Tilling, the process of pulling up the soil to plant seeds, is destructive to the soil. While the efforts of Archuleta and others are slowly gaining traction, crop subsidies fuel a system that depletes the soil and leaves farmers dependent on the government for aid. what happens if you get a violation on interlock. Skip on down to the final thoughts if you dont have time to get more into the facts! Tilling and chemical agricultural methods have disrupted this cycle and increased the rate of carbon release. He did several versions of this movie. Chemical fertilisers mask the problem of degraded soils by providing the basics for plant growth, but also exacerbate the soil microorganism damage. This website uses third party cookies to improve your experience with your consent. Here are five things I learned from Kiss the Ground. Ryland is also the producer of The Kiss the Ground documentary and the co-creator of the Please read our Comment policy before commenting. We need to talk about agriculture in a way thats meaningful to people with boots on the ground and enumerate specific steps that lead to material change. Required fields are marked *. 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! Harvard research has shown that these chemicals can build up in breast fed babies this use of chemicals has to stop! Regenerative agriculture is an important part of the solution when it comes to climate change. Essentially, Hawken and his team have created a long list of approximately 100 solutions, which when implemented together, would be capable of drawing down more carbon than we are emitting by 2050. Your email address will not be published. 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. Kiss the Groundgave the microphone to Ranchers Alan Savory and Gabe Brown, but we didnt hear about any legitimate science testing out whether the claims they were making truly hold up? Ray Archuleta, previously a conservation agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the co-founder of the Soil Health Academy, stands at the front talking to the farmers, and to us. 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. Heres my critique of that paper: https://lachefnet.wordpress.com/2018/03/25/its-the-soil-biology-stupid/ This paper includes a number of these soil science papers. Does the movie miss the mark in any way, or would you have liked to have seen particulartopics covered that were not? Op-ed: 'Kiss the Ground' Misses the Complexity of Climate Solutions in kiss the ground fact checking - alfarisqatar.com There was also no mention of tropical forest restoration which has significantly greater potential at pulling carbon out of the atmosphere compared to grazing cows on land no matter what practice is employed. Your email address will not be published. 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. poet charles mackay biography Ray: Hope. What the writers ignored is that it was SCIENCE that led to that preferred plan of action. The movie is preaching to the choir here, which I think is why I found it disappointing that the filmmakers felt the need to wrap perfectly good explanations of the mechanisms of carbon sequestration and climate change in more evocative but nebulous language like "heal the planet" or "save the soil. The evidence in favor of regenerative agriculture is irrefutable. 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. Early farming was small scale, so diversity was ensured, and combined the animals with plants, so the manures could be used as fertiliser, and crops grown on the land could feed the livestock. There is enough evidence to support regenerative agriculture being a more environmentally friendly form of agriculture to how we are currently farming, but on the other side, I am also weary whenever a solution is proposed as a panacea for tackling climate change what is arguably one of the most complex problems that the human race is faced with. . Despite the documentary not spelling it out, its very clear. Kiss the Ground (2020) - IMDb Stardom is a complicated thing, but at least all that money and power are being put to good use. #2 - The planet is desertifying (more land is becoming desert), #4 - Our modern farming methods are killing the soils, #5 - Nature has invented the most sophisticated carbon capture method - photosynthesis, #6 - Soils are a huge potential carbon store, #8 - Regenerative farming can reverse climate change, The way we are feeding ourselves is undermining the very ecology were dependent upon. The first clue is when the documentary makes mention of the natural history of Bison roaming the United States. Will you join us? Heres the big picture: a wide-screen projection of the surface of the Earth. The rest of our topsoils are projected to be lost within 60 years. Its not too long, but youll learn a lot from it. All chemical soils are almost devoid of microorganisms, so the plant roots cannot get the nutrients they need. Carrie Richards is not giving up. This review revealed some all to common perceptions about holistic management, a decision making framework, which can be applied to grazing as well as other management situations. are needed to help heal the earth. Its a story about hope and solutions. 2 Creation of a false dichotomy. Hopefully enough of them will see this movie and find enough alternatives to be able to make some real change. And as the documentary states, shifting us from climate warming to climate cooling. and experts are committed to making an impact through a wide range of contentand 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. Water and carbon escape into the atmosphere in enormous plumes blanketing the entire northern hemisphereshown onscreen as ominous swirls of red. