Dirt Cleans Our Air? C’mon …

It’s true; the soil is a natural cleanser of our atmosphere through a process called sequestration—the absorption of atmospheric carbon. This reduces greenhouse gasses, and the carbon it extracts makes the soil more fertile.

Talk about a win/win outcome. Cleaner air coupled with better soil.

So, where does this atmospheric carbon originate?

The transport sector is the prime villain. Think of the tens of thousands of jets that crisscross our skies. (There’s a phone app called “Planes Live” that shows in real time the type and destination of every aircraft flying over every section of the country.). You’d be amazed at the volume as hundreds of planes are overhead, spewing hot gases, raw jet fuel, and who knows how many billions of tons of carbon, both in solid particulates and in the form of carbon dioxide.

Now add all those cars, trucks, buses, and trains running at much lower altitudes from sea to shining sea as they blow the carbon out of millions of exhaust pipes.

Eventually, much of that carbon gets absorbed into the soil, nutritionally enriching it and making it more fertile. Carbon-rich soil means better crop yields. The healthier the soil, the more carbon it can store. And the more carbon stored, the more food gets produced.

Hey, Did I Make A Case For Air Pollution?

A study by the Columbia-based International Center for Tropical Agriculture stated the US annually emits five billion tons of carbon dioxide, the gas. Still, we also have the highest total potential for soil carbon storage. That puts us ahead of India, China, Russia, and Australia. (Plus, we have fewer mouths to feed than India and China.)

Unfortunately, poor soil management reduces the benefits of airborne carbon sequestration. So if our arable lands suffer from erosion, get overexploited, or be degraded, the carbon held within the soil is released back into the atmosphere, warming the planet again—sort of like an ecological yo-yo effect.

So what’s the insurance policy to keep our soil healthy? Compost, crop rotation that includes legumes, and minimal soil disturbances would be good starts.

And keep those planes flying and traffic moving.