WEBVTT 00:00:02.250 --> 00:00:04.750 - Ami Eckard-Lee: You know what's cool about trees? 00:00:04.750 --> 00:00:07.583 They breathe in what we breathe out, 00:00:07.583 --> 00:00:09.792 and we breathe in what they breathe out. 00:00:09.792 --> 00:00:10.458 It's a cycle. 00:00:10.458 --> 00:00:12.999 Part of the carbon cycle, to be exact. 00:00:12.999 --> 00:00:16.999 But there's so much more to the carbon cycle than just people, 00:00:16.999 --> 00:00:18.041 plants, and animals. 00:00:18.041 --> 00:00:20.999 The Sun plays a role, the ocean is involved, 00:00:20.999 --> 00:00:24.291 and the soil beneath your feet is a huge factor. 00:00:24.291 --> 00:00:26.999 The carbon cycle affects the atmosphere, 00:00:26.999 --> 00:00:29.750 the weather, and the climate. 00:00:29.750 --> 00:00:32.125 When the carbon cycle is balanced, 00:00:32.125 --> 00:00:33.667 ecosystems run smoothly. 00:00:33.667 --> 00:00:36.333 But how does an imbalanced carbon cycle 00:00:36.333 --> 00:00:38.583 impact the environment? 00:00:39.250 --> 00:00:41.999 [bright music] 00:00:43.291 --> 00:00:46.458 Ecosystems function almost like a machine. 00:00:46.458 --> 00:00:47.667 Everything has its role, 00:00:47.667 --> 00:00:49.999 and if something deviates from its role, 00:00:49.999 --> 00:00:52.291 the whole system is impacted. 00:00:52.291 --> 00:00:55.792 Maybe that's why it's called an eco-system. 00:00:55.792 --> 00:00:57.709 Let's meet up with an ecosystem scientist 00:00:57.709 --> 00:01:01.583 to learn more about carbon's role in an ecosystem. 00:01:01.583 --> 00:01:06.417 So, when did carbon start to become, like, a problem? 00:01:06.417 --> 00:01:08.625 - Nate Lawrence: It was about the Industrial Revolution. 00:01:08.625 --> 00:01:11.125 Whenever a whole lot of carbon that had been built up 00:01:11.125 --> 00:01:13.792 in fossil fuels over millions of years 00:01:13.792 --> 00:01:16.999 started to be burned to fuel society. 00:01:16.999 --> 00:01:18.041 So, we started burning things 00:01:18.041 --> 00:01:20.750 like coal and oil and natural gas. 00:01:20.750 --> 00:01:23.500 And when we do that, we're releasing a whole lot of carbon 00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:25.583 that's been stored for millions of years 00:01:25.583 --> 00:01:27.999 into the atmosphere all at once. 00:01:27.999 --> 00:01:29.375 And that big pulse of carbon 00:01:29.375 --> 00:01:32.291 is the primary driver of climate change today. 00:01:32.291 --> 00:01:35.500 So, now, when we think about what's driving the increase 00:01:35.500 --> 00:01:37.458 in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, 00:01:37.458 --> 00:01:40.875 a source of carbon dioxide would be something that's causing 00:01:40.875 --> 00:01:44.250 the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to go up. 00:01:44.250 --> 00:01:45.959 - Okay. - So, for example, 00:01:45.959 --> 00:01:47.208 burning those fossil fuels. 00:01:47.208 --> 00:01:50.417 A carbon sink would be something like a growing plant. 00:01:50.417 --> 00:01:54.083 So, as the plant is growing, it's sequestering carbon 00:01:54.083 --> 00:01:55.667 that used to be in the atmosphere 00:01:55.667 --> 00:01:59.250 and is now, for the time being, tied up in that plant. 00:01:59.250 --> 00:02:01.875 So, a sink is drawing carbon down. 00:02:01.875 --> 00:02:04.083 A source is putting carbon up. 00:02:04.083 --> 00:02:06.834 - A carbon sink is a large reservoir 00:02:06.834 --> 00:02:09.625 that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere 00:02:09.625 --> 00:02:10.125 than it releases. 00:02:10.125 --> 00:02:15.999 Some examples of carbon sinks are oceans, forests, and soils. 00:02:15.999 --> 00:02:18.583 CO2 dissolves directly into seawater, 00:02:18.583 --> 00:02:20.208 and ocean currents distribute it 00:02:20.208 --> 00:02:21.999 and store it in deeper waters. 00:02:21.999 --> 00:02:26.083 Forests absorb carbon from the atmosphere 00:02:26.083 --> 00:02:27.458 through photosynthesis. 00:02:27.458 --> 00:02:29.375 The trees then use this carbon to grow, 00:02:29.375 --> 00:02:32.834 so it's stored in the trunk, branches, leaves, and roots. 