water cycle

Carbon movement and the water cycle move in tandem one with the other.  The extra humidity we have been experiencing is a direct result of an impaired water cycle.  There is too much water (humidity) in the air and it acts as a greenhouse gas, making our climate situation worse.  But the humidity is high at least in part because our soil holds much less water than it should.  This is because of our shrinking level of organic matter.  Since soil OM is about fifty eight percent carbon on average, we can say that if our carbon movement was more favorable-that is, away from the air and toward the soil-our water cycle would be improved because more of it would be held in the soil; estimates are that every one percent increase in soil organic matter means that 20000 more gallons per each acre can be held in the soil.

It is within our ability to improve the level of soil organic matter.  We must reduce tillage, keep the soil covered (armor on the land),keep roots in the soil year around-preferably perennial roots, and do what we can to get livestock back on the land, particularly the ruminants-cattle and sheep.  This allows plants to sequester carbon and thus increase the level of organic matter.  Climate change is serious, but we are not helpless.