Over a pint in Oxford, we may have stumbled upon the holy grail of agriculture | George Monbiot

A Groundbreaking Approach to Sustainable Agriculture

As I sat with George Monbiot over a pint at The Magdalen Arms in Oxford, our conversation revolved around the holy grail of sustainable agriculture. For years, Monbiot had been researching ways to overcome the significant environmental impacts associated with high-yield farming practices, which often rely on intensive use of fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation water.

The problem was complex – farmers were forced to make educated guesses about their soil's needs due to limited understanding of its properties. This led to wasted inputs, including nitrogen fertilizer and phosphorus, which can contribute to algal blooms, dead zones at sea, and climate change. Moreover, the lack of knowledge about soil health hindered the development of new, more sustainable agricultural practices.

However, Monbiot's conversation with Tarje Nissen-Meyer, a geophysicist who had been exploring the use of seismology for ecological improvement, marked a significant turning point. Seismology, typically used to study waves passing through solid media, could potentially be applied to soil to better understand its properties and behavior.

The idea was met with excitement, as Monbiot realized that this innovative approach could provide farmers with valuable insights into their soil's health, allowing them to make data-driven decisions about crop management. With the help of operations specialist Katie Bradford, a non-profit organization called the Earth Rover Program was established to develop open-source hardware and software for seismology-based soil analysis.

The team's progress has been remarkable, with initial deployments yielding impressive results. By using ultra-high-frequency seismology, they were able to measure the volume of a peat bog with unprecedented accuracy, reducing the margin of error by 20%. The implications are enormous – this technology could revolutionize our understanding of soil carbon stocks and provide farmers with actionable advice on how to optimize their crops.

As the project moves forward, Monbiot's vision for a global, self-improving database of soil ecosystems is becoming increasingly tangible. With further funding and international partnerships, the Earth Rover Program aims to make seismology-based soil analysis accessible to farmers worldwide, reducing guesswork and improving yields while minimizing environmental impact.

The potential for this technology is vast – it could shake up the way we approach sustainable agriculture, providing a much-needed solution to the complex problems plaguing our food systems. As Monbiot so aptly put it, "Seismology promises to take the guesswork out of farming." One day, it might help us arrive at that elusive point where high yields and low impacts converge – a true holy grail of sustainable agriculture.

I'm totally against this new seismology-based soil analysis thingy . I mean, think about it, what's next? We're gonna be monitoring our own poop to optimize crop growth? It sounds like a bunch of hooey to me . And what's with the open-source hardware and software for this tech? Isn't that just a fancy way of saying "giveaway free stuff to people who don't need it"? I'm not convinced this is gonna make a dent in the real problems plaguing our food systems... like, have you seen the state of the world's soil lately? It's all about over-tilling and degradation, folks! We need to focus on actual solutions, not some fancy gadget that might just end up in a dusty old museum .

seems like geophysicist tarje nissen-meyer's idea about using seismology for soil analysis is pretty cool . it could really change the way we approach sustainable farming practices. i mean, who needs to guess at soil health when you can use science to figure it out?

I'm loving this new tech for soil analysis its like they're literally shaking things up so instead of relying on guesswork farmers can get real data about their soil's health & make informed decisions about crop management that's gonna save the planet & our tummies

omg u guys i had the craziest convo with george monbiot last nite he's been rsearching ways to reduce the environmental impact of farming practices which is like super important cuz we need food and all but the problem is ppl don't really know how to take care of the soil which is like a major part of farming so they just kinda guess and hope for the best

but then this geophysicist tarje nissen-meyer comes along and is like hey let's use seismology to study the soil and monbiot was all in cuz he realized it could give farmers a way to make data-driven decisions about their crops which would be SO cool

and now they've got this whole program thingy called the earth rover program that's working on developing open-source hardware and software for seismology-based soil analysis i mean can u imagine being able to just measure the volume of a peat bog with total accuracy? it's wild

i'm so stoked about this cuz it could literally change the way we approach sustainable agriculture and help us reduce our environmental impact which is like super important for the planet

this is really cool I just saw an old thread from 2023 about it too lol anyway so like they're using seismology to measure soil health now which makes total sense cuz our ancestors used to do that and it's crazy how far ahead we are in technology now but what's even more interesting is the potential for this tech to help farmers worldwide optimize their crops without messing up the environment

I'm like, totally stoked about this seismology thingy for soil analysis . Reminds me of the old days when we used to try to figure out soil health by just guessing, you know? Like, remember those fertilizer runs and how they'd often leave weird residues behind? It's crazy how far we've come with technology now. I mean, who would've thought that using seismic waves to analyze soil could be a thing? It's like something straight out of sci-fi, but it's real! And the Earth Rover Program is doing some amazing work – 20% reduction in margin of error for measuring peat bog volumes? That's like, totally mind-blowing . If they can make seismology-based soil analysis accessible to farmers worldwide, that'd be a game-changer for sustainable agriculture. We might just see those high-yields and low-impacts converge one day... wouldn't that be something?