00:02:32.834 --> 00:02:35.417 And forests help store carbon in the soils too. 00:02:35.417 --> 00:02:38.709 Carbon is released into the soil through plant roots, 00:02:38.709 --> 00:02:39.999 where it's then stored. 00:02:39.999 --> 00:02:41.000 Another way carbon enters the soil 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:43.792 is through the decomposition of organic matter, 00:02:43.792 --> 00:02:44.999 such as plants and animals. 00:02:44.999 --> 00:02:48.208 These carbon sinks work together to absorb carbon 00:02:48.208 --> 00:02:49.959 from the atmosphere and store it. 00:02:49.959 --> 00:02:53.834 But what happens when one carbon sink is storing too much, 00:02:53.834 --> 00:02:55.792 and another isn't storing enough? 00:02:55.792 --> 00:02:59.250 - We've been a big driver of release of carbon 00:02:59.250 --> 00:03:02.959 from these long-term pools through human activities. 00:03:02.959 --> 00:03:07.458 We cut down a lot of trees, we disturb a lot of soil. 00:03:07.458 --> 00:03:08.208 So, the oceans are taking up 00:03:08.208 --> 00:03:11.750 a lot of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, 00:03:11.750 --> 00:03:12.500 which is good. 00:03:12.500 --> 00:03:14.000 It means it's not in the atmosphere 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:14.999 causing climate change, 00:03:14.999 --> 00:03:16.875 but it also leads to more acidic seawater, 00:03:16.875 --> 00:03:18.667 threatening a lot of ocean life. 00:03:18.667 --> 00:03:22.542 - Human practices have had a major impact on the carbon cycle 00:03:22.542 --> 00:03:24.750 due to excessive carbon emissions, 00:03:24.750 --> 00:03:26.500 making the cycle unbalanced. 00:03:26.500 --> 00:03:29.583 Now, there's too much carbon in the atmosphere 00:03:29.583 --> 00:03:30.291 and in our oceans, 00:03:30.291 --> 00:03:33.250 but not enough carbon being stored in other sinks, 00:03:33.250 --> 00:03:34.999 like forests and soils. 00:03:34.999 --> 00:03:38.208 So, what can we do to help rebalance the carbon cycle? 00:03:38.208 --> 00:03:39.750 - So, there's an ecological principle 00:03:39.750 --> 00:03:43.417 that says that the more diverse our ecosystems are, 00:03:43.417 --> 00:03:44.458 they should be more effective 00:03:44.458 --> 00:03:47.125 at capturing energy from the Sun, 00:03:47.125 --> 00:03:49.125 and thereby pull some of that carbon dioxide 00:03:49.125 --> 00:03:51.125 out of the atmosphere and help mitigate 00:03:51.125 --> 00:03:53.542 some of the impacts of climate change. 00:03:53.542 --> 00:03:54.291 - Okay. - So, behind us, 00:03:54.291 --> 00:03:56.999 we see one example of what that can look like. 00:03:56.999 --> 00:03:58.166 This is a silvopasture. 00:03:58.166 --> 00:04:02.000 It's grazed by sheep. - Ami: What's silvopasture? 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:04.000 - Nate: Silvo, Latin for tree. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:07.125 So, silvopasture is a tree pasture. 00:04:07.125 --> 00:04:08.583 The trees are chestnuts, 00:04:08.583 --> 00:04:11.291 so the trees both produce something that we can eat, 00:04:11.291 --> 00:04:14.625 and they also provide shade for the sheep. 00:04:14.625 --> 00:04:16.542 We can't change what has happened 00:04:16.542 --> 00:04:18.083 in the last 150 years. 00:04:18.083 --> 00:04:21.125 So, now, we're hoping to implement 00:04:21.125 --> 00:04:22.999 different types of ag practices, 00:04:22.999 --> 00:04:24.999 produce our food a little bit differently, 00:04:24.999 --> 00:04:28.333 and if we get it right, the soil health that we've lost, 00:04:28.333 --> 00:04:30.709 we can actually start to regain. 00:04:31.166 --> 00:04:32.917 - Let's talk to Daniel Hayden, 00:04:32.917 --> 00:04:34.333 a citizen of the Comanche Nation, 00:04:34.333 --> 00:04:36.792 who can tell us about Indigenous farming practices 00:04:36.792 --> 00:04:41.500 that have been climate smart and sustainable for generations. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:42.999 Hey, Daniel! 