Research on Soil Standards

After encountering the [[SoilGrid]] project, I wanted to understand how soil quality and certification works, so this is a little summary of my research.

Scientists employ a process called “downscaling” to translate coarse-resolution climate projections into higher-resolution climate data at a scale that resolves the most influential climatic variations and removes biases with respect to historical observations. In general terms, statistical downscaling involves “training” a model on the statistical relationship between a GCM and an observational dataset over a historical period, and then applying that model to generate future predictions.4 The downscaled data can then provide input into downstream impact models and risk assessment (Figure 2).[^1]

National Space agencies are using data lights to fill in the gaps in global climate models (GCMs). NASA's OCO-2 and Japan's GOSAT are two of the leaders in the measurement space.

Mapping

[[places/Archive/CarbonPlan]] and [[SoilGrid]] practice downscaling to compensate for the lack of data density around soil measurement areas.

GCMs subdivide the planet into pixels and yield a projection of the future climate for each pixel on every day. Depending on the GCM, a pixel might be ~1-2 deg on a side, or about 100-200 km at the equator.[^1]

It would be interesting to attend this conference. Still, it and the [[Standardised Soil Profile Data to Support Global Mapping and Modelling]] both show the need for better tooling to communicate hot measurement, data representation, data sharing, and collaboration are taking place. Whatever it is we will need to enable focus on connecting the "standards" for measuring soil with new stakeholders and scientists who need better/different data sets for their research. We may need to fund the collection or papers that collect the gaps in data we feel are required.

Infrastructure for sense-making because what gets imagined needs collectively interpreting and translating. [^6]

Infrastructure for content creation because what gets imagined and then interpreted and translated needs documenting, visualizing, socializing. Practices also need documenting and sharing into a commons.[^6]

Infrastructure for developing practices for collective imagination, like the Community of Practice we’ve created.[^6]

[[Planet Scale]] is working on releasing hyperspectral imaging on their satellites at a — pixel—to—pixel resolution. So, we could work on modeling environments more at a component level. Maybe we don’t look at an ecosystem; instead, we model a 5x5 meter plot with a mix of live sensor data and secondary light satellite images.

Standards

I am still looking into the standards used, but there are two (SOUCE) very manual ways of accounting for soil sample collection. There was a [[U.S. Soil Enrichment Protocol]] created, but there is some controversy[^5] around the organization that funded the research, according to [[places/Archive/CarbonPlan]]. In [[A buyer’s guide to soil carbon offsets]] they reference how most existing protocols focus specifically on identifying how much carbon is captured. They don't necessarily account for total soil health. This seems to be because the focus is on carbon sequestration through agriculture and emergent funding around that through purchasing carbon offsets. However, I'm still looking for a standard that identifies explicitly the soil health or the regional health of an ecosystem in a way that is measured. They later published additional changes in [[Additions to Our Analysis of Soil Carbon Protocols]] and recommended some updates to the protocols.

[[Pony Earth]] is working on collecting data from farms and using the data to make art as a way to fund the project and work on regenerating farms.

Downscaling

MACA

DeepSD

GARD11

Sampling

A project called World Forest ID uses stable isotope testing to identify where and when wood is illegally harvested. Which I researched too. The Forest Stewardship Council has been using this to certify and trace source materials in commonly exploited portions of the wood industry.

![[CleanShot 2023-01-11 at 10.28.51@2x.png]]

Would there be value in doing this with soils? Couldn't you identify where every natural material in the world originated? Wouldn't this solve a significant issue with supply chain traceability? And support a project like [[Planned Obsolescence Protocol $POP]]?

To create a baseline data set, you could start with ungeotagged samples from national archives worldwide. Then, we can use a model based on the signature and compare them to the data sets you also actively collected. We can learn something from how Forensic Architecture (FA) structures and measures their group.

What would be the impact of working on legislation to force DARPA to offset their emissions?

Soil Health

There are also major climate benefits. Soil holds more carbon in it than all living vegetation and the atmosphere put together.[^4]

Forever Chemicals are impacting many agriculture systems [^2][^3], but the sludge they are in often is not regulated like fertilizers. But some states like #Maine and #place/Michigan are starting to limit or halt the practice altogether. Sludge can also be as much as 1%[^3] of the total sled weight.

Soil Regulation

More Research Needed

Data Translation

More Research Needed

Funding

I need more research but here are some of the current major funders. NASA, USDA, and the EU Commission are funding research on soil health.

![[CleanShot 2023-06-18 at 16.06.01@2x.png]]

Project Directions

  • Replenish soil health through what we want to rewild.
  • Defraud the carbon offset market through better standards and monitoring of change in CO to sequestration in the soil of forests.
  • Create a database of soil samples that are verified based on properties found in [[Systematic-Stable-Isotope-Testing]], similar to FSC, and their work with forests.
  • Model of forest and is as close to a digital twin as we possibly can
  • Teach farmers, how to create biodynamic farms, which replenish watersheds and restore, nutrients to soil systems.
  • Take down, Monsanto literally anything to take down Monsanto maybe we measure the impact of soil quality before, and after the use of their pesticides to create a class action lawsuit that communicates the captive incentive structure that Monsanto places its farmers.
  • Buy a bunch of forests and allow them to own themselves based on the amount of carbon that they are sequestering by not being cut down or farmed similar to the intention of NFTrees.

References

[^1]: [[Open Data and Tools for Multiple Methods of Global Climate Downscaling]] [^2]: [[EWG ‘Forever Chemicals’ May Taint Nearly 20 Million Cropland Acres]] [^3]: [[Why You Are Probably Eating Plastic]] [^4]: [[Whole Earth Discipline]] [^5]: [[Getting Soil Carbon Right]] [^6]: [[Imagination Infrastructures at Anticipation Conference]]