So this seismology thing for soil analysis is kinda cool ... I mean, think about it - using the same tech we use to study earthquakes to figure out our soil's health? It sounds like science fiction, but if it works, that'd be a huge step forward for sustainable farming. I'm not gonna lie though, I'm still skeptical about how much of a game-changer this is gonna be... I mean, can we really scale up this tech and make it accessible to all farmers? And what about the cost - will this just get passed on to the consumers in the form of higher prices for food? But at the same time, I'm also super hopeful that this could be the solution we've been looking for... let's hope it doesn't become a pie-in-the-sky idea

omg u guys i'm literally hyped about this new technology for sustainable agriculture!! george monbiot is like a genius and the way they're using seismology to analyze soil health is SO cool tarje nissen-meyer's idea is pure genius i mean, can u imagine making data-driven decisions about crop management without relying on guesswork? it's like, the future of farming right now! and that earth rover program is doing amazing work they're making progress so fast and it's going to revolutionize sustainable agriculture. let's hope it gets the funding and international partnerships it needs to make this tech accessible to farmers worldwide

I mean, think about it... they're just now getting into this seismology thing? It's like, what are they hiding? What if it's not just about helping farmers? What if it's about controlling the food supply? I know it sounds crazy, but consider all these big players getting involved - geophysicist Tarje Nissen-Meyer and operations specialist Katie Bradford. It's like they're setting up a surveillance system... for soil health or something .

And Monbiot is stoked about this! He's always been a bit too optimistic for my taste. What if he's just being played? What if this whole thing is just a smokescreen while the real agenda gets pushed through? I know it sounds paranoid, but better safe than sorry, right?

I'm not saying it can't be good news... but let's keep an open mind here. Maybe we should dig deeper into what's really going on.

"You can't have too much of a good thing" ~ Henry David Thoreau

Sustainable agriculture is a big deal right now, everyone's talking about it. The idea of using seismology to analyze soil health is crazy cool! I mean who would've thought that studying the vibrations in the ground could help farmers grow their crops more efficiently? It sounds like science fiction, but apparently it works. If this tech can really reduce the guesswork for farmers and make them better stewards of the land, then we should be all for it

I'm loving this new approach to sustainable agriculture - using seismology to analyze soil health is pure genius! The idea of having a global, self-improving database of soil ecosystems is like the ultimate game-changer for farmers and our planet. It's crazy that we were stuck in the dark ages, relying on guesswork and trial-and-error methods, when we had all these smart folks working on this tech .

I mean, think about it - seismology is typically used to study earthquakes, but now we're applying it to soil health? That's some out-of-the-box thinking . And the results are already promising, with that 20% reduction in margin of error for measuring peat bog volume... that's huge!

The Earth Rover Program seems like a really cool initiative - open-source hardware and software for seismology-based soil analysis? That's like something out of a sci-fi movie . And the fact that it's making progress with farmers worldwide is like, totally mind-blowing .

I'm all about this tech shaking up the way we approach sustainable agriculture - let's get rid of the guesswork and make farming more efficient, effective, and environmentally friendly . One day, high yields and low impacts might just converge... that's a holy grail worth striving for!

I'm totally curious about this new approach to sustainable agriculture . Using seismology to study soil properties is genius . I mean, who would've thought that measuring seismic waves could help us understand how much nitrogen fertilizer we should use? But seriously, it's like having a superpower for farmers – they can finally make data-driven decisions and reduce waste.

I'm also loving the idea of a global database of soil ecosystems . Imagine all the knowledge and insights from different farms around the world being shared and used to improve sustainable agriculture practices . It could be a game-changer for climate change, water conservation, and food security.

What do you think about the potential impact on small-scale farmers? Would this technology level the playing field or just make it more complicated for them to keep up with all the new tools and tech? And have we thought through the costs of developing and implementing this system? It's not like they can just magic up a fancy seismology lab in their backyard .