Having spent part of my life on a ranch in Wyoming I find myself being drawn back into the IDEA of that existence. Whether or not I will ever go near that life again is another matter, but I have to say, the thought has been creeping back into my subconscious for some time now. I found Courtney White’s “Grass, Soil, Hope A Journey through Carbon Country“ somewhat by accident but I’m very, very glad I did.
This book taught me many things, things that are revolutionary but overlooked. What is abundantly clear at this point is that we as a species are consuming more than our share of resources. At at alarming rate. We simply cannot sustain our current lifestyle. From cheap gas to water and air, things have to change and change soon otherwise we might as well start partying like it’s 1999. There are things we can do, which is the upbeat, interesting part that often times get overlooked in the doom and gloom.
At the center of what we can do is think about carbon. And CO2. Carbon is all around us, in us and just a 2% increase in carbon content of the planet’s soil could significantly offset greenhouse-gas emissions. But to do this we have to get smart, think differently and focus, all things that seem to be nearly impossible for us in the modern, short attention span culture.
It starts with soil. Dirt to you and me. Get it healthy and we have a chance. How this works is truly fascinating. Read this book and you will find yourself standing in the yard, stroking your chin and looking at the Earth in a new way. Get it, read it, live it.
PS: Author lives in Santa Fe. Going to try and track him down for an interview. Fingers crossed.