20. India, let’s save our soil
Our choice to consume trees, paper, cement, cotton, plastic, fuel has directly resulted in soil toxicity to the highest levels. Keeping the hemp plant locked up has destroyed the solutions to all of humanity’s problems. Is this worth caring about?
Soil pollution is one of the least spoken issues in India. But it is absolutely important to understand that we Humans, live on the land and soil is everything for us.
Without soil, there are no living animals, trees, food and there will be no trace of life on the planet earth.
A basic natural element of the planet earth which holds such high importance for all life on the planet is being destroyed at an alarming rate.
All of the industrial waste and the human waste ends up either in the water or the soil, which always ends up poisoning the other and also affects all of life that lives off of it.
Our toxic industries and farming practices not only harm India’s water bodies, they also harm the soil.
Soil is a precious commodity, taking years to form, and once it is depleted it can take years to recover, if it recovers at all.
The quality of our soil is an important factor in our future food security, which is why we must be responsible with it.
If we continue to poison it like this, we may not be able to grow enough food to feed all 1.3 billion of us in the future.
The Earth has been providing us with all we need for our survival, right from food that grows on the soil to the water we drink. We have been living off the soil ever since we came into existence.
It is our duty to protect, nurture and take care of our land; not destroy / pollute it with chemicals and other toxic substances.
Soil pollution refers to the act of polluting the soil with chemicals and other toxic substances, which has an adverse effect on the organisms living off the soil.
Let’s take a step back in time to when our primal ancestors were living off the land.
The human race learnt about farming, the earth provided us with all the necessary vegetables and crops, which became our source of food. The world was beautiful, the land was green, the waters were blue and the air was clean. Fast forward to the present, and we see the green landscapes replaced with grey concrete buildings, toxic water and smog everywhere.
Wonder what went wrong there?
Humans!
Yes, we were what went wrong in this situation.
The world was perfect, we had everything, and now we have consumed too many of its resources and have created a world suffering from pollution and melting polar ice caps. We have stripped the land of its natural fertility by using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, to such an extent that crops do not grow on certain land patches anymore. This has rendered the soil loose and has led to the erosion of said soil.
Polluting our land contributes to air pollution and water pollution as well. The toxic chemicals present in the soil release volatile substances into the atmosphere polluting the air, and the remaining chemicals leech into the ground water, causing water pollution.
Soil Pollution occurs mainly due to the following practices,
1. Industrial wastes
Disposal of industrial waste products on the earth pollutes the soil and introduces toxic elements into it, rendering the soil useless for agriculture. These toxic substances remain in the soil and seep into the ground water which when consumed by people living nearby causes diseases and death.
2. Agricultural practices
Modern agricultural practises, involve the heavy use of fertilisers and pesticides to increase the yield of the crops. This practise pollutes the soil to a large extent, the farm wastes and chemicals cause the soil to lose its fertility. This makes the land barren, and unfit for agriculture, which ultimately leads to soil erosion.
3. Urban wastes
Urban wastes consists mostly of both commercial and domestic waste, which includes sewage. All the solid waste coming from urban areas is called refuse, which consists of garbage and other materials like metal cans, plastic, paper, fibres, leaves, fuel residues, and discarded products.
4. Radioactive pollutants
Tests conducted at nuclear laboratories and testing centres dump a large amount of radioactive waste into our environment, which makes its way into the soil and makes it an inhospitable environment for all living beings.
4. Biological agents
Both Human and animal excreta contribute to a major chunk of soil pollution. While this natural excreta can be used for making biogas, too much of such waste can cause serious harm to the plants and the soil itself.
Research done by scientists have revealed that Cadmium is the major pollutant present in the land all over the world. Cadmium is a heavy metal frequently used in the industrial sector for the production of cement, batteries, tobacco, television and many more. This toxic metal is classified as an environmental hazard in most countries and has been banned in Europe because of studies that have linked Cadmium to cardiovascular problems and Cancer.
We need to stop polluting our soil now,
and start healing it immediately to ensure the
good health of the planet.
Solution
How do we go about repairing the damage we have already done?
The answer lies in one simple weed, HEMP
Hemp is a super crop, which can grow easily everywhere and requires minimum water. This plant doesn’t require fertilisers and also helps in cleaning any toxic substances present in the soil. Growing hemp on a field makes the field more fertile and improves the quality of the soil, this plant takes root deep into the soil loosening it up and is extremely efficient in absorbing harmful chemicals present in the soil.
In 1986, there was a nuclear accident in Ukraine which had released radioactive materials into the atmosphere.
The Russian government used the Phytoremediation technique wherein industrial Hemp plants were planted
in large quantities around the region to contain and clean the radioactive contaminated soil.
Phytoremediation is the process by which certain plants degrade or absorb contaminants present in the soil
and help in cleansing the land.
The same was suggested by a renowned scientist Dr. Mesaru Emoto during the recent nucler mishap at Fuskushima, Japan.
Hemp has an additional benefit in that it restores the nutrients to the soil it grows in enriching it.
Hemp has the ability to heal damaged and polluted soil; it is the largest producer of biomass in the plant kingdom and restores nitrogen to the soil much more efficiently than any other crop.
Hemp is the ideal cover crop; it replenishes the soil with all the necessary nutrients and restores fertility to the soil making it ideal for growing other cash crops.
Scientific research has shown that the Hemp plant is excellent at making soil conditions better and removing deeply rooted toxins in the soil.
With such an amazing plant at our disposal, it truly is mind numbing that the Government has prohibited this plant from being used in our daily lives.
This is just another reason why Cannabis needs to be legalised, because this is the only plant which when used effectively can save our SOIL, which is a key to ensure the safety of all life on this planet.
CANNABIS HEMP based industries are cleaner and greener, which means that we will have fewer toxic chemicals seeping into our soil.
No more deforestation.No more chemicals to grow our food, shelter, and clothes. Hemp is there to save our soil from all the intoxication.But this great alternative is prohibited to even grow. Speak up!
Let's design a better future.
Special thanks to Danny, Amy, Eshna, Aditya, Anshul. Priya.