Soilent Green

Maintaining and managing vegetation and agriculture productivity in Boulder’s Open Spaces isn’t easy. There are noxious weeds, ecological impacts from visitors, and continuously determining how to best help shape the parks. Luckily the city has Eric Fairlee and his team who work hard to turn all the city’s goals into reality. To contact Fairlee email him at [email protected] 

Josué Rodríguez-Ramos currently works with microbial communities and viruses. Besides being considered CSU’s go-to for viruses, Josué has 9 publications, earned over 50K in grant funding, won 4 presentation awards, and is a strong advocate for a working wage for graduate students. You won’t want to miss this episode in which we chat with Josué about soil viruses, their impacts on climate change, the hot debate on whether they are alive, and of course, poop!

Find more from Josué by following him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/jrr_microbio

Sources:

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/am-i-more-bacteria-than-human/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1879625711001908?via%3Dihub

Here's you can find the app for curbing phosphorus loss: https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2020/curbing-phosphorus-losses-theres-an-app-for-that/

Jim Ippolito can be reached at [email protected]. For more of his work check out his over 230 peer and non-peer-reviewed articles. 

Need more of Soilent Green? Follow us on Instagram @soilentgreenpodcast where we post bonus content like pictures and diagrams of the topics discussed. We can also be reached by email: [email protected]. 

Thanks for listening! 

In this episode, we talk with Steven Fonte about his career studying the ecology of agroecosystems. We cover his travels in Central and South America and Africa to support the ability of smallholder farming communities to be sustainable. Fonte is also passionate about the health of soils, which we highlight in the discussion of macrofaunal communities (like earthworms), abiotic conditions and management practices that are important in agricultural systems.

We’ll also touch on the social and political atmosphere (as well as the role played by the United States) that shaped Indigenous people’s and farmers’ lives in El Salvador. We really enjoyed speaking with Fonte about the multifunctionality of agroecosystems, and we’re excited about the possibilities that lie before land managers and farmers to employ this knowledge to grow food for the world in a sustainable manner.

You can find out more about Steve’s work, current projects, and publications on his website.

Soilent Green Instagram: @soilentgreenpodcast
Soilent Green Email: [email protected]

Soilent Green is a brand-new podcast by Alyssa Hanofee and Levi Johnson. In this first episode Hanofee and Johnson interview microbiologist Kelly Wrighton. Dr. Wrighton was the recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for her exceptional work in science and technology leadership. The two speak with Dr. Wrighton about her work studying microorganisms, their genomes, and their environment. Learn how Dr. Wrighton is working to better understand ecosystem function to enhance soil health, improve predictions of greenhouse gas emissions, and how microbes are really the ones running the show!

You can find out more about Dr. Wrighton's work on her website: 
Wrightonlab.com
Twitter: Kcwrighton 
Front Range Microbiome Symposium: frontrangemicrobiomesymposium.com
CSU's Soil and Crop Sciences: agsci.colostate.edu/department/soil-and-crop-sciences
Soilent Green Instagram:  @soilentgreenpodcast
Soilent Green Email:     [email protected]