Cows Save the Planet by Judith D. Schwartz Summary
Overview of Cows Save the Planet
Could cows actually reverse climate change? Judith Schwartz's groundbreaking book reveals how holistic grazing heals soil, sequesters carbon, and restores ecosystems. Endorsed by environmental luminary Elizabeth Kolbert, this counterintuitive manifesto transforms villains into heroes in our urgent ecological narrative.
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Key takeaways
The Ground Beneath Our Feet Holds the Answer
What if the solution to climate change isn't floating in some future technology, but buried right beneath our boots? For decades, we've been looking skyward, obsessing over atmospheric carbon while ignoring the massive carbon vault that exists underground. Soil once held far more carbon than our atmosphere, but modern agriculture has flipped that balance, releasing between 50-80% of topsoil's organic carbon into the air since 1850. That's not just a climate problem-it's a fertility crisis. Carbon-rich soil acts like a sponge, holding water and life together. Without it, land becomes brittle, vulnerable to drought and flood alike. The revelation here isn't complicated: carbon isn't evil, it's just in the wrong place. We don't need to eliminate it-we need to put it back where it belongs, feeding the living systems that sustain us. Picture an invisible marketplace humming beneath every footstep, where plants and fungi negotiate trades that would make Wall Street jealous. This is the liquid carbon pathway-a biological superhighway where plants pump carbon compounds through their roots to feed vast fungal networks in exchange for minerals and water. These mycorrhizal fungi extend microscopic threads called hyphae that can stretch half a mile in a single teaspoon of healthy soil, creating what scientists now call the "Wood Wide Web." The fungi produce glomalin, a sticky protein that can lock carbon away for centuries while binding soil particles into stable aggregates.
The Living Soil Economy and How We Destroyed It
When Cows Become Climate Heroes
Water: The Climate Story We're Missing
The Nutritional Collapse Nobody Noticed
Breaking Free from Chemical Dependency
Reclaiming Our Future, One Handful at a Time
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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