00:04:42.999 --> 00:04:44.709 I have so many questions for you. 00:04:44.709 --> 00:04:46.166 What's the biggest difference 00:04:46.166 --> 00:04:48.375 between Indigenous farming practices 00:04:48.375 --> 00:04:50.999 and modern farming practices? 00:04:50.999 --> 00:04:52.750 - Daniel Hayden: So, Indigenous farming practices 00:04:52.750 --> 00:04:55.291 in North America were very different 00:04:55.291 --> 00:04:59.583 from our modern Western agricultural systems, 00:04:59.583 --> 00:05:01.999 predominantly because of the lack of tillage. 00:05:01.999 --> 00:05:04.083 Practices like tillage are very destructive 00:05:04.083 --> 00:05:06.917 and degrading to the environment long term. 00:05:06.917 --> 00:05:09.959 There's so much that time and history has gone 00:05:09.959 --> 00:05:10.792 into the creation of soil. 00:05:10.792 --> 00:05:13.750 And we've seen such a rapid degradation of that 00:05:13.750 --> 00:05:14.999 through farming practices. 00:05:14.999 --> 00:05:18.166 What makes Indigenous farming practices more sustainable, 00:05:18.166 --> 00:05:19.625 I think, is the legacy 00:05:19.625 --> 00:05:23.083 of how Indigenous people were listening to the land. 00:05:23.083 --> 00:05:26.041 A lot of Indigenous culture is based in land 00:05:26.041 --> 00:05:27.500 and in the environment. 00:05:27.500 --> 00:05:31.667 - What's an example of an Indigenous farming practice? 00:05:31.667 --> 00:05:33.999 - The Three Sisters has been this genius idea 00:05:33.999 --> 00:05:37.458 that, you know, developed for centuries through time 00:05:37.458 --> 00:05:39.792 and, you know, still practiced now, obviously. 00:05:39.792 --> 00:05:42.834 - Wait, wait, what are the Three Sisters? 00:05:43.208 --> 00:05:46.333 - Daniel: Corn, beans, and squash. 00:05:46.333 --> 00:05:47.709 So, the Three Sisters specifically 00:05:47.709 --> 00:05:50.041 were grown together on a mound of soil. 00:05:50.041 --> 00:05:53.834 Each crop sort of plays their own functional purpose. 00:05:53.834 --> 00:05:55.041 So, corn grows really tall. 00:05:55.041 --> 00:05:58.250 And because of that, beans, the other sister, 00:05:58.250 --> 00:06:01.999 are able to grow up the corn and also below ground. 00:06:01.999 --> 00:06:03.999 They're adding soil nutrients. 00:06:03.999 --> 00:06:06.041 Squash, the big leaves of the squash 00:06:06.041 --> 00:06:09.000 typically are nice for shading out weeds. 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:10.999 Practices like the Three Sisters, for example, 00:06:10.999 --> 00:06:13.917 have been shown to be more productive in some cases 00:06:13.917 --> 00:06:17.375 than just growing corn, beans, and squash by themselves. 00:06:17.375 --> 00:06:18.750 These resilient systems 00:06:18.750 --> 00:06:21.959 are ones that can maintain themselves 00:06:21.959 --> 00:06:25.999 while being adaptive to things like climate change. 00:06:25.999 --> 00:06:28.041 - By adapting our farming practices 00:06:28.041 --> 00:06:29.834 to work with the landscape, 00:06:29.834 --> 00:06:32.291 rather than attempting to alter the landscape, 00:06:32.291 --> 00:06:33.709 we can cultivate environments 00:06:33.709 --> 00:06:37.625 that are beneficial to the crops, soil, and people. 00:06:37.625 --> 00:06:39.792 So, can you tell me what kind of farm 00:06:39.792 --> 00:06:40.792 do you work on here? 00:06:40.792 --> 00:06:42.458 - Rylee Nelson: It's a grass-fed beef farm. 00:06:42.458 --> 00:06:45.250 So, we raise our grass-fed beef herd here 00:06:45.250 --> 00:06:46.750 through rotational grazing. 00:06:46.750 --> 00:06:48.125 And then, we also have some sheep 00:06:48.125 --> 00:06:49.917 that we raise alongside them. 00:06:49.917 --> 00:06:51.333 - You talked about rotational grazing. 00:06:51.333 --> 00:06:52.166 What does that actually mean? 00:06:52.166 --> 00:06:54.999 - Rylee: We move the cattle every single day in the summer. 