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. Kiss the Ground - Understanding Ag Francis Ge is News Fellow at Stone Pier Press and an aspiring first-generation regenerative farmer. 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. The solution is right under our feet - THE SOIL. We already use 3-4 times more fertiliser for each bushel of grain than in the 60s. I dont know a single holistic management practitioner that advocates cutting down forests to grow more cattle. These animals then emit greenhouse gases. Using livestock is thought to make this process 7 times faster! The bonus being that plant-rich dietary patterns just so happen to also be whatmajor health institutionsand progressive Government departments likeHealth Canadaare advocating for to tackle rising rates of obesity and chronic disease, and improve quality of life. This positioning starts with the documentarys focus on theDrawdown Reportby Environmentalist Paul Hawken from Project Drawdown. I honestly thought it would stand on its own. But I wish people with platforms like documentary films or acting stardom would start framing issues with words that suggest physical work, like "repair" or fix or even "care for/take care of" (i.e. I dont know a single holistic management practitioner that advocates eating more beef. After 14 years, it is lush farmland again. Kris: Yes. And Norborgs paper rehashed papers by Briske and Holechek that looked at short duration rotational grazing systems rather than holistically planned grazing systems [HPG] known in the peer reviewed scientific literature as adaptive multi-paddock or AMP managed grazing systems. 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. Many of the pesticides and fertilisers have been derived from poison gases used in warfare (chemical warfare and poison used in gas chambers). All of these issues and more can be addressed, at least partially, by regenerative ag. 209 South Oak Ridge Drive It does include grazing planning and management, but also many other things. Kiss the Ground is a nonprofit on a mission to awaken people to the possibilities of regeneration and inspire participation in this movement by educating and engaging through media, communications . Kiss the Ground: Documentary Review - United Church of Christ Compost your food scraps. Consumers falsely see meat as part of the solution, and although they may do their best to seek out regenerative meat ( Future of Food: Journal on Food, Agriculture & Society, 4(3), 8. Get exclusive content in your inbox each Monday. 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. Firstly, just so we are clear, the majority of the worlds mono-crops are fed to livestock. In other words, his claims cannot be supported by data, replicated by others and he doesnt believe in science. They correctly state that Bison would pass through land and not be seen for around a year. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. They thought I had lost my mind, but through hard work and perseverance weve been able to open many eyes through the years. Theres no sense in wasting a precious resource like attention by skirting the truth that transitioning to regenerative agriculture, or changing any entrenched industrial-economic system, is a lot of work. In fact, it was the single most important thing that lead Savory to question the science regarding overgrazing. Using perennials and trees as protection for the soils. Share this article or talk about the importance of soils to your friends. Kris: There has never been a time when the potential to fundamentally change global agriculture, food quality, and economic viability for small and large farmers by regenerating the soil to restore and revitalize ecosystem services is as great is it is now. forests are typically far better at doing this than grasslands, when you factor in the land that would be freed up if the entire world shifted to a plant-rich diet, there are many types of regenerative agriculture that do not involve animals, available grasslands would only be able to produce 27 percent of the countries current beef supply. Kiss the Ground is a 501 (c)(3) Nonprofit Regenerate America is an unprecedented coalition of farmers, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals from every corner of our country and all political stripes, convened by the national soil health 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization, Kiss the Ground. 2021 Plant Based News is a UK-based digital media outlet publishing content about veganism and plant-based living, including news and current events, health, personal transformation stories, features, and recipes. When receiving subsidies for crops like corn and beans, farmers know that they will make a profit. 