Professor Solomon came to Rose house to emphasize the importance of soil. Usually the importance of soil is talked about in relation to agriculture. A often discussed topic is how soil erosion is a threat to food security especially in poorer regions of the world.  Solomon connected the issue of soil and global warming.

I had no idea how large of a contribution soil disruption is to the release of carbon dioxide. In general, the release of all this carbon is a major contributor to the crisis faced now by the entire world. Thus, it is in the interest of everyone to help improve soil’s ability to hold carbon. The preservation of carbon within the ground will not only increase crop yields, but also help decrease the amount of carbon held in the atmosphere.

Another cool part of the cafe was being able to look at the fertilizer produced by Solomon and Garrett’s research group which is being sold in Ethiopia. The usage of bone in the fertilizer allows it have similar benefits to the most potent fertilizers used in the West while allowing the fertilizer to be affordable for people in Ethiopia.

One issue I had was the question of whether this fertilizer will actually curb global warming in the short term. The usage of fertilizer to maintain soil year in and year out is most certainly a positive for the people of Africa who still face the possibility of food scarcity. However, a boom in crop output will most likely lead to a continued population boom which will increase carbon production in the multitude of way, at least in the short them.