Ep 21 – Green Talks with Panchtatwa Girl Ft. Vasuki Iyengar from Soil and Health

“Land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change are three different faces of the same central challenge: the increasingly dangerous impact of our choices on the health of our natural environment.” says Sir Robert Watson, chairman of the (IPBES), in 2018 following the platform’s research on soil health.

In the first place, With record temperatures, this summer along with dry conditions, With the UK reaching high temperatures along with the driest conditions since 1976, ongoing concerns about food security, wildlife habitats, and biodiversity, having a healthy soil system is more vital and challenging than ever before. But what does the term ‘soil health’ mean and how should we measure it? So have you ever wondered how soil can affect our health? Listen to this episode of #GreenTalks where we interact with Vasuki Iyengar, a waste management specialist in Bengaluru with 4 years of experience in planning, implementing, and coordinating comprehensive waste management systems to maximize waste prevention, reuse, and recycling opportunities. He founded Soil and health, in 2016. Soil and health is a waste management service and a social enterprise in Bengaluru that works intending to maximize the value extracted from solid waste while minimizing its environmental impact so that both our economy and our environment can thrive. 

What is Soil Health

Dictionary definition says that Soil health is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. The health of the soil is the condition of the soil and its potential to sustain biological functions, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant and animal health. Soil quality and health are vital for sustainable agroecosystem management and survival on planet Earth.

Healthy soil gives us clean air and water, bountiful crops and forests, productive grazing lands, diverse wildlife, and beautiful landscapes.

Types of composting

AEROBIC COMPOSTING

In this type of composting, Organic matter is decomposed in the presence of air. The heat generated accelerates the breakdown of proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates. 

ANAEROBIC COMPOSTING

In this type of composting, Organic matter is decomposed in the absence of air. The waste material is sealed and left undisturbed for several weeks. The advantage of this method is that it is low-maintenance and if executed well, avoids pests. 

VERMICOMPOSTING

In this case, Certain species of earthworms are used to enhance the composting process and produce superior, bio-available compost. They feed and digest the organic waste materials, excreting them in a granular form known as vermicompost.    

Services provided by Soil and Health

At the same time, The soil and health teams provide a wide range of composting solutions to individuals and communities like apartments, layouts, commercial establishments, parks, and even places of worship. They even offer Rent-A-Cutlery to enable you to have zero-waste events. They conduct various courses and workshops where you can learn how to make different types of DIY composters, how to segregate and compost, and grow your greens and vegetables with compost. The learning happens via energizing team-building and hands-on activities.

You can know more about Soil and health on their Instagram page too. 

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More on Green talks-

In light of, eco-friendly talks do listen to other episodes of Green Talks. Try and bring that one change in your life towards a greener tomorrow.
Episode 1 – Eco-travel

Ep 3 – Know Your plastic

Episode 4 – Rainwater harvesting and manure water

Ep 10 – KalpVriksh Farms

Ep 16 – Good Earth Ambassadors

Episode 19 – OneGreen

In addition, You can even listen to the episode on my podcast site praguntatwa talks, and leave your comments on what you liked in this episode. Along with Eco-friendly discussions, I even want to share Positive stories of people bringing beautiful change to this world. Do read these stories here. I also have other podcasts if something interests you do tune in for PanchTatwa Girl.