disregarding neither nature nor local economy.
Excepting the special sites as the industrial polluted places related in the Superfund, or extremely polluted rivers or lands in some areas (Japan, China, Nigeria) the beginning is to not pollute further, then provide a little help, a bit of support, leaving those incredible practices we have done. There are no need of complex manuals, huge teachings, costly techniques, and so: only firstly stop “doing bad things the bad boys”. Do not spill oils, do not cut each tree you see in the field, do not farming with aggressive and miraculous chemical packs, do not digging tons and tons and tons of earths everywhere modifying the natural shapes, and many more stupid actions. First, not to befoul, do not pollute. Afterwards all this, give back to lands all we have stolen.
Some results of all this, and what could come.
As consequence of the treat that have had historically the soils and the recent quick changes that have taken place in farming practices, the current outlook is motif to take action by all the world, regardless some few regions which remain still in an acceptably state of health, what do not avoid a severe prognosis for the next 30 years. We will notice this in prices, in what kind of foods that will come to our hands, in the price that water will have, and in the politics, what will show who and where will struggle for the resources. Let's go establish clearly some key spots. Another fundamental issue that I think has even more significance, will be seen briefly in a forward section, and in any case requires a thorough treatment, in another text: its relative weight in the overall economy.
The use and spreading of chemical fertilizers has been carried out along 7 decades intensively, and the route has been always the same: from farms, throughout subsoil and streams, towards rivers, lakes, interfluvial plains, estuaries, river mouths, reaching the continental shelf, being finally transported and diffused with the currents to the seafloor, partially deposited on sediments. Added to this went other chemicals as metals, drugs, compounds of low volatility, or sulfates. The sea has been receptor of other gifts, but these last ones came by other way, the waste carrier ships. In summary, the waste of lands will be the new long-term bomb in the seas. That is the first mistake.
Currently, we have traced a line which divides the world in two games: from one side, the big industries enslave to big farmers to produce big harvests for flood the market and force the prices; in the other side, the big population in the world of farmers practice the survival to pay a bit of food for try keep sowing for continue with less of their meager tools. As these last cannot continue longer, the rest of the world will use the money piled to purchase the rich lands and ensure their future food... and their business. It is noticeable that the cheaper task force never will lack. In other words, already we have achieved this, we have sunk 400 millions workers (1/3 of peasants in the world) into the misery. And we have erased all that is not maize, soya, wheat, rice, cotton, coffee, cacao, or even hemp, the more profitable. This is a second big bomb for the future, this time on land. That is the second mistake.
Furthermore, the increased sales of cows and sheep as source of high valuable protein food, took a bigger part of crop productions, resulting in a chaining of industries which lead and head the rules in the market. There is no doubt about the food this livestock will feed with: it will be transgenic, the quick way to grow this business. And the way to feed the farmed fisheries will be nearly the same. The "natural animals" are going to be “Martians". Saying it thus is fun, eating it next time I think not. That is the third mistake. We have changed the speed of energy consumption in the world at a large scale, in the long term, by everywhere, and the worse, without attain to stopping it or decrease it to a feasible level.
Good, there are trees... had wood, was timber. Forests have been turned for intensive farming, where are grown energy crops and raw food crops for the industry. In tropical regions, thin and weak soils -with short cycle of renewal- last a few years. That is the fourth mistake. But this is not a problem actually, because the year we were desperate looking for new soils for growing, any huge company will make the recovering and will offer us it by a highly valuable price. We will see this roughly in the 2040. The 2050 and further will be a dried world, a "dorld".
Am I against technology? Am I a radical ecologist? Not, I am an environmentalist, thereby I observed that we have strayed and misguided from and intelligent use of technology: as we have a lot of tractors and bulldozers, let’s go to flip the mountain! And this has a price, as ever.
By other side, a fact that only recognize some professionals and farmers aware and trained is that the organic farming is not only possible, but also has another benefits; is directly related wit a stronger control of local economy and countryside; is possible everywhere in some degree and form; can recover a turnover currently flowing upwards in the commercial chain; can recover many jobs very much improved; is a fundamental change in the beginning of the consumption chain, eliminating an important part of harmful compounds existing; significantly improves the efficient use of water consumed; retrieves health of soils; improves very significantly the associated biodiversity; enables greater use in combination with cattle; and can be adapted and recommended for cities.
There are more features positives, but are more subtle issues. Somehow, the possibility of this economic revolution, returning the control of so important good to the small and medium business and communities, requires the knowledge of the consumer: his decision can change the economy in a few years, if is sufficiently intelligent and independent. It depends on you, as a consumer: you have the key. And I assure you that I am not a farmer, nor do I have any interest bond.
Now, let’s go see what is the scenery with plants and forests.
2. Biological engineers; the bacteria, fungi and plants.
These folk invisible, the good boys.
I promise do not write a lot about forests and all those impressive things that are over there as panthers, sequoias, chameleons or bonobos, for example. I go talk now about a hidden stupidity that we, common folks, are committing and scorning everyday. One day I dedicated the day to tell this issues to a farmer, his attitude changed, and today I know that two children have returned with him to his farm, delighted with their new work.
Finally we are over a surface with minerals, water, tiny and invisible beings, and more folks comes to live here, becoming in a square where everybody talks and things are exchanged, like a souk or market. Today is raining a lot, and all is soggy, oxygen is lacking, and someone is happy in one corner; yesterday was a sunny day, and the air blew and flowed everywhere, another being was happy in other corner. Tomorrow we will see someone capable to be happy in an acidic environ, with water, with drought, with each opportunity: this is the way that has followed the life from soils, towards communities more complex included within greater communities, which we see with our own eyes directly.
Some actors become now helpers of bigger beings as plants or trees, the mycorrhizae: in a relationship that control the plants, fungi get nutrients and protection, and plants get carbon, and greater strength over other plants that are not infected by these fungi. The mycorrhizae generate a glycoprotein (glomalin), a molecule resistant and recalcitrant that lasts up to 40 years, and gives consistency to the ground structure. Glomalin acts as glue into the soil, retaining and agglomerating materials and organic carbon. Mycorrhizae are digested by some springtail, and in turn kill other; certain bacteria help these fungi (mycorrhizae helper bacteria) or plants (nodulating bacteria). In forestry, a fact already evidenced and checked is the change observed in colonies of bacteria and fungi as a result of full clearing in tree stands in forests; they disappear completely when the forest is cleared. The mycorrhizal fungi and communities of bacteria around and into trees and plants, has been studied in order to understand and take advantage of this kind of relationship between organisms, as symbiotic relation that it is.
This is not new and it is good, we have finally learned to do some things, at least some professionals or far
mers learnt it. However, it is difficult find some report or paper that would light up it or would show the weight it could have. Only was interesting the implementation for the increasing of growth, or the afforestation of dismasted lands, but never for understand like principle of actuation, these emerging properties among organisms which implies a mutual transference (defense, immunity against infections, health): despite this, for a virus or bacteria it would be hardier to infect a complex ensemble of organisms than a simple organism isolated. The first experiments with vaccines were performed with weak colonies, and it always has been known. We have 180 years knowing that the plants in a diverse environment give us strength, and well used are very powerful allies, and currently we accept passively do not make use of them, no planting, no cultivating, even prohibit them, eliminate some of them, and rely on a pill that we had a day on television. Can we be more stupid? So deep is sleep? Here are some of the reasons for the fight among economies: the Chinese that produces medicines with plants, and the US-UK-Germany-Swiss industry that produces chemicals.
Let’s go continue. Whichever could
An Invisible Chain of our Time Page 7
