They estimate that the world's soils currently contain 2.4 trillion tonnes of gases in the form of organic carbon, but believe there is potential for more. Researchers from the US and Scotland published a study in the Nature journal suggesting that by making some adjustments to agricultural practices, an additional 8 billion tonnes of carbon could be stored in the soil. Geoscientist and carbon management expert Dave Reay from Edinburgh University emphasizes the importance of utilizing soils as a key ally in the fight against climate change, as they are already significant carbon reservoirs that can be further enhanced through improved management practices. For a long time, data availability has been ignored as a way to address climate change. Issues with accurate measurement and reporting have hindered advancements in climate-smart soil management. However, with the increase in big data on soils globally and improvements in understanding and modeling, it is now time for soil to be recognized as an important factor in combating climate change. Researchers have long been aware of the significant role soils play, identifying factors that affect a soil's ability to store carbon and testing climate models to monitor emissions from soils. They have tested methods to preserve soil carbon and have consistently warned about the organic carbon stored in permafrost. Furthermore, they have confirmed that human-induced greenhouse gas emissions align with the expansion of global agriculture many centuries ago. Scientists estimate that land use contributes to around 25% of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, with 10% to 14% directly from agriculture. They believe that improving management of the Earth's soil, which holds three times more organic carbon than is found in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, could also help decrease emissions. The key is to protect healthy ecosystems, as unmanaged forests and grasslands are effective at storing carbon. Draining wetlands for agriculture releases soil carbon, but restoring wetlands can help absorb it. There are sustainable agricultural practices that can help conserve carbon while still producing food. Farmers can grow crops with deeper roots, use charcoal-based compost, and implement more efficient practices for their specific crops and land. Tools like the 'Cool Farm Tool' can assist farmers in monitoring and reducing emissions from their land. There is not a single solution, but rather a range of different responses that could make a significant impact. These include improving crop rotation, using low tillage instead of deep ploughing, land restoration, and implementing agroforestry. By combining all of these approaches, researchers believe that soils could potentially retain a large portion of the emissions released annually from the burning of fossil fuels. This could be achieved with the assistance of science, government policy makers, and innovative strategies.