Gaia

A globe resembling the planet Earth seen suspended in the air inside a cathedral.

This week was lectured by Prof. Tim Lenton, and this module keeps setting off lightbulb moments for me. How did life on earth get to be self-regulating? What is life, and what is its effect on the planet? James Lovelock had started looking at the composition of atmospheres of different planets while working at NASA. …

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In defence of the plough

A tractor with plough

An interesting article on soil health and tech just popped up on BBC News. A great introduction to issues around soil health, it covers quite a bit around the emergence of new technology and how it can help keep soils healthy. The article maligns the plough, but it’s still an important part of the toolkit …

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Melting villages

Erosion is a huge problem in villages. Farmers who now have access to affordable herbicides spray it on the ground in the villages instead of trimming long grass back to deter snakes. With no vegetation in villages or around houses, the soil melts away in the rainy season and blows away in the dry season. …

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