I am not a big fan of “carbon farming”. So many reasons which speak against it, even though the approach in general is well intended. But have a look at this article, and see what big businesses – like Bayer – make out of it. Bayer is the big winner here. It gets increasing control over farmers, dictating exactly how they farm and what inputs they use. Getting more farmers to use reduced tillage or
An sentence from Walter Jehne, which I really found stunning: “Irrespectiable how many greenhouse gas molecules are in the air, the thing that determines the GHG effect is the amount of reradiation coming from the earth. Because we have bared the soil, this soil will heat up much much more so than the soil protected with green vegetation. … We have created 5 billion hectares of man made desert and waste land.” Think about the
This looks like a steep number for me – 31 Gt CO2 (8.4 GtC). In my UNEP publication “Putting Carbon back where it belongs – the potential of carbon sequestration in the soil” (probably published under the head of the division, Jacqueline McGlade, see below), estimates are more in direction of 7.5-11 Gt CO2. Using better farming techniques to store 1% more carbon in about half of the world’s agricultural soils would be enough to
Not good news: More than half of the world’s oceans have changed colors in the past 20 years, becoming more green than blue. The culprit? Climate change. In a study, published Wednesday in Nature, decades worth of research showed 56 percent of the world’s oceans experienced color change between 2002 to 2022. “The study’s authors say that natural instances, like seasonal or yearly variations to phytoplankton blooms, don’t explain the oceans’ shift in color, and
These are (some) important guidelines and/or governing principles for creating climate landscapes, that a group of people from Ecorestoration Alliance came up with. A. Evapotranspiration cools earth B. Small water cycle creates rain C. Hydraulic lift keeps soil wet D. Wetlands cleanse water E. Cities can recycle stormwater F. Organic soil absorbs more rainwater G. Slowing water keeps continents hydrated H. Tile drainage wastes water I. Wetlands humidify winds lessening wildfires J. Wetlands replenish groundwater
Good news: Norway has become the first country to ban deforestation. The Norwegian Parliament pledged May 26 that the government’s public procurement policy will be deforestation-free. Any product that contributes to deforestation will not be used in the Scandinavian country. The pledge was recommended by Norwegian Parliament’s Standing Committee on Energy and Environment as part of the Action Plan on Nature Diversity.
In an interesting article about Patagonia, which just called itself an unsustainable brand, it says in the last paragraph: Patagonia’s rejection of the label “sustainable” is rooted in a deep understanding of human psychology. The concept of being “done” implies a static state, a finish line that suggests there is nothing more to achieve. Patagonia recognizes that this mindset can lead to complacency and stagnation. By acknowledging that it is not a sustainable brand, it
Wow, not so good news… Oceans are heating up, more and more. The ocean absorbs about 90% of the extra heat in the climate system resulting from global warming. But because it takes more energy to heat water than air, the surface water temperature is rising more slowly than the surface air temperature is. I developed a few years ago some graphics (source 1, source 2) on this, which shows the trend too: Incredible, if
A very nice graphic that once again shows how “blue” our planet actually is, and what role the oceans play on this planet – and surely on our climate. We generally only think in terms of “land” – which is already an incredible amount of space. To deal well with Mother Earth and to promote the living (which should also be our goal in agriculture) is much more than just keeping the ground covered (etc.)….
As the only accepted narrative on global warming is the one on CO2 (and other GHG), I wonder since a couple of years what the influence disappearing vegetation, especially deforestation, in conjunction with bare soils, and its disruptions of the small water cycle has on the changing climate. Vegetation means transpiration, which leads to a cooling effect within the ground layer (we need that!), and the transfer of that stored energy in the water vapour
The Club of Rome is disseminating the the latest study on the climatic effects of forests, led by Anastassia Makarieva: Do forests create rain? It is a question that has been debated for a long time. We know that trees produce huge amounts of water vapor that is pumped from humidity in the ground and condensed into clouds that generate rain, but the mechanisms that govern condensation and vapor water movements are still not completely
So important to speak about the small water cycle, the green water next to the blue one, the atmospheric rivers, the role vegetation plays in keeping everything running. Johan Rockström explains different important points on this. Sadly, still nothing about the energy transfer and the role, vegetation plays in cooling the climate.
Fascinating: “It’s no secret that preserving and restoring wilderness areas is good for ecosystems, but a new study has pinpointed another major benefit to rewilding. According to the study published in the journal Nature Climate Change, rewilding, or preserving and restoring wildlife and wilderness areas, could improve natural carbon sinks in ecosystems, therefore boosting natural methods of carbon capture and helping the world limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Scientists studied nine wildlife
Interesting, new, challenging, depressing – John Oliver gives a really good view on water management issues in the southwestern United States. Worth looking into!
Very good presentation of the essential elements around the potential of vegetation to cool the climate and rehydrate Earth’s landscapes.
In October, we organized the international online Climate Landscapes Conference. Here is Rob de Laet’s presentation on »Global Action Plan: Let’s Cool the Planet with Nature!«. It is important to understand that carbon, water and energy cycles on land are closely linked. Restoring atmospheric and terrestrial water cycles in vegetation, soils, and the atmosphere is paramount to cooling the planet. This is the only way to stabilize precipitation patterns and prevent floods and droughts –
In October, we organized the international online Climate Landscapes Conference. Here is Vijay Kumar’s presentation on »Andhra Pradesh Community managed Natural Farming«. It is important to understand that carbon, water and energy cycles on land are closely linked. Restoring atmospheric and terrestrial water cycles in vegetation, soils, and the atmosphere is paramount to cooling the planet. This is the only way to stabilize precipitation patterns and prevent floods and droughts – locally, regionally and globally.
In October, we organized the international online Climate Landscapes Conference. Here is Alexa Mayer-Bosse’s presentation on »Beyond carbon certificates: Could other ecosystem functions bridge the gap between nature and finance?«. It is important to understand that carbon, water and energy cycles on land are closely linked. Restoring atmospheric and terrestrial water cycles in vegetation, soils, and the atmosphere is paramount to cooling the planet. This is the only way to stabilize precipitation patterns and prevent
In October, we organized the international online Climate Landscapes Conference. Here is Juliana Birnbaum’s presentation on »Land use practices for regeneration«. It is important to understand that carbon, water and energy cycles on land are closely linked. Restoring atmospheric and terrestrial water cycles in vegetation, soils, and the atmosphere is paramount to cooling the planet. This is the only way to stabilize precipitation patterns and prevent floods and droughts – locally, regionally and globally. For
In October, we organized the international online Climate Landscapes Conference. Here is Fred Hattermann’s presentation on »Designing a landscape for more water retention«. It is important to understand that carbon, water and energy cycles on land are closely linked. Restoring atmospheric and terrestrial water cycles in vegetation, soils, and the atmosphere is paramount to cooling the planet. This is the only way to stabilize precipitation patterns and prevent floods and droughts – locally, regionally and

  

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