We find carbon in four main places, the ocean, the soil, the atmosphere and in vegetation. The carbon problem is simple really, we have extracted it from the earth in various forms and vented it into the sky. Since the start of the industrial revolution, we have increased CO2 in the atmosphere by 140%. So, … Continue reading Soil resilience
"Profit was positively correlated with the particulate organic matter of the soil, not yield". That's a conclusion reached in a study on regenerative agriculture practices in the United States, passed on to me from Max Purnell, a dairy farmer from Hauraki. Max has an insatiable appetite for knowledge about regenerative agriculture, and specifically carbon sequestration, … Continue reading Growing soil carbon
We have to deintensify dairy for a whole lot of reasons. Uppermost in public discourse is water quality, but also intensification has to be sustained by increased inputs that place a burden on the environment. For example, imports of palm kernel meal has risen from 96 metric tonnes in 2003 to 1,600 metric tonnes in … Continue reading Trees and dairy
The question is not "is climate change happening?" The question is, "what are we going to do about it?" Some people continue to deny it, others choose to look the other way and hope it will go away, and another group only want to take action if it doesn't interfere with economic growth. In his … Continue reading Bananas and climate change
The convergence of rapid population growth and climate change threaten our ability to feed everybody. But our thinking about solutions has been a monocultural reflection of how we grow our food. A recent Guardian article suggests switching to organic farming could cut greenhouse gas emissions and still feed the world. What we don't need We don't need … Continue reading Feeding the world
Climate Action Tai Tokerau 