00:06:54.999 --> 00:06:56.999 We use a polywire in a reel to move them, 00:06:56.999 --> 00:06:59.625 so they'll get a new area of pasture each day. 00:06:59.625 --> 00:07:01.709 So, we need that soil to be healthy 00:07:01.709 --> 00:07:05.999 because it builds up the diversity of our plants 00:07:05.999 --> 00:07:07.959 and makes sure that our cattle are getting 00:07:07.959 --> 00:07:10.999 all their needed nutrients from our pastures. 00:07:10.999 --> 00:07:14.291 We need to do our job as not only producers, 00:07:14.291 --> 00:07:15.166 but consumers as well, 00:07:15.166 --> 00:07:20.166 to maintain that healthy soil and continue to improve it. 00:07:20.166 --> 00:07:21.583 - How can you tell the difference 00:07:21.583 --> 00:07:23.709 between healthy and unhealthy soil? 00:07:23.709 --> 00:07:25.417 - So, our soil is healthy, 00:07:25.417 --> 00:07:29.208 and I can tell that because there's no erosion. 00:07:29.208 --> 00:07:29.999 If you look at the soil, 00:07:29.999 --> 00:07:32.000 there's a lot of organic matter on the top, 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:34.834 which shows us that their manure and everything 00:07:34.834 --> 00:07:36.333 is going back into the soil 00:07:36.333 --> 00:07:38.959 and it's not running off into our waterways. 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:42.041 Also, we can see lots of different variety of grasses, 00:07:42.041 --> 00:07:44.750 which is important to us, and that shows us that 00:07:44.750 --> 00:07:47.917 there is different root structures in the grass. 00:07:47.917 --> 00:07:50.792 On our farm, there's always something in the soil 00:07:50.792 --> 00:07:52.083 which is holding that soil down 00:07:52.083 --> 00:07:54.166 and keeping that root structure in the ground, 00:07:54.166 --> 00:07:56.999 which is gonna really sequester that carbon 00:07:56.999 --> 00:07:57.792 and hold in those nutrients 00:07:57.792 --> 00:08:00.999 that are otherwise getting lost on these other farms. 00:08:00.999 --> 00:08:04.999 And that would be really helpful to building up our soil health. 00:08:04.999 --> 00:08:06.999 [cattle lowing] - They agree. 00:08:06.999 --> 00:08:08.999 - Yeah! [both laughing] 00:08:12.166 --> 00:08:13.999 - Improving the health of our soils 00:08:13.999 --> 00:08:16.041 can seem like a daunting task. 00:08:16.041 --> 00:08:17.583 I mean, we're literally talking about 00:08:17.583 --> 00:08:20.083 changing the ground beneath our feet. 00:08:20.083 --> 00:08:23.750 But there are so many ways for us to get involved 00:08:23.750 --> 00:08:24.750 in protecting soils. 00:08:24.750 --> 00:08:27.834 A great place to start is by looking at the foods you eat 00:08:27.834 --> 00:08:29.667 and knowing where they came from. 00:08:29.667 --> 00:08:32.333 Support farms that are using sustainable practices 00:08:32.333 --> 00:08:36.999 like agroforestry, rotational grazing, and organic methods. 00:08:36.999 --> 00:08:38.083 If you want a more direct approach, 00:08:38.083 --> 00:08:40.792 you can plant your own carbon-sequestering plants 00:08:40.792 --> 00:08:42.041 at home or in your community. 00:08:42.041 --> 00:08:44.291 If you have a garden plot, try planting crops 00:08:44.291 --> 00:08:48.417 that maintain their root system and will grow back next year, 00:08:48.417 --> 00:08:49.458 and try companion planting 00:08:49.458 --> 00:08:52.834 for a bountiful harvest that's good for the soil. 00:08:52.834 --> 00:08:54.999 All of these are great ways to contribute 00:08:54.999 --> 00:08:57.458 to improving soil health in your community. 00:08:57.458 --> 00:09:00.250 So, now, each time you prepare your dinner plate 00:09:00.250 --> 00:09:01.959 or relax under the shade of a tree, 00:09:01.959 --> 00:09:06.333 you know that you helped store more carbon in the soil 00:09:06.333 --> 00:09:07.999 where it belongs. 00:09:13.625 --> 00:09:14.750 Oh, hi, there. 00:09:14.750 --> 00:09:16.083 That's how it felt. [all laughing] 00:09:16.083 --> 00:09:17.250 I really can't do that, okay? 00:09:17.250 --> 00:09:18.709 - Producer: It's like aFull House-- 00:09:18.709 --> 00:09:20.999 - Oh, I didn't see you there! [laughing] 00:09:20.999 --> 00:09:22.542 Is that the end?