Entering the growing and crowded conversation regarding climate change, Kiss the Ground offers an accessible discussion for science classrooms of a practical solution to combat the inevitable environmental disaster and societal impact of a changing climate.
Examining this issue through the lens of rapid soil erosion, this film chronicles the environmental decline from the use of mechanical farm equipment to till the soil through the growth of corporate farming. The film includes a discussion of the Dust Bowl during a period in American history when farmland was overworked leading to draught on the Southern plains.
This leads to the discussion of the Soil Conservation Service which was formed by the federal government to address the soil issue during this period. We examine the evolution of this service to today’s National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Ray Archuleta, formerly with NRCS, offers an introduction to the science behind the soil and the potential it has in combating climate change.
Providing a focus on the soil as a way to capture atmospheric carbon through a draw-down approach, this film offers a compelling argument and solution to the problem of rising carbon emissions. Regenerative farming practices no longer separate agricultural farms from ranches and instead brings livestock back onto a farm to allow for grazing of pastures which feeds the soil through a natural process and eliminates the need to rely on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This process would serve to reduce the carbon emitted from livestock that enters the atmosphere. Gabe Brown, a Regenerative Rancher, discusses his transition to regenerative farming and the economic viability of pursuing this option.
Rooted in science concepts but accessible to the general public, the Woody Harrelson-narrated film offers a solution that should be more fully explored at the policy level. While there will be concerns about the need to ensure enough food within the supply chain, the arguments made make this seem to be a reasonable solution.
With that said, Kiss the Ground does fall back on divisive tactics that may turn off some viewers. This includes the use of music to impact the emotions of viewers based on what is on the screen and the more overt linking of agricultural pesticides to Nazi scientists through the use of historical footage. Given the need to attract a broader audience into a discussion regarding solutions to the issue of climate change, these tactics were unnecessary.
While many other films in this category offer a stark conversation of the impact of climate change, Kiss the Ground moves beyond that and offers a solution that is practical. Highly Recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P.
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