We must start cooling the planet.Walter Jehne and Cindy Eiritz explain how to restore the Earth s hydrological cooling system AND restore the “soil carbon sponge” offering resilience to global heating. The Soil Carbon Sponge is porous, well-aggregated soil rich in plant roots, diverse life forms, nutrient availability, air, and often holding lots of water. Building up the Soil Carbon Sponge draws down massive amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere AND regenerates our soils AND enhances agricultural productivity and human health. Walter describes how forests can be managed so that logs and other fuel on the forest floor is rotted down by fungi assisted by the nitrogen in animal poo and wee and other animal activity like the 150 holes a padymelon can dig in a night.Guests: Walter Jehne is an internationally known Australian soil microbiologist and climate scientist. Founder of Healthy Soils Australia and Founder/Director of Regenerate Earth               Cindy Eiritz: Strategic Director, Regenerate earthMusic:  Encounter by the River : composed and played by Dar Shelton. Find more here on  SoundclickTranscript:  [follow the link to Soils for Life website who have made a two page transcript of the interview:https://soilsforlife.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Earth-Matters-Interview-Transcript.pdfLinks: Regenerate Earth A short paper by Walter Jehne: "The practical drawdown of 20 billion tonnes of carbon back into soils annually, to rehydrate bio-systems and safely cool climates"  Regenerate Earth Facebook Page Regenerate Earth website: https://www.regenerate-earth.org/ 4 per 1000 initiative:  https://www.4p1000.org/ Earth Matters #1221 was produced by Bec Horridge in December 2019