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The Hidden Wonders of Soil | Jane Zelikova | TED

From nourishing our foods to storing massive amounts of carbon, soil is teeming with diverse microbial life that could slow global warming. Climate change scientist Jane Zelikova calls for agricultural practices that protect Earth’s soil by growing climate-adapted crops that don’t mess with the microbes. “Soils are the literal foundation of life on this planet…

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From nourishing our foods to storing massive amounts of carbon, soil is teeming with diverse microbial life that could slow global warming. Climate change scientist Jane Zelikova calls for agricultural practices that protect Earth’s soil by growing climate-adapted crops that don’t mess with the microbes. “Soils are the literal foundation of life on this planet — the reason that we eat and the climate solution just waiting to be unlocked,” she says.

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82 Comments

82 Comments

  1. Living The Dream

    August 16, 2022 at 7:35 pm

    Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend🙏🏽💙💫

    • Randall Abney

      August 16, 2022 at 8:17 pm

      Amen. YES

  2. Significant Other

    August 16, 2022 at 7:37 pm

    Plants + Herbivores = good soil

    • Jumbls J

      August 16, 2022 at 9:22 pm

      +microbes there is soil And microbes in your gut microbes stop loosing microbes are the machine

  3. Jeff Milroy

    August 16, 2022 at 7:50 pm

    Most important TED talk ever.

  4. Christian Soldier

    August 16, 2022 at 7:53 pm

    Ok lady if your going to save the soil , you’d better start looking into the Stratospheric Aerosol Injection program. This program is the cause of extreme UV rays which kills soil microphage and such.

    • Trent Jensen

      August 16, 2022 at 7:59 pm

      How tight is your tinfoil hat? I think it’s cutting off circulation.

    • Christian Soldier

      August 16, 2022 at 8:03 pm

      @Trent Jensen it’s just science…
      if you’re willing to look…

    • Trent Jensen

      August 16, 2022 at 8:08 pm

      It’s not though. It’s propaganda.

  5. Всеволод Тищенко

    August 16, 2022 at 7:58 pm

    For good farming, crop rotation has already been invented. Also, sometimes the field is given a year to rest. Food waste can also be sent to them for processing by bacteria. These processes have been going on for a long time. Another question is how to abandon the plow, weeds will take water and light from the right crops and make it difficult to harvest. Is it necessary at all, because the destroyed roots become food for bacteria, and destruction occurs by itself with the onset of winter in cold areas.

    • FreEntity

      August 16, 2022 at 8:11 pm

      tilling kills mostly your fungi and bigger microbes & microarthropods + creates compaction, making bacteria dominant soils. Bacteria dominant soils create mostly nitrate as nitrogen , fungi dominated soils create ammonium as nitrogen.
      (real biological) weeds only thrive in nitate soils and get outcompeted when in ammonium soils. Most field crops should be with a fungi:bacteria ratio above 0.5:1 to 1:1, which is a few sucessional stages higher then where weeds thrive. If you have the appropriate microbiology for your main crop, you should have no weed problem as it gets outcompeted.
      But it takes more then no till to reach that. It’s more complicated.

  6. Average White Guy

    August 16, 2022 at 8:03 pm

    I’m just waiting for the TED talk about watching paint dry it can’t be far off judging by this earth shatteringly boring talk. 🙄

  7. RSC4 PEACE

    August 16, 2022 at 8:05 pm

    This is again a confirmation of how everything is interconnected in our long-term sustainability. NO MAGIC BULLETS but a science-based approach and as humans committing to protect our environment by collective approach is the REAL solution to any global problems like climate change, pandemics, etc.

  8. Mercoledi

    August 16, 2022 at 8:08 pm

    Yes, Mother Earth. then, Soil means so much to us. FOREVER.

  9. Randall Abney

    August 16, 2022 at 8:10 pm

    Bees We need Bees ??? ( Y. )
    Life

  10. Food Genius

    August 16, 2022 at 8:31 pm

    when she end up with bullshite climate change everything she said just gone.

  11. Annie Thomas

    August 16, 2022 at 8:55 pm

    Wish she’d gone deeper into how we can save soils. Like what is the alternative to plowing and whether large industrial farming will still be able to continue. Or is she talking of only labour intensive farming and not machine intensive farming. Because no matter how much sense it makes to save soil, if it means that big companies will have to employ more people instead of machines, both the commercial farming companies and the agricultural equipment making companies and their lobbies will push back hard until most soil becomes no good for tilling at all and the world faces a major food crisis. Are scientists like her talking to these big companies? And what is their response?

