Holistic Cultivation Enhances Global Climate
Tucked away in our own little pocket on earth, we fail to sense how our thoughts, feelings, and deeds affect the whole earth and all of humanity. Individual consciousness dawns here and there, and we begin to glimpse a greater whole.
That's happening now, gradually, but to a greater and greater degree. We find a good example in the TED Talk of ecologist Allan Savory. Savory calls our attention to how our contemporary cultures, with rising populations, turn land into deserts (desertifcation).
Why are Growing Deserts a Menace to Global Health?
Two-thirds of the earth's landmass is turning to desert (desertifying)! This has two global impacts: (1) The damaged soil of deserts gives off carbon, which the earth atmosphere has too much of, as a result of our technological civilization; and (2) Healthy earth, unlike deserts, has ground cover that traps water, preventing it from evaporating, whereas, while deserts increase, water is becoming a rare resource in many parts of the earth.
The Remedy--Graze Livestock on the Earth's Barren or Semi-barren Grasslands!
Some estimate that grazing large herds of livestock on half the world's barren or semi-barren grasslands could remove enough carbon from the atmosphere to take the earth back to preindustrial levels. In other words, although technology would help, fostering old-style agriculture might be enough!
Organic Food Needs This Old/New Grazing Approach!
I'm 90-99% a vegetarian these days, but I recognize that many folks crave meat, that monoculture and factory farming produce food lacking in true nourishment and vitality. Truly organic food requires holistic farming--that means a healthy balance on every farm of animal life and crops.
We are all so interrelated throughout the earth, whether as producers of food, distributors of food, or as consumers (vegetarians or not), that the organic food movement to become successful must embrace and foster the healing of the entire earth. Let's replace monoculture and factory farms and --at the same time--reverse global warming, by grazing livestock on our earth's most barren lands!
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