Alpha Lo has written a very interesting paper (her part I, here part II) on the way scientists tried to explore, analyse and estimate where the rain comes from (the ocean or/and the land), respectively how much from the one and the other, and what role vegetation plays in this context.
In addition, he wrote a fascinating piece called “The climate model approximation that could fundamentally change the climate movement“. Worth reading. All of these!
Nature can’t be seen and analyzed linearly. She is always more complex. That’s why we must look at how the cycles of carbon, water and energy are closely coupled. Here is a draