Marin Carbon Project: Improving Soil to Reverse Climate Change

An approach to restore soil in order to remove carbon from the air.

The Problem

In addition to reducing carbon emissions, there is a tremendous opportunity to slow or even reverse climate change by improving the health of soil. Topsoil has lost an estimated 50-70% of its carbon content due to land cultivation. Even so, the top one meter of all soil globally is estimated to contain as much as 1,500 gigatons of organic carbon, which is more than the amount in vegetation and the atmosphere. The goal of soil restoration efforts is to restore soil so that it can hold even more carbon.

The Solution

Relatively straightforward land management and farming practices can reinvigorate the soil and remove carbon from the air in the process. These practices including no-till farming, planting cover crops, and other holistic management, including grazing techniques known to help soil. Some estimates for soil restoration predict that, through improved agriculture practices, soil can act as an effective carbon sink offsetting as much as 20% of carbon emissions annually.