    • DDPWE

      August 16, 2022 at 9:13 pm

      I’m pretty sure crop rotation is the best way we have, but most places don’t do it, as they just farm 1 thing and only that. Well, other than what she said of just leaving the soil alone.

  12. Dr. Ricco Lindner

    August 16, 2022 at 9:01 pm

    Please, join Sadghurus “Save Soil” project🙏 I missed the fact that soils around the globe are getting poorer and poorer in organic content, that we have to put back. Consequently our food contained less and less nutrients over the last decades. Together with increasing demands for (ground) water we risk terrible conflicts. Leaving the soil undisturbed as it is now in many regions will not work anymore, I’m afraid.

    • Bryan Hamilton

      August 16, 2022 at 10:33 pm

      Yes — already have done so!! It’s amazing to see how rapidly this TRUTH is manifesting human thinking over getting a “jab” to save life. Thanks for your joining 😊 😘 😀!!

  13. Home Wall

    August 16, 2022 at 9:07 pm

    Funny since being below ground level should be the least harmed by a few degrees warmer climate.

  14. DDPWE

    August 16, 2022 at 9:17 pm

    Too bad we keep doubling down with animal products, we just haven’t destroyed enough land yet. There are so many areas that need attention and not receiving it, even with experts telling us what’s going on and where we’re heading. Which is just weird, seeing we had such a booming industry. Then we decided it was good enough and slowed down progress to almost a halt.

  15. Javi Carranza

    August 16, 2022 at 9:24 pm

    Regenerative holistic farming can create the same soils in a few years instead hundreds

  16. Jumbls J

    August 16, 2022 at 9:24 pm

    Microbes are more important than rain and sun if you know what’s good for you

  17. Jumbls J

    August 16, 2022 at 9:27 pm

    Plants and U grow with water sunlight neither survive if you don’t have microbes

  18. Patéolé

    August 16, 2022 at 9:58 pm

    Excellent video. Thank you. Earth science was my favorite in HS. So grateful for your knowledge 🙏

  19. Yogi

    August 16, 2022 at 9:59 pm

    My Body Your Body Soil Body! Save Soil!

  20. Trey S.

    August 16, 2022 at 10:13 pm

    DIRT SOIL DARK RICH GOODNESS MY BELOVED

  21. Oge Oge

    August 16, 2022 at 10:42 pm

    If you add cows the soil regenerates much faster.
    Cows are part of the solution to climate change : )
    I recommend reading this book or searching the authors videos.
    Sacred Cow: The Case for (Better) Meat: Why Well-Raised Meat Is Good for You and Good for the Planet.
    Book by Diana Rodgers and Robb Wolf

  22. Enlightened Initiate

    August 16, 2022 at 11:07 pm

    I must disclose the fact that nanotechnology can reproduce the complex nature of biodegrading microbial-life. Carbon nanotubes are already in use now doing just that, replacing microbial decay.

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  24. Lewis Greyson

    August 17, 2022 at 1:12 am

    Building new sustainable cities/ districts will aid in the fight against climate change IF older infrastructure elsewhere is reclaimed for greener projects/ spaces and (soil) agriculture.

    One of the main challenges is turning long-term green investments into affordable and climate resilient communities.

  25. Peter Palazzolo

    August 17, 2022 at 1:55 am

    Save soil !

  26. Bathrezz1

    August 17, 2022 at 2:00 am

    Unfortunately noone cares about rebuilding the soil. It costs too much and it takes too long. Its more cost effective to buy untouched land and drain it over a few decades.

  27. Saran Bhatia

    August 17, 2022 at 2:11 am

    Relevant

  28. radical gaming clips and highlights

    August 17, 2022 at 2:30 am

    Please more talks like this. Amazing subject and the rabbit hole goes Deep!

  29. Jon Smith

    August 17, 2022 at 3:21 am

    We should put a cap on farming and land use to help carbon stuff

  30. Jamie Soden

    August 17, 2022 at 4:31 am

    💚

  31. Randal Collins

    August 17, 2022 at 5:35 am

    Soon we will leave the soil alone…and only add to it! Not what you are thinking, that we are all going to die. Rather we will be verticle farming, with more use of aquaponics. Times are changing, these people who have hoarded land will be slapped in the face with up.

    • Jeff Milroy

      August 17, 2022 at 9:48 pm

      I am hoarding land. When do I sell? Its over 20K per acre now. I want to jump ship just before the verticle farmers take over.