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. Theres nothing Netflix and chillabout that. The worlds top soils grow over 95% of the foods that feed the world. Until recently, however, the roles of soil and grazing animals have been missing pieces of the climate puzzle. No, Zelenskyy Did Not Say US Will Have To Send Their Young To Fight For If we can only get everyone on board! For millions of years the world has self-healed and self-balanced. Do you ever think about where your food comes from. It only takes a quick read of theDrawdown Reportto realize that this is absolutely unfounded its going to take an enormous amount of solutions to radically transform our energy and food systems to reverse climate change, and holistic grazing, while certainly better than intensive farming, is not the miracle carbon-sequestering practice that those watching are led to believe. All natural systems exist in balance, with a diversity of plants and animals. This is a major oversimplification of our complex and varied farming system. Something went wrong. Or this breakdown of the many myths he perpetuates inThe International Journal ofBiodiversity. I just heard of the movie and wanted to find out a little more about it until I get time to watch it. Kiss the Ground has been active in this space for a while and is a California-based 501(c)(3) environmental non-profit telling a new story about our ability to regenerate land and reverse climate change by building back healthy soil. If you are wondering whether its worth your time to watch, or want to know the gist but dont have an hour and a half to spare, read on and Ill cover the key points simply and factually for you. If you cant get them into a council waste system, there are a variety of small compost bins you can put in your garden at home. Heres below are just a handful of recent PEER REVIEWED papers supporting HPG. Kiss The Ground - YouTube Ground News rates Kiss the Ground Film's media bias as unknown. Kiss the Ground - Jefferson Center 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. The rest is projected to be lost within 60 years. Whilst maintaining a large veg bed to feed the whole family takes up a lot of space and requires time, there are many crops that require very little maintenance or space, and actually like growing in your flower beds amongst the flowers! 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. With this in mind, I feel obliged to point out the uncomfortable contrast between the two main types of interviewees in the film. It's a tool. I graduated from Vanderbilt University with degrees in Political Science, Economics and Spanish, and I currently study law in Texas. Using compelling graphics and visuals, along with striking NASA and NOAA footage, the film artfully illustrates how, by drawing down atmospheric carbon, soil is . Our mission is to awaken people to the possibilities of regeneration and inspire participation in this movement through media, communications, education, workshops, immersive programming, and advocacy. Its especially interesting to me as I am working towards a biology degree and hope to become a soil scientist. Personally, I think its a must watch for people to truly understand the situation we are in with the soils, why its important to save our soils, and how we can help. I wanted the filmmakers to first understandto let the soil speak and to let nature teach us. Copyright EAT THINK EXPLORE 2020 Powered by WordPress Theme Divi Hosted sustainably by Ecohosting, Join my mailing list to receive the latest news, tips and scientific advice to help you move to a more eco-friendly way of eating and get your FREE guide to get you started on your journey today! Our farming systems have moved too far out of alignment with mother nature. Gabe: Yes, I am very optimistic about our future if regenerative practices are widely adopted. I was also pleased the documentary shone a light on food waste and composting these are two things that many of us can introduce into our daily lives with minimal barriers to entry. Its the misbalance of carbon that is the issue. 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. Scientists and researchers in the documentary back them up. Kiss the Ground - YouTube Many would argue soil degradation is the most critical environmental threat to humans". Ray: Initially, when I first met the Kiss the Ground group, I told them that I was really concerned about how they should approach the landowners. Ultimately, if high consuming individuals and countries want to do something positive for the climate, maintaining their current consumption levels but simply switching to grass-fed beef is not a solution. berger 215 hybrid 300 win mag. Rich soil, with plenty of microbes, allows healthy plants to grow. 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. Id be willing to donate it to them. Overlaying it, a swirling heat map of global atmospheric carbon, changing from dark red to cool blue over the course of a year. 'Kiss the Ground' Review: Regenerating Hope for the Climate 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. Still, its hard to ignore that the filmmakers featured almost exclusively rich, white American celebrities in a film about global systems change released in the middle of a national reckoning about our ability to be a diverse and equitable society. Kiss the Ground | School for Good Living The French Minister for agriculture proposed a 4 in 1000 plan, to increase the organic content of our soils by 0.4% per year. This gets the nutrients back into local farmlands, and helps reduce the impacts of droughts and the need for fertilisers, which are polluting your local rivers. There are many things you can do, all varying in difficulty. Unfortunately not as much as I had hoped. Also, I must confess that I did not fully understand the implications of a film crew following me all over the country. They also failed to make it clear why ruminants were required. Accessibility StatementPrivacy Policy & Terms of Service, 2022 Kiss the Ground Nature Communications, 6, 6995. doi:10.1038/ncomms7995 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7995, Wang, T., Teague, W., Park, S., & Bevers, S. (2015). Makes sense why the documentary didnt go there! Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Kiss the Ground is a full-length documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson that sheds light on an, Awakening people to the possibilities of regeneration.