Climate Change Threatens Our Existence, Says Indian Spiritual Leader Sadhguru

A sudden flurry of activity as Jagadish Vasudev, known widely as Sadhguru, emerges from an interview room in the COP29 media centre. It’s early days of the conference and there is energy and excitement at the venue in Baku.

With his long flowing beard and blue turban, it’s clear that many journalists are keen to interview the influential spiritual leader from India and the founder of the Isha Foundation, which has been dedicated to humanitarian projects since 1992. His initiative, Cauvery Calling, aims to support Indian farmers by encouraging the planting of 2.4 billion trees through agroforestry to restore the Cauvery River basin.

Now in Baku for COP29, Sadhguru shares his insights in an exclusive interview with IPS.

Famous Indian guru Sadhguru arrives in Azerbaijan

The founder of the Isha Charitable Foundation, the famous Indian yogi Sadhguru (Jaggi Vasudev) visited Azerbaijan to participate in the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Famous Indian guru Sadhguru arrives in Azerbaijan

The founder of the Isha Charitable Foundation, the famous Indian yogi Sadhguru (Jaggi Vasudev) visited Azerbaijan to participate in the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Indian climate guru calls for action at Cop29 to help world's small farmers

An Indian climate guru will urge leaders at Cop29 to allocate billions in climate finance for small farmers, so they can learn vital techniques to protect the soil and regenerate farm land to help tackle the climate crisis.

Theo Von’s podcast ‘This Past Weekend’ releases an episode with Sadhguru

Theo Von is one of the top ranked podcast globally and recently discussed a wide range of topics including Inner Engineering, Isha Institute in Tennessee, Save Soil and the upcoming Miracle of Mind 👀

They call for an agricultural change because soil degradation releases CO2 into the atmosphere

Not only trees, vegetation in general and the ocean floor absorb the CO2 from the atmosphere. Soils also do, and especially if they are in a good state of conservation. On the contrary, degraded land releases carbon and worsens the situation of the atmosphere. For this reason, experts urge to stop soil degradation and improve the components that ensure its health.

To Save Our Soil, Invest in Smallholder Farmers

At this year’s UN COP29 summit in Baku, we need to ensure that the world’s smallholder farmers get the climate finance they need and deserve, to protect our farmlands and, by default, ensure global food security,” writes Praveena Sridhar.

The release of 1% of the carbon present in European soil would be equivalent to the annual emissions of 1 billion cars

Moving to regenerative agriculture will reduce carbon release from the soil and contribute significantly to achieving net zero emissions.

Gardening is the Celebrity Wellness Secret That Everyone Can—and Should—Try

The biggest celebrity wellness secret right now? Vegetable gardening.

David Beckham just updated his 88 million followers on his homegrown kale, spring onions, cabbages, and wild flowers: “I can hear my East End mates going, ‘he has changed,” he said on Instagram. Pamela Anderson has also become a woman of the earth, sharing the bounty from her own garden on social media.

The Wellness Secret A-Listers (And Royals) Love Is Accessible To All

David Beckham recently updated his 88 million followers on his homegrown kale, spring onions, cabbages and wild flowers (“I can hear my East End mates going, ‘he has changed’,” he said on Instagram – while Pamela Anderson has also become a woman of the earth, sharing the bounty from her own garden on social

UN Warns That Some Of The Poorest Places On Earth Can No Longer Sustain Crops

Droughts and flooding brought on by extreme weather are degrading the soil in some of the poorest areas of the world so much that they can no longer sustain crops, reaching a tipping point of “zero” harvests.

As a result, parts of Africa, the Middle East and Latin America are now dependent on humanitarian aid to survive.

Healthy soils are good for your gut, brain and wellbeing – here’s why

Often overlooked, soil is one of our planet’s largest living ecosystems and the foundation of our lives. It provides 95% of our food, supports global biodiversity and helps balance the climate by storing atmospheric carbon.

Soil is also a huge source of raw materials, from iron ore and bauxite (the rock used to make aluminium) to natural gas which is used to power our society.

New Report Reveals Crucial Links Between Soil Quality and Human Health, Calls For Global Action

A comprehensive new analysis by the Save Soil movement reveals the profound connections between soil health and human physical and mental wellbeing, underscoring the urgent need for global attention to soil degradation.

The new report highlights the direct and indirect pathways through which soil health influences various aspects of human life, including nutrition, mental health and overall quality of life.

What Does Soil Have to Do With Mental Health?

