Wildlife. Undomesticated animals, uncultivated plants, and all organisms that grow or live wild without being introduced by us. Wildlife populations are decreasing significantly to 30% in the last 50 years. Has the sixth mass extinction started? One million species are facing extinction in a few decades. Can we care to stop it, decelerate it? Can we conserve wildlife?
Navy. Airforce. Army. 1.4 million personnel are active in India, with more than 80% in the Army. 140,000 in the Air force and 70,000 in the Navy. 75,000 are in reserve. The Navy safeguards our maritime borders. Fleet includes ships, submarines, aircrafts, aircraft carriers, amphibious transport docks, landing ship tanks, landing craft utilities, destroyers, frigates, ballistic missile submarines, attack submarines, corvettes, mine countermeasure vessels, fleet tankers, auxiliary vessels, patrol boats et al.
Hand Hygiene. Washing our hands correctly is the best way to stop the spread of 80% infections. Can we wash our hands five times a day? Properly. With plain soap. Alcohol-based hand rubs are not a substitute for handwashing.
Pedosphere is the collective earth’s body of soil. Soil. Earth. Soil ecosystem. Together – solid phase of minerals, organic matter – soil matrix; porous phase holding gases – soil atmosphere; and water – soil solution. Carbon reservoir. A habitat for soil organisms. A recycler of nutrients and organic waste. Water quality regulator. A modifier of atmospheric composition. Medium for plant growth. Provider of ecosystem services. Genetic diversity holder. Billions of organisms, microbes, mostly unexplored. Soil organism density is 10^8 organisms per gram. Ocean is just 10% of this. Soil organic carbon increases soil pores, soil porosity. It gives aeration to plant roots, and holds water. Soils offer plants physical support, air, water, temperature moderation, nutrients, and protection from toxins. It lets carbon sequestration, nitrogen fixation and attraction of things from the atmosphere. Microbial soil enzymes may release nutrients from minerals or organic matter for use by plants and other microorganisms, sequester (incorporate) them into living cells, or cause their loss from the soil.
Soil biodiversity is rich. 60% of species on earth are living in soil. They include: 98% species of worms (enchytraeidae), 90% fungi species, 85% plant species, 85% termite species; 0% insects; 50% arachnids. Soil PH ranges from 3.5 to 9.5.
Soil is serving farming, with 99% food coming from soil. Soil is also serving construction work. Many building materials are soil-based. Soil helps in regulating floods and droughts and making the plants resilient to them. Soil cleans water. Restoring soils is the sure way to decrease emissions, global warming; increasing production; and decreasing water needs. Chemical Fertilizers endanger soil. Soil porosity comes down and compaction increases. Chemical pesticides and weedicides kill microorganisms in soil apart from pests and weeds, reducing soil’s ability to help plant life. Tillage, deep tillage also affects soil’s abilities. Natural farming – 365-day diversified green cover with multi-layered multiple crops, maybe 50-60 crops such that the sun does not see the soil directly throughout the year, is a sure way to fight this. Other natural supplements in moderation also help.
Can we animate sun, soil, plants harvesting photosynthesis? For our colorful plates daily. Can we take natural farming food systems to scale? To deepen. Landscapes, trees, animals, fish, milk, meat.
Yes, we can. If we coexist, keep flowing. In sync with nature’s ways. In N? mrtthikayoga for 7L.
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