From nourishing our foods to storing massive amounts of carbon, soil is teeming with diverse microbial life that could slow global warming. Climate change scientist Jane Zelikova calls for agricultural practices that protect Earth's soil by growing climate-adapted crops that don't mess with the microbes. "Soils are the literal foundation of life on this planet -- the reason that we eat and the climate solution just waiting to be unlocked," she says.

For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.

Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:

TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou

TEDSports: ted.com/sports

TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna

TEDAI San Francisco: ted.com/ai-sf

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.