  32. hannjojo

    August 17, 2022 at 8:29 am

    Please! we need living soil and no chemistry on the field or we die befor you think

  33. Sihem Bouaoud

    August 17, 2022 at 9:06 am

    yes we have to protect our feeding and our climate to get a better lifestyle.

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  35. Not Again

    August 17, 2022 at 10:09 am

    Im trilled this got so many views in a short period of time . More people should learn about this as these are ideas worth sharing

  36. Madara ram

    August 17, 2022 at 10:33 am

    Wonderful research! we, humans still need tools for composting e.g like wood dust machine for wood dust, markets different soils require variety of rock powder, sand powder, in size or concentration. So everyone has information to understand situation and how to cope and contribute.

    but if all current social news are politically oriented towards rhetorical group ideas ingratiatiin for social value, for views only. What is the most known information about individual action to reduce pricing to even zero on air purifier, promote composting tech, open individual to community soil research debates, teacher student projects to share inputs, evaluate conditions, understand circumstances, limitations and exposure, free from bias to objective value..

    That’s something even college graduates skips, parents don’t have time, socially present individual are in entertainment distraction and relationship influences,so who is left to prioritize importance of human activity.. when collective bias imposes majority rules..

    Which means that the current highlight on the most viewed videos that is popular by categories only makes the high spotlight topic ranks in attention (bias)and defines illusory social value..absolutely overshadowing individual value and collective sense.

    Who is paying attention truly? As you get paid and get by… nothing else matters.. It’s a systemic failure.. the system is not optimized or up-to-date to face current global universal manmade crisis!

    • Shreeveda Consulting

      August 18, 2022 at 5:16 pm

      Nature has it’s own way of teaching humans big lessons.

    • Madara ram

      August 18, 2022 at 8:02 pm

      @Shreeveda Consulting Let us hope that we all, everyone still are learning and understands Nature before we forget.

  37. Cari Ann du Toit

    August 17, 2022 at 10:35 am

    wild edibles have better roots because they are wild and not pampered

  38. A Person

    August 17, 2022 at 2:08 pm

    Interesting and very worthy but nothing new

  39. Nate Brown

    August 17, 2022 at 2:26 pm

    I love the earth

  40. Gray Thompson

    August 17, 2022 at 3:12 pm

    Can you make a video explaining how beginners can make huge profit within a short period of time? I mean i was at a seminar and the host spoke about making well over $880,000 within 4months of investing $150,000 i just need to know how.

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    • Shreeveda Consulting

      August 18, 2022 at 5:17 pm

      First learn to comment at the right places. 😁😆

  41. Doug G

    August 17, 2022 at 3:29 pm

    We will never get to ten billion people.

    • mindlesstube

      August 18, 2022 at 4:33 am

      I hope not cause are planet can only upkeep max of 9billion.

  42. Trevor M4ZT

    August 17, 2022 at 4:06 pm

    1000th like lets go!

  43. H A

    August 17, 2022 at 5:45 pm

    As a soil major , I love this Ted

    • Drew Bussanmas

      August 21, 2022 at 3:05 pm

      Where do you study??

  44. Bee

    August 17, 2022 at 7:03 pm

    As a toddler I used to eat soil my mum said, it got to the point she couldn’t let me out in the garden alone 🤮

    • Shreeveda Consulting

      August 18, 2022 at 5:15 pm

      You definitely have great, robust family roots. 😄👍

  45. General Banana

    August 17, 2022 at 7:10 pm

    🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮

  46. Marvel Movies Official

    August 18, 2022 at 6:08 am

    I got to know a lot from this talk about the impact of microbial carbon beneath us.

  47. Rezika Mans

    August 18, 2022 at 11:26 am

    Wilde je suis rentrée hier soir j’ai une réunion avec les fichiers attaches les documents nécessaires je

  48. research1

    August 18, 2022 at 12:17 pm

    Re-Think the way we eat !

  49. Евгений Шевченко

    August 18, 2022 at 8:48 pm

    Empty speech

  50. R C

    August 19, 2022 at 12:43 am

    It’s not a bad idea to help more learn to grow some of their own. Backyard or community. There are some very simple things people can grow, to help the soil & themselves

  51. izzie

    August 19, 2022 at 11:37 am

    This is similar to another lecture I heard many years ago from the soil expert in the UK… He said that ploughing is bad, and puts all the microbes upside down and in the wrong place!

  52. Kei Arai

    August 19, 2022 at 12:25 pm

    Good idea.
    Soils has potential power to stop global warming.
    I wish using soils for our planet.

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