe: I agreed to become involved because when Josh explained to me that the purpose of the documentary was to highlight how farming organically could improve our planet, I knew I needed to help bring his understanding of soil health and ecosystem function to a higher level. These will be using less chemicals and therefore come from healthier soils than normal veg; hugely better for soil biodiversity, natural biodiversity and your health. For a climate change documentary its actually vey upbeat, because this is the way we can not only slow, but reverse global warming, sucking CO2 out of the air to stabilise our climate again. It's a nonprofit organization that he leads today as executive director. The fix is simple: Mimic nature, cover the soil andunderstand how soil is intended to function. 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. Why? Accessibility StatementPrivacy Policy & Terms of Service, 2022 Kiss the Ground kiss the ground fact checking - xarxacatala.cat Tilling loosens the soil, disturbing microorganisms that live within it, drying it out so. The role of ruminants in reducing agricultures carbon footprint in North America. Although I would have liked more with real life farmers and ranchers, it is hard to put together a documentary that will appeal across the spectrum from rural to urban communities, young and old, and everyday people to activists. Using livestock is thought to make this process 7 times faster! There is too much in the air now and too little in the earth (released by tilling and soil degradation and burning fossil fuels and plants/trees) causing global temperatures to rise. Will you join us? Factory farms are good at one thing producing a lot of meat in a short period of time to feed a growing appetite for meat. 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. 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. Unfortunately, these incredibly superior solutions are less sexy because they are not tying livestock, and more specifically the consumption of beef, to the solution. By taking carbon dioxide from the air, and sending it down to soil microbes in exchange for nutrients, plants can not only remove carbon from the atmosphere, but store carbon in the soils. When those are plants that we eat, healthy soil is crucial. Data from almost40,000 farms, and 119 countries, clearly shows us that a plant-based diet results in less greenhouse gas emissions, less pollution, less ocean acidification, and uses less water and land land which we can therefore free up and convert to forests to rapidly sequester carbon from our atmosphere. The key points in Kiss the Ground. Proof that this works if given the chance. 209 South Oak Ridge Drive Great news! However, I was slightly apprehensive that the documentary may be too focused on California and Hollywood and not be relevant to farmers and ranchers across the U.S. and the globe. Unfortunately, overtly telling people they need to cut down on their meat consumption for this change in agriculture to work isnt going to help with the documentarys popularity. Many would argue soil degradation is the most critical environmental threat to humans. 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. | Plant Based News Ltd, PO Box 71173, London, SE20 9DQ, United Kingdom. Having gone from being a vegetable hating, stressed out and sick corporate mum who felt constant guilt for not feeding her family properly and not doing enough for the planet to a healthy, veggie loving and eco-minded mother with much less stress, she's been where you are and can definitely help you overcome your barriers! Regenerative agriculture combines 4 practices. Soil is the solution and we have numerous options and opportunities to actualize this solution as consumers, farmers, ranchers, and environmentalists by focusing on the integration of biological processes. They also failed to make it clear why ruminants were required. With topsoils disappearing and temperatures rising, about 2/3 of the world is desertifying. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. However, after spending time with the Kiss the Ground team particularly in Paris, I understood howpassionate the filmmakers are about the soil solution. There are also clear spikes in the CO2 levels in the atmosphere during the ploughing/tilling months with the lowest levels coinciding with maximum plant coverage before harvest. I graduated from Vanderbilt University with degrees in Political Science, Economics and Spanish, and I currently study law in Texas. These are more expensive, so if you can only afford to go organic with some, choose the Dirty dozen so that you get the health benefits of avoiding all the chemicals too The Dirty Dozen organic.org. It took a Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady cameo to hit this point home. Although, when I watched it for the third time, it became obvious that the biology 101 lessons from Ray were cleverly used to dance around the fact there is no solid science to back up Savory and Browns claims. I approached this film with professional interest, not just as a News Fellow with Stone Pier Press, but as someone trained in biology at college, regenerative farming at the Rodale Institute (three of the films agricultural experts work/ed here), and food systems at graduate school. Upcoming Kiss the Ground Movie Features Three Understanding Ag Experts, Questions and Answers with Our In-House Stars. Kiss the Ground reveals that, by regenerating the world's soils, we can completely and rapidly stabilize Earth's climate, restore lost ecosystems and create abundant food supplies. Id be willing to donate it to them. Future of Food: Journal on Food, Agriculture & Society, 4(3), 8. . Those sharing the video said that Zelenskyy sought young Americans to help fight on the ground war. This idea reminded me of what I learned from Cradle to Cradle. Enterprise, AL 36330. If cattle are allowed to roam and graze, they contribute to carbon sequestration the process by which plants take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in the soil. Eco-friendly eating - better for your health and the planet :). Dr. Myles Allen and his research team with their recent GWP* metric point out how short lived GHGs have to be accounted for differently than long lived GHGs.. To achieve this, we have to change the way that we do agriculture, with less synthetic chemicals and GMOs and use the most powerful carbon capture process ever invented photosynthesis. Compost your food scraps. how to make a chi ball visible for beginners Keagy's Best Price Plumbing Given soil grows 95 per cent of our food, and sustains human life, this is a huge problem. The first point that I think deserves our attention, before getting into the science on the reversal claim, is the way the producers wanted you to see holistic grazing. The long term prognosis for our survival with business as usual is very, very poor , Topsoils are disappearing and the land is desertifying, Regenerative farming principles explained, Examples of regenerative farming restoring land. 1 Claims that holistic grazing can reverse climate change. Its the same reason we dont call doctors healers anymoretheir body of knowledge has been formalized, their work recognized and legitimized as a profession, and their value become obvious. He's a lover of people and of life. Unless we save our soils, we have 60 harvests left before global starvation. We are healthier, as is the earth. They agreed and heres what they told me, How and why did you become involved the movie, Kiss the Ground?. To me, it undermines the articulate, informative explanations offered by the professionals with actual working farms and advanced degrees who are given the floor for much of the film. Modern agriculture was not designed for the betterment of the soil, instead for the short term maximisation of yield. There seems to be an incredibly fine line between grazing just enough and overgrazing, which speaks to potentially whycrediblepeer-reviewed science has to date, failed to produce results that come close to what Alan Savory claims. 