World Earth Day: Ensure the world speaks about soil, says Sadhguru

The Earth's diameter is approximately 7,900 miles and its circumference is about 24,000 miles, but 87% of the life on this planet happens from just 12–15 inches of topsoil. Soil is the cream of this earth. Unfortunately, this cream is turning sour. The necessary life that is needed to keep this cream alive, the foundation and source of life for all of us, is fast vanishing. Approximately 27,000 species on the planet are going extinct per year. At this rate, we could be in serious peril in the next 30-40 years’ time. (Also read: Sadhguru to undertake 30,000 km lone motorcycle journey from London to India to save soil)

On this day, let us commit ourselves to ensuring that we do not get there, because we are in a cusp of time where we still have the opportunity to turn this around. If we make up our minds as a generation, we can do that in the next 10–15 years’ time. If you say, “I want to fix my garden, I want to compost my vegetables,” it is very cute of you, but it is not a solution. The damage that we have caused to the soil cannot be turned around with individual action. This needs a worldwide policy.

The most important thing is that there should be more photosynthesis on the planet. Photosynthesis is that magical process which takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen for us, and carbon sugars for the microbial life beneath. Before photosynthesis started, nearly a billion years ago, the oxygen content in the atmosphere was just over 1%. Definitely, we could not have existed in that. But in the last thousand years, the area of photosynthesis in the world has come down by 85%. The majority of land in the world is farmed or is an urban area – it is either plowed or paved.

We need to make policies in every nation to ensure that land must either have crops, cover crops, bushes or trees – something green that can do this miracle called photosynthesis, which both enriches the soil and atmosphere. It also allows water and moisture to be held in the soil where it should really be.

On World Earth Day, take this commitment that you will be a source of inspiration, and galvanize the Save Soil movement. Ensure that the world speaks about soil, because soil is the basis of pure water, clean air and the very life that we are. The very body that we carry is soil. Will we get this now or get it when we are buried? This is the question on this World Earth Day.

Ranked amongst the fifty most influential people in India, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary and a New York Times bestselling author Sadhguru has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 2017, the highest annual civilian award, accorded for exceptional and distinguished service. 

The views expressed in this column are author's own