One straw, alone, may break a camel’s back.

Until that day its load may grow unchecked.

Removal of one tree to build a shack

Portends no risk its forest may be wrecked.

Low yield, in just one field, may be made high

At once with an intensive tillage scheme.

Not much top soil or carbon’s lost thereby—

Except, in time, not much grows to extreme …

Those actions which alone mean little harm

En masse erode the soil beneath our feet

And banish earthworms needed on the farm,

Releasing carbon, priming Earth to heat.

To cool Earth now needs more than just no-till—

Humanity needs great collective will!