Kiss the Ground Film Analysis Essay

‘The current pace of global average temperature rise puts approximately half of all plants and animals at the risk of extinction. ‘ Concerned by this unsettling fact , a revolutionary group of activists, scientists, farmers, and politicians teamed up to carry out a solution and make the documentary ‘ Kiss the Ground’ to make people active about change for climate change. As its name suggests , the documentary revolves around the significance of soil in combating climate change. It relates with the viewers by saying that a tremendous amount of bad news about our planet Earth can be overwhelming , however , the solution is right under our feet and it’s as old as dirt. Due to its vast scale and ability to sequester substantial amounts of greenhouse gases , soil could just be the thing that could balance our planet , replenish our fresh water supplies and feed the growing  population. The documentary then focuses upon what The experts in soil health have to say. ‘’carbon isn’t the enemy , instead it’s our friend, It’s  the driving engine for all the ecosystems on earth’’ says a scientist. Through engaging animations , viewers get informed about the carbon cycle. Plants take carbon dioxide from the air and turn it into carbon fuel for their growth. But 40 percent of the carbon fuel is sent down to their roots to the soil microganisms which make carbon glue out of it and make their habitat. This is one of the ways carbon gets fixed in the soil. Those organisms process organic matter in the soil and put the nutrients in the form that plants need.When we eat plants , we get those nutrients that are essential to us. Therefore , the documentary gets the message across that Taking care of microbes in the soil is critical for human health. Later , the activists explain how ironic it is that modern agriculture harms the very soil that is so essential in maintaining the carbon cycle and combating climate change. Spraying chemicals like pesticides , fungicides , insecticides makes the soil devoid of the crucial microbes. The vicious cycle of industrial agriculture goes on like this : The more tilling is done , the weaker the soil gets and thus , more chemical intervention is needed which kills the very microbes that provide plants nutrients and pull carbon from the atmosphere.  Instead of honouring natural processes , conventional farms throw out more and more chemicals. The effects can be seen nowadays only , because It takes more nitrogen to raise a bushel of grain than it took in 1960. Farmer says that modern agriculture wasn’t developed to better the soil. Cancer-causing chemicals that are sprayed on food grains have even found their way into drinking water. They kill good microbes in our bodies and in the soil. The cycle goes on and soil become so damaged that it gives off greenhouse gases and water and turns into dust. The documentary holds a mirror in front of the reality that the world’s remaining topsoils will be gone in 60 years as 2 thrids of the world’s soil is already desertifying. However , when one door is closing it can be opened back. According to experts , healthy soils absorb more carbon and water. When plants transpire more in these soils , moisture leaves the plant and the humidity increases resulting in more local rain. Soil has the ability to store 4000 gigatons of carbon ,so  if we increase  the soil intake of carbon by .4 percent annually , we can still reverse climate change. To prevent further climate heating , we need to switch to renewable energy. The documentary proposes a revolutionary farming system based on building a healthy farm ecoystem. It suggests that because Feedlots for cattle let out large amounts of green house gases,  grazing which sequesters carbon should be adopted. Another way to lead is to not incinerate food waste but rather make compost and add it to the soil . Compost toilets that use human waste to make compost and help in amending the soil and thus plant growth should also be used.  It ends by proposing an idea that if farmers around the world choose Regnerative agriculture  based  on cover crops , perennials and trees , no tilling , composting and mob grazing, climate cooling can finally be achieved. The documentary has already been viewed by 9 Million people yet it will continue to inspire more people to consider everyday as Earth Day.