Big
Idea
Could Dirt Help Heal the Climate?
If Ohio State University soil scientist Rattan Lal is right, one of
the simplest solutions to climate
change may be right under our
feet. With proper stewardship, Lal
says, the agricultural soils of the
world have the potential to soak up
;; percent of the carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere today—the equivalent of scrubbing every ounce of
CO; released into the atmosphere
since ;;;;. ;e claim is a bold one,
but researchers around the globe
are digging up evidence that even
modest changes to farming and
ranching can have a major impact
on carbon sequestration.
Some growers have already
embraced an approach known as
regenerative agriculture, which
aims to boost soil fertility and
moisture retention through estab-
lished practices such as com-
posting, keeping fields planted
year-round, reducing tillage, and
increasing plant diversity. Since
these strategies can also signifi-
cantly increase the amount of
carbon stored in the soil, some
agricultural researchers are now
building a case for their use in
combating climate change. This
year seven international confer-
ences will examine soil’s potential
to sequester greenhouse gases.
COUR TESY JOHN WICK
Soil samples
from California
grassland await
testing for carbon emissions.
