Snuggled securely below the surface in the fertile soil of Farmer Jones’ field Milford and Minnie Microbe (proud members of the local microorganism community) took a few minutes to relax from the busyness of their lives.  “You know Minnie,” Milford began,  “we’ve had a wonderful life.  Just think of the comfortable home we’ve been able to enjoy while we raise our thousands of children.”

        “Mercy sakes!” replied Minnie.  “We’re so fortunate to live in the times that we do.  Remember the stories we heard from our great grandparents about the dark days before Farmer Jones began practicing regenerative agriculture?   Every year he plowed up the ground tearing the microbe community from its home and exposing it to ultraviolet light and other elements.  And the poisons – Lordy!  Sprays for this and sprays for that. Not to mention the chemical fertilizers. Why our poor ancestors could hardly establish a colony.  The fewer of us there were the more the soil hardened and compacted.  When heavy rains fell the soil wasn’t able to soak it up; it washed away carrying fertilizers and chemical sprays with it.”

        “Yes, those were dark times Minnie,” Milford sighed.  “Thank goodness Jones began to read books like The Soil will Save Us by Kristin Ohlson.  He learned that by practicing no-till farming we microbes could thrive.  With trillions more of us regenerating the soil by simply eating, growing and dying his ground became enriched and more balanced.  As the land became more fertile, by using cover crops Jones was able to eliminate costly chemical sprays and fertilizers.   He had already known about plants taking in carbon dioxide and combining it with water and sunlight to make food.  But until humans faced a potential crisis from CO2 warming the atmosphere he didn’t realize we’re even more helpful.  We consume that greenhouse gas from plant roots and bury it securely in the soil.  Good thing too!  Right now there’s more CO2 in the atmosphere than in all of human history.”

        “Looks like some humans are finding that agriculture that uses little or no chemicals is not only economical but also makes for a healthier world. It builds the soil, improves water retention, avoids run-off pollution, and helps soak up excessive CO2.  We do need to take care of this earth - the only home we’ll ever know.  With the humans we are forever…Earthbound.”  

        After the howling wind subsided I ventured out to survey the damage.  Like numerous properties throughout Iowa County the storm last June left broken branches and toppled trees.  A huge branch straddled the roof; a toppled tree rested on the old hog shed.  Other trees blocked the driveway and crushed fences.  

        Some would have looked at that mess and said, “That old guy will never get this all cleaned up!”  But a chainsaw and a compact bucket-tractor are highly efficient modern tools.  It’s amazing what a person can accomplish with these.  Our grounds are cleared and life is back to normal.

        This week, we commemorate the 100th anniversary of another type of highly efficient human endeavor – one that some would have said could never happen.  In the 1870s several billion (yes, the “b” is correct) passenger pigeons flew throughout North America’s eastern woodlands.  One flock in southern Ontario is described as having been 1 mile wide and 300 miles long.  Its 3.5 billion birds took 14 hours to pass.  Just 50 years later, on Sept. 1, 1914, Martha, the last known remaining passenger pigeon expired. 

        How could an entire species of this magnitude be completely wiped out?  The combination of highly effective hunting and netting, the use of the telegraph to pinpoint flock movements, and the destruction of forests exhausted this seemingly inexhaustible species.  Humankind can be highly efficient. 

        Today, some would say the earth’s atmosphere is so vast that human activity can’t possibly have any effect.  But burning carbon-based fuels currently adds 10 billion (there’s that “b” again!) tons of CO2 to the atmosphere annually, trapping heat.  We can’t see or smell CO2 so we don’t notice its presence.  But 100s of billions of tons of anything over decades make a difference.

        Some would say, “There’s nothing we can do about it anyway.”  But humankind has also proved highly efficient in reversing deleterious effects on the atmosphere.  In the 1980s scientists learned that the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in aerosols was creating a hole in the ozone layer, letting cancer-causing ultraviolet light become more intense.  By international agreement these CFCs were slowly phased out; the ozone hole is repairing itself and shrinking.

        We can make the same type of progress by phasing out fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gasses.  And we must because our only home needs us to be efficient.  After all, we are forever…Earthbound.