350

Today's number is 350.

My ancestors had different numbers. The Irish side had the number 1 as their bench mark. Yes, they planted only 1 type of potato and eventually that idea of single food allowed them to multiply, become food independent and over populate Ireland. History tells us that they never considered diversifying, their single food supply cause a famine.

Potatoes comes from Peru and there are over 2.000 varieties. These people understand diversity.

Some of my ancestors settling in America only planted wheat for 10 years because the government paid high prices during WWI. So did every other farmer from Illinois to Texas and Oklahoma. These people plowed up grassland in the center of this country that were thousands of years in the making and exposed the top soil that is created 1 inches every 100 years. Eventually the dust blow so far east it hit Washington, D.C. and was seen 100 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. By then, 8 inches of top soil was gone. Men were talking about new policies in agriculture as the sky became dark on the east coast.

Today's number is 350, it reflects the idea that most scientists think is a safe level of CO2 for planet Earth. Currently, we are heading toward 390. Media in United States, policy makers and the general public are not concern about number 350.

When President Kennedy came to office, the population was 30 billion, our cars were fewer and our homes were smaller and the United States military complex was just starting. Now the military wants to control the fuel of the planet Earth of which they are probably the single largest consumer along with being the single largest land owner of this planet. While we can figure out if 350 is a real number, the Earth is expected to clean up after the 60 billion people for a while longer.

Life has put me on 1/3 of an acre of land, doubt if it is a 1/2 of a dot on the earth. I feel a need to care for it, my ancestors have taught me, numbers do count.