BY LINDA SCHREIBER

Project GREEN recently partnered with area nonprofit organizations concerned about the environment and natural resources to host the documentary film Kiss the Ground. These organizations were 100 Grannies, Backyard Abundance, Bur Oak Land Trust, Iowa City Public Library, Johnson County Master Gardeners, and the League of Women Voters. The film was made available free of charge through a generous grant from Roco Films.

The film, narrated by and featuring Woody Harrelson, explored a viable, low-cost way to reverse climate change through soil regeneration. Modern, industrialized, mono-crop agriculture is killing microbial life in the soil that sequesters carbon. When soil loses its ability to sequester carbon it becomes dirt. What was once productive, healthy soil slowly becomes dry and infertile, a process called desertification.

The film showed in detail how healthy soil is the answer to address the climate crisis. Soil regeneration has the potential to sequester 100% of the carbon dioxide humans emit into the atmosphere. The film revealed how regenerative agriculture increases and improves soil life, helps store water and sequesters CO₂.

A global movement of activists, scientists, farmers, and government agencies are partnering to demonstrate and explain how regenerative agriculture can balance the climate, replenish water supplies, feed the world, and maintain profitability. The film tells their story and the powerful solution to one of our greatest challenges.

Two facts in the film are particularly noteworthy.

• 2/3 of the earth’s soil has been damaged; we have approximately 60 years to repair the damage to the soil and avoid a total loss of all of the soil’s productivity.
• Millions of people migrate every year to avoid starving. Out-migration is partially due to soil productivity loss. The Russian-Ukrainian war has added to the global crisis creating food insecurity in the region and beyond.

More than 60 people representing our partner organizations and the public attended the screening to learn how regenerating the soil can restore our climate and our environment. Hopefully, the viewers of the screening will become active volunteers who will carry the message and spread the word about the importance of regenerative agriculture and farming.

Finally, all of our partner organizations have volunteering opportunities. According to the US Census, nearly 25% of Americans 16 years and older spent time volunteering during the pandemic (September 2020 and 2021). More than half helped their neighbors during the same period. Volunteering is beneficial since acts of kindness can protect your brain and help with cognitive functioning. We hope you can help these organizations with your time, your talents, and your resources. Remember, always be kind to each other to make everyone’s day better.