What if the answer to stopping climate change was lying right under our feet? What if one of the most revolutionary acts you could do was to plant a garden? Well, research is starting to show this might just be true.
To bring attention to the importance of plain old dirt, the United Nations declared 2015 “The Year of Soil.” To highlight how important soil, is the first International Soil Not Oil Conference will be held September 4 and 5 in Northern California's city of Richmond. Delegates from around the world will gather to hear from Dr. Vandana Shiva, a global leader in the fight to protect farmers and the food web; John Roulac, activist and founder of super food company Nutiva; professors from UC Berkeley; and other leaders in this growing soil movement.
Why is soil so important? Both humans and animals depend on it almost exclusively for food. The fiber that clothes and shelters us is grown in it, as well as the fuels that power our cars and heat our homes. Not only that, but a study published in the journal Health Psychology reveals that gardening may actually make you happier, due to serotonin increase from a common bacterium (M. vaccae) often found in soil. And soil plays a vital role in the carbon cycle.