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. Two-thirds of the worlds land is currently desertifying leading to millions of climate refugees and further environmental destruction. Regenerative farming restores soils; storing carbon and reducing the need for chemical help to improve yields by harnessing natural processes. Now all debates have two sides and Savory has been confronted with this information before. Thank you for the review. Carrie Richards is not giving up. By 2014 there was no vegetation left across an area the size of Belgium! If we pull the pin on that, it means one thing and one thing only. They love their land and lifestyle, they are just trying to survive, while being poisoned themselves by the chemicals they must use to keep their fields producing. 94 views, 12 likes, 2 loves, 3 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Escuela Esmaca: Mitos y realidades sobre las algas Ms informacin sobre. Let me show you how , Get my FREE guide, and receive eco-friendly eating tips, recipes and motivation. The Lhos plateau in China is where settled agriculture first began. They thought I had lost my mind, but through hard work and perseverance weve been able to open many eyes through the years. Where I think the documentary falls short is in three critical areas. As someone who has spent the past 25-plus years working to educate anyone who will listen as to the benefits of regenerative ag, I can say with certainty that the snowball is finally rolling downhill! Holistic management is a decision making framework which has been developed over the years to deal with complex situations. In fact, it was the single most important thing that lead Savory to question the science regarding overgrazing. Unfortunately, there are still very few about, especially in the UK. Given soil grows 95 per cent of our food, and sustains human life, this is a huge problem. Other soil-based carbon capture solutions like composting are crucial to regenerative agriculture. The animals themselves arent the problem, where and how is the issue. Kiss the Ground Film | Official Website The review is plain evidence that we see what we believe and the reviewers beliefs greatly clouded their vision. 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., . Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. . Rich soil, with plenty of microbes, allows healthy plants to grow. While the film can at times feel like a jumble of connected concepts and issues with an occasional celebrity cameo, the documentary is overall optimistic. For me, its a plant-exclusive diet and for you it might be eating plant-based before dinner often the perfect place for people to start. I thought it would be just another news release or another interview. No topsoils; no food! Its clear to see that levels of CO2 in the atmosphere above the main agricultural areas increase significantly in the main tilling/ploughing months, and then as plant cover increases in the fields, it drops! My hubby is from Alberta, the beef province of Canada and he was telling me about how land intensive pasture raised animals are. While, there were very subtle hints that people would have only caught if paying very close attention, it was not made overtly clear by the documentary that the proposed solutions means transitioning the world to plant-rich diets. We already use 3-4 times more fertiliser for each bushel of grain than in the 60s. 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. Real change requires drawdown: year to year reduction in carbon dioxide levels. Kris: We are facing a catastrophic cascade in Earths ecosystems impacting human health and the global economy which fundamentally rests in pressures stemming from changes in the economic and ecological agricultural landscape due to climate change and escalating worldwide competition for natural resources and commodities, including petroleum, natural gas, grains,oilseeds, and proteins. Anyway, I can go on and on doing a review of the shortcoming of this review, but the author is obviously more interested in justifying the supposed superiority of his food religion than he is in actual peer reviewed range, soil or atmospheric science by people who actually understand agricultural systems. We all know that science has its failings. worlds leading climate scientists have to say about diet? Clearly this is something that needs our urgent attention and resolution! And when it comes to the Savory Institute and Savorys claims Dr Garnett states that they are generally anecdotal, based on surveys and testimonies rather than on-site measurements. Having dedicated many years to researching and communicating the science behind an optimal diet for humans, I understand first hand how our health isinextricably tied to the planets(as detailed inmy upcoming book). All whilst minimising our 'footprint'. The Lhos plateau in China, an area larger than Belgium, had become a dusty wasteland after over farming. Their technical expertise should be enough to convince us that their message is not only correct but worth listening to. Ryland is also the producer of The Kiss the Ground documentary and the co-creator of the I also thoroughly enjoyed Pauls episode onRich Rolls podcastwhere he speaks at length about Project Drawdown. Savorys claims dont stand up when you put them under the microscope. I started trying to teach about soil health with my little plastic jars and myco-workers at the tech center would often laugh and make fun of me. We told him that you need to leave the audience with hope, which I believe he did. It carries pleasant stuff. BookstoreBook submissionsNewsNewsletter signupRecipesGardening, Our storyGet involvedJobs/FellowshipPartnersContact usPrivacy Shipping & return policy. Because whereKiss the Groundlacks in science, it makes up in celebrity power with the likes of Woody Harrelson, Jason Mraz, Ian Somerhalder, Gisele Bndchen, and Tom Brady all featured. Whats very interesting is the ability of grazing animals to regenerate grasslands from desert, and reduce desertification. Check out Kiss the Ground website, where you will find other ways to be involved and even learn how to Become a Soil Advocate! A degenerative system that decimates life in our soil, releases immense amounts of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere, pollutes our waterways, and disrupts the biodiversity and biology on our land and in our oceans. Its avoidable if we take better care of our soils and pay more attention to where and how our foods are grown! Its predicted that, if we can scale up some of these farming methods over the next 30 years, we can REVERSE global warming. Since chemical agriculture ramped up in the 70s, we have lost 1/3 of the worlds topsoil. So its incredibly facile. I promise not to sell your information, and if you don't like what I send, you can easily unsubscribe at any point.