The connection between human health and soil health extends far beyond physical contact. The amount of nutrients found in our food is directly associated with the health of the soil it grows in.

Human physiological and psychological functions require macronutrients, namely carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, that provide the main source of energy for the human body.

95% of the planet's soils will be degraded by 2050, scientists warn

A new map from the Save Soil movement, backed by several UN agencies, shows that 95% of the world's soils could be degraded by 2050 if unsustainable agricultural practices continue. This degradation threatens to trigger a global food crisis and aggravate the impacts of climate change, according to the report released on the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

95 percent of the earth's surface could be degraded by 2050

Alarming state of the world's soil, livelihoods threatened

The maps, produced by Save Soil using data from the UNCCD (2019 map) and an estimate from the Global Environment Facility (GEF, 2050 map), show how much fertile land could be left in 2050 if the current rate of degradation continues. The resulting food crisis would be exacerbated by the fact that the world's population is expected to rise to 9.8 billion people by 2050, according to figures from the United Nations (UN).

Africa's Great Green Wall not expected to be completed until 2030

The project aims to restore degraded areas in the Sahel and Sahara desert, but lacks funding. This Monday marks the World Day to Combat Drought and Desertification.

UN food chief: Poorest areas have zero harvests left

Soil is the second largest carbon sink after the oceans, and is recognized by the UN as a key tool for mitigating climate change.

Map Shows How Much U.S. Land May Be Degraded by 2050

Save Soil used data from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification to make a map showing levels of degradation around the world in 2019. It then used an estimation from the Global Environment Facility for the 2050 map.

Race to save fertile land as soil degradation threatens global food supply

About 52% of the earth's agricultural land is already in an infertile state, according to the Save Soil movement, citing data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. If the current trend holds, 95% of the earth could be degraded by 2050. Martin Frick, director of the World Food Program's global office in Berlin, joins to discuss what's at stake.

The security of regenerative farming

We must prioritise regenerative agriculture to protect British food security. British farmers have decried one of the worst harvests on record. British soils have not been able to weather the storm; excess flooding has drastically impacted British agricultural output. This not only drives imports and therefore prices but exposes Britain to further international supply chain shocks. 

Sadhguru Issues Rallying Cry on Earth Day

As people around the world mark Earth Day, Sadhguru an Indian spiritual leader and environmental campaigner has warned that humans could go extinct if significant action is not taken to combat climate change in the coming years. Sadhguru told Newsweek that the world is facing a future where floods, cyclones and droughts are common, and such events will stifle agricultural productivity and threaten food security.

Thousands of trees are to be planted in a few days near the village of Teiușu, Giurgiu County

Citizens and supporters of the Save the Soil movement will gather in the meadow of the Arges River near the village of Teiușu, Giurgiu County, to mark the second anniversary of the Save the Soil movement, with the objective of planting 3,500 acacia saplings and revitalizing a portion of the meadow of the Arges River within the Comana Forest District, located outside Comana Natural Park.

The Save the Soil Movement turns two: A global mobilization to preserve the Earth's lifeline

Two years after its birth, the Save the Soil movement, led by the Indian yogi Sadhguru, has become the largest popular movement in the world, with an unprecedented reach of 4 billion individuals globally. Born out of the urgent need to combat land degradation, the movement has sparked a global conversation, catalyzing action to safeguard the very foundations of life on Earth. The movement addresses the alarming reality of land extinction, a crisis that puts food security, biodiversity, climate stability and human livelihoods at risk. 

Experts call for a change of course: Soils are a secret weapon against climate change

The fact that climate change, with its more frequent droughts, is putting a strain on soils is nothing new. But a number of experts are now calling for a rethink. In a joint appeal, the researchers call for soil to no longer be seen as a victim, but as a solution to climate change.

Area Twice the Size of California to be Allowed to Return to Nature

As climate change becomes an increasingly pressing concern, both legislators and private companies are looking to reduce emissions to avoid reaching a level of global warming that scientists predict would lead to deleterious effects on the environment, the food supply and the human population.

A law in Italy and new production models against land consumption

Around 80% of Europe's land surface has been shaped by human activities: covered by buildings, roads, industrial infrastructure or used for agriculture. The way we use land is one of the main factors of environmental degradation and climate change. Let's take land consumption, understood as the increase in artificial surfaces over time. In Europe, over two square meters of soil are consumed per second and the fertile soil is decreasing. Good practices of agroforestry and regenerative agriculture.

UK floods: soil degradation due to climate change significantly increases risk of flooding, campaigners say

Environmental campaigners say soil degradation reduces its ability to absorb and effectively manage water, leading to higher likelihoods of flooding. The campaigners explained how there is an “interdependence of soil health and flood resilience”. Healthy soil acts as a natural sponge, absorbing and storing excess rainfall, preventing surface runoff and subsequent flooding. 

Protect our soil to save the planet, says Indian climate guru Sadhguru at Cop28

Soil degradation causes millions to migrate every year and the UN has warned of a dangerous decline in food production over the next 30 years with Earth’s top soil at risk by 2050.

Exclusive: Sadhguru Issues Dire Warning About Future of World

It is widely estimated that soil needs at least 3 percent organic content to sustain plant life, but modern agricultural techniques—including intensive plowing and overcultivation—are among things that can bring down the content. The less organic content, the fewer organisms it can maintain and the less carbon it can hold.

Sadhguru, lo yogi del suolo alla Cop28

Non solo politici, scienziati e attivisti. A Dubai per la Cop28, la conferenza delle parti sul clima, c'è anche Sadhguru, capo del movimento "Salva il suolo". Il visionario 66enne ha partecipato alle sessioni plenarie del summit incentrate sulla trasformazione dei sistemi alimentari a favore della sostenibilità.

Sadhguru Highlights Soil As “Climate Superstar” At COP 28 in Dubai

For the ‘Soil For Climate Action’ campaign, the Save Soil movement is partnering with Climate Clock, 4per1000, Ecosystem Restoration Communities, SHE Changes Climate, and The Climate App. The movement has its own pavilion in the UN-accredited Blue Zone at COP 28, where it is hosting a series of events and discussions on soil health as a climate solution.

Soil not just farmer's business, it's everybody's business: Sadhguru at COP28 in Dubai

"Making soil 'cool' as a topic is just the beginning. We have to cool the soil – that is the real thing!" while also underscoring the urgency of revitalizing the earth," Sadhguru said on X.

If We Achieve Anything at COP28, It Must Be the Protection of Our Soil

Soil not only produces our food but also filters our water. Specifically, topsoil is crucial for the filtration of groundwater, upon which some 50% of the world’s population rely on. The link between soil erosion and water contamination has been well-established, meaning that action at this year’s COP is more crucial than ever. 

Cambiamento climatico, una soluzione è nel suolo

ELENA ZANATO - MOVIMENTO SALVA IL SUOLO:  in Italia il 20% dei terreni agricoli italiani sono sulla soglia della desertificazione. Se il minimo di materia organica è del 3 al 6% per considerare un suolo sano, in Italia siamo al 2%, quindi siamo ben sotto la soglia consentita 
Per invertire la rotta bisogna rivitalizzarli a partire da quelli agricoli, evitando il più possibile pesticidi, insetticidi, fertilizzanti, ma non solo 

Renowned Yogi Sadhguru brings focus on soil at COP28

During COP28 UAE, Sadhguru will be engaged in panel discussions which will center on the critical role that healthy, living soils play in mitigating climate change, as well as how they can guarantee food security, enhance biodiversity, sequester three times as much carbon as living plants and reduce various forms of pollution.

Protecting our organic soils could be the defining achievement of COP28

Soil is one of the planet’s most crucial organs. It provides our food, filters out water, is home to our biodiversity, and stores our carbon. Until now, this vital, yet underappreciated resource has been left on the sidelines of climate conversations.

Liguria, il futuro raso al suolo

I progetti di depavimentazione o decostruzione (ovvero, eliminare cemento ed edifici per tornare alla terra) si possono realizzare, ma il suolo è un elemento fragile e molto lento nel rinnovarsi: impiega centinaia di anni per riformarsi e tornare in salute. Dello stato di benessere del suolo si parla anche alla Cop28 di Dubai (in corso fino al 12 dicembre). A portare avanti le istanze della pelle del Pianeta durante la conferenza è il movimento globale** Salva il suolo**, fondato nel 2022 dallo yogi e leader spirituale indiano Sadhguru. 

Soil: The Bridge Between Global Environmental Challenges

The question must be asked – could soil provide a bridge between all three of the Conventions created at Rio in 1992? With the length of time that the world has been attempting to address these challenges, isn’t it time for a united approach?

UAE COP28: India’s Sadhguru to attend climate conference in Dubai

Save Soil, a global response to the climate crisis, aims to convey the message that soils are not mere victims, but can serve as a profound solution to climate change.