This is a great write-up. I learned a lot on topics I am interested in! First, I must say that it is funny to read about the cradle of civilisation in China. Mentally, I connect it to the true cradle, in South Africa (that I had the chance to visit).

Then, farmers planted crops year after year on the same terrain. They did not understand that soil nutrients could be depleted in this way.

Many have still not understood this, unfortunately. Or they did but don’t care. Profit should come first.

This being said, China is doing more and more for the planet. And we should all be happy with that (I am sure Hive account@mobbs could comment with more facts). On the personl side, day after day I learn new things about what China does. Here, I actually didn’t know about their work on the Loess Plateau (that I even didn’t know to exist before reading your post).