Two Percent Solutions for the Planet profiles fifty innovative practices that soak up carbon dioxide in soils, reduce energy use, sustainably intensify food production, and increase water quality. The "two percent" refers to: the amount of new carbon in the soil needed to reap a wide variety of ecological and economic benefits; the percentage of the nation's population who are farmers and ranchers; and the low financial cost (in terms of GDP) needed to get this work done.
As White explained in Grass, Soil, Hope, a highly efficient carbon cycle captures, stores, releases, and recaptures biochemical energy, mitigating climate change, increasing water storage capacities in soil, and making green plants grow. Best of all, we don't have to invent anything new-a wide variety of innovative ideas and methods that put carbon back into the soil have been field-tested and proven to be practical and profitable. They're mostly low-tech, too, relying on natural resources such as sunlight, green plants, animals, compost, beavers, creeks, and more.
In Two Percent Solutions for the Planet, White expands what he calls the "regenerative toolbox," to include holistic grazing, edible forests, biochar, weed-eating livestock, food co-ops, keyline plowing, restoration agriculture, bioenergy, aquaponics, animal power, Farm Hack, bees, bears, wildlife corridors, rainwater harvesting, native seeds, and various other projects from across the United States, as well as in Canada, Europe, and Australia. These short, engaging success stories will help readers connect the dots between diverse, exciting, and pragmatic practices, and inspire them to dig deeper into each individual story and concept, energized by the news that solutions do exist. "Courtney White chronicles a new and critically important sphere of knowledge: a world of soil, sun, sky, and animals where good people regenerate the earth in ancient and novel ways. Reading about the environment rarely brings one as many smiles and as much joy as Two Percent Solutions for the Planet."-Paul Hawken, author of Blessed Unrest; coauthor of Natural Capitalism
"Taking soil seriously offers real leverage in the climate change battle. For those who eat (or raise) meat, Two Percent Solutions for the Planet offers fascinating new insights about animal agriculture. For those who eat lower on the food chain, Courtney White details dozens of other ways to help restore the degraded landscapes that, sadly, dominate much of our planet."-Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy
"Courtney White has written one of the most important books for our time about how to reverse climate change and nourish the world with abundant, healthy food. Most importantly, he describes proven, 'shovel-ready' solutions that progressive ranchers and farmers are doing every day. There is no need to spend billions of dollars on new, unproven technologies such as carbon capture and geoengineering. For a fraction of the cost, the world easily could scale up the regenerative practices profiled in Two Percent Solutions for the Planet. Too good to be true? Read this book and make up your own mind."-André Leu, president of IFOAM-Organics International and author of The Myths of Safe Pesticides
"This book is Courtney White's most important work. It is the best practical guide to how we can begin to address the significant, unavoidable challenges awaiting us in our not-too-distant future. Two Percent Solutions for the Planet inspires us to address these challenges creatively, especially with respect to our food and agriculture future, and to do it in cooperation with nature in ways that also heal the planet. The solutions Courtney describes are not just ideas but are demonstrated strategies already being implemented by creative farmers, ranchers, ecologists, and designers. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in practical ways to restore the planet's health while experiencing a flourishing
