Dirt!

In class today we watched the documentary, Dirt!. It illustrated everything about the subject of dirt and how humans use it. It first describes where it came from and the chemical makeup of it, then how we have been using it since the beginning of man until today including both good and bad ways, and finally how we are working to fix the issues. The movie gives you a good understanding and recognition of the importance of dirt in our lives.

The movie starts with how dirt came from the earth originally being a ball of molten lava and volcanoes spewing ash and lava into the air. This turned into rain which in turned crashed onto the earth’s surface creating dirt. After the Ice Age, the glaciers receded and small patches of soil sprouted trees and plants to create the dirt and soil we see today. I never really thought about how dirt came to be because it has always just been there like thinking of where the stars and sky come from. The movie then talks about how past religions felt about dirt. I had no clue that Egyptians believed that God molded clay together and created humans. I understand why they would believe that considering they were highly intelligent in the use of clay and rock for building. One man explains how dirt is one of the most important parts for making wine. Healthy dirt makes good, healthy wine. I found this very fascinating because when I think of the creation of wine, I think of the grapes and the vines but never the dirt. I also thought it was pretty smart of the Indians that they use cows to produce dirt and manure since they realized humans don’t have the same capabilities. The same thing occurs in the US but with horses instead. They use the manure to build homes for lower income people because it is cheap and much more insulated than a usual home.

One thing I never realized before is how closely related we are as humans to dirt. We have the same basic chemical buildup as dirt and it is just as or more alive than us....