Senior Research Associate Dawit Solomon came to the Rose Cafe to discuss with us the importance of soil. Like everyone else in the room, I came into the discussion aware of the necessity of soil in regards to agriculture and food for the planet. However, I was unaware of the immense amount of science and research being performed in order to develop soil with even greater utility. Specifically, Mr. Solomon described how high-quality soil can actually be a carbon “sink”, which would aid tremendously in combatting global warming. He also discussed how despite all the advances and discoveries being made, scientists have yet to arrive at a modern solution for soil that can effectively store carbon. In fact, I found it particularly interesting when he showed that soil created from indigenous peoples using native artifacts was actually quite effective in accumulating carbon. Perhaps, this definitely speaks to a larger point or theme, where modern-day human beings can learn a great deal from the practices of indigenous peoples.