soil

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    Horses Might Stop the Permafrost From Melting

    Horses Might Stop the Permafrost From Melting

    Arctic winters are meant to be frigid, but because of rising temperatures and climate change, they aren’t cold enough. The permafrost, the thick subsurface layer of frozen soil that stores one of the world’s largest natural reserves of carbon, is thawing. As it does, it releases potent greenhouse gases that accelerate climate change. European scientists […]

    Protecting and Restoring Soils Could Remove 5.5 Billion Tonnes of CO2 a Year

    Protecting and Restoring Soils Could Remove 5.5 Billion Tonnes of CO2 a Year

    Restoring and protecting the world’s soil could remove the equivalent of the U.S.’s annual greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. That’s the conclusion of a study published in Nature Sustainability Monday, which set out to explore the potential of soil as a natural solution to the climate crisis. “I talk about soil as being the […]

    Africa’s Organic Farmers Struggle to Get Certified

    Africa’s Organic Farmers Struggle to Get Certified

    Organic farmers in Africa face an arduous journey getting cropland certified, limiting exports and frustrating farmers who say ecological practices could increase food security while protecting the land. Just 2 percent of Africa’s farmland is considered organic — seven times less than the global average, according to data from the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture […]

    Farming Without Pesticides: How Can We Make Agriculture Greener?

    Farming Without Pesticides: How Can We Make Agriculture Greener?

    Hanging on a gate is a sign reading: “Potatoes — healthy and delicious.” The slogan, to which the word “rare” could justifiably be added, is in line with Cornel Lindemann-Berk’s philosophy of quality over quantity. “We don’t have enough rain in the summer,” he tells DW. “And since we don’t want to water them, we’ve […]

    Madacascar Is Planting 60 Million Trees in Ambitious Drive Inspired by Its President

    Madacascar Is Planting 60 Million Trees in Ambitious Drive Inspired by Its President

    By Malavika Vyawahare, Valisoa Rasolofomboahangy Madagascar has embarked on its most ambitious tree-planting drive yet, aiming to plant 60 million trees in the coming months. The island nation celebrates 60 years of independence this year, and the start of the planting campaign on Jan. 19 marked one year since the inauguration of President Andry Rajoelina, […]

    Knox College Students Build Rain Gardens for Their Campus

    Knox College Students Build Rain Gardens for Their Campus

    Last spring, students at Knox College in Illinois traded their notebooks for shovels and planted a rain garden on campus. The garden is not just a bunch of pretty plants. It’s designed to reduce stress on the campus drainage system during heavy rain. “The whole goal behind the rain gardens is … slow it, spread […]