This earth that we call home is a system.
What that means
is that all the things that make up life on earth
including ourselves,
are part of a large interconnecting network.
Every part of the system
affects every other part of the system.
This is a realization that can make a person feel
both powerless and powerful.
Powerless because the demise of a part of this system
can bring about our own demise.
But powerful, because it means
that when we decide to act in the best interests
of another part of this system
so as to cause it to thrive,
we are ensuring that we will thrive as well.
And in today's world
nowhere is this more evident
than in our relationship to soil.
I have not come here today to talk to you
about yet another thing going wrong with our planet,
another thing that you are powerless to stop;
Instead, our relationship to soil
is the relationship where you will also find
the most practical chance that we have
at reversing the climate crisis we are facing today.
All over the planet today we are facing soil degradation.
This is a big deal because
it is estimated that 87% of life depends on soil.
95% percent of the food that we eat
comes from the soil.
50% of the top soil in America is already gone.
The implications of our mismanagement of soil over the years
are so colossal, that humans can look forward
to only about 60 more years of agricultural harvests
before the soil is completely destroyed.
And because this is a system,
humanity will suffer the consequences of the demise of the soil.
Food systems will fail,
poverty on a mass scale will be the result,
from poverty comes social unrest and violence
and mass population migrations.
If we do not act fast, as a collective,
this planet that we call home
will become uninhabitable to us.
For this reason,
aside from dedicating my life
to teaching you how to master relationships
with all of the things in this system
that we call life on earth,
I have partnered up with the efforts of Sadhguru
who is currently on his journey
of traveling 30,000 kilometers across 27 nations
to raise awareness
and make a difference with his global initiative:
www.savesoil.org
This mission that he is on
and that others are on with him
is one of the most important missions
being undertaken in the world today.
And so, today, I am issuing a call to action
to all those who hear this message.
What I am going to offer you
is a list of 11 practical ways
you can make an actual positive impact
on the world today.
The 1st:
I want you to visit savesoil.org
to gain awareness about this initiative
and about how you can play a role in saving our soil.
#2. I want you to watch the documentary: ' Kiss The Ground '
It's available on Netflix and also:
kisstheground.com
which will not only present to you
the facts about the state of soil health on the planet,
but propose to you the incredible solution
to the climate crisis that we face today.
I also encourage you to post about this film
and this issue, on your social media accounts.
Never forget that the power of word of mouth
will be paramount in causing a shift in collective thought,
which will cause positive changes
in those power structures within society
that have the most power to change things at a grander scale,
such as governments.
#3.
Reduce all possible food waste
and contribute to creating compost.
If your area doesn't provide a compost pickup
google local companies in your area
that you can hire to pick up your food scraps for you,
or where you can drop off your food scraps.
#4. Eat a plant-based diet.
I cannot begin to stress
how much of a negative impact
that the meat and dairy industries have on the environment.
Not to mention the other ethical arguments around suffering.
To go more in depth on the statistics of this impact
and how to transition
into a more plant-based lifestyle,
consider checking out the documentary titled:
Cowspiracy The Sustainability Secret
and don't fall into the trap of thinking
that cows or other livestock are bad for earth,
they are not.
It is the unnatural and detrimental ways
that we are farming and handling them
that is the problem.
5. Shop at farmers markets
and get to know the food producers.
Ask the farmers if they are using practices
to rebuild soil health (regenerative farming),
get these conversations started.
You can also search at
regenerationinternational.org
for regenerative farms near you
to support the farmers and products from these farms
that are actually invested in soil health.
#6. Support organic non-GMO food.
We must stop the cycle of soil destruction
which toxic chemicals and pesticides play such a powerful role in.
In line with this,
choose to use fewer chemicals
by purchasing natural chemical free hygiene products,
household cleaners,
garden care products, etc...
It's important to understand that these chemicals go into our water,
which go into our soil,
which further deplete it
and kill the microbes.
Know that each and every one of you votes every day.
You vote with your dollar.
So make it a conscious vote for the future of earth.
#7. Get involved with growing a garden
at home or in a community garden near you.
You can even make a difference by covering bare areas of your land
with something like grass or wildflowers.
Any inch of the earth that is planted with extra plant life
draws down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,
saves the future of soil
and ensures the health of the system of life on earth.
#8. Deforestation is a main contributor
to soil erosion.
To reduce deforestation,
you can take steps such as using less paper,
recycling and purchasing recycled products.
You can also support local resale and thrift stores
by donating and purchasing items there,
rather than purchasing something new
which is a vote against unnecessary production
which puts stress on earth.
#9. Plant trees or donate to organizations which plant trees
to offset carbon emission.
Some tree planting organizations include:
One Tree Planted,
Trees For The Future
Trees Water & People,
International Tree Foundation
and Woodland Trust.
You can also use the search engine Ecosia
which is like a google, but it plants trees
when you search on the internet with their platform.
#10. purchase regenerative clothing
and wash your clothes less and in cold water.
Some examples of regenerative textiles
include hemp,
linen and organic cotton.
When you do wash your clothes,
wash your clothing in cold water
and know that doing two loads of laundry weekly
in cold water instead of hot or warm water
can save up to 500 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.
#11. Install a low-flow showerhead to reduce hot water use.
Doing this can save 350 pounds of co2.
Taking shorter showers helps too
and monitor your general water usage.
This means xeriscape whenever possible,
don't leave sprinklers on for unnecessary amounts of time,
don't leave the hose running unattended
and deliberately buy and use high efficiency appliances
such as washers and dishwashers.
I am here today to ask you
to take action wherever you can
and as soon as you can.
when it comes to the climate crisis that we are facing today
it can feel hopeless,
it can feel like the problem is so much bigger than you
that no matter what you do
you cannot affect enough to make an actual difference.
It can be tempting to give up.
But if you commit to these steps that i have suggested
you will be making an actual difference.
And it is soil that holds the real promise
not just for overcoming the climate crisis that we face,
but for ensuring that the system
that we are such an integral part of,
will thrive.
Please enlist your friends family and co-workers
to be a part of these efforts along with you.
Together we can actually cause the world to thrive
and our lives quite literally depend on it.
Save the soil.
Let's make it happen.
Subtitles by: Tanya Duarte Join the volunteer subtitle group on Facebook ASK TEAL TRADUCTION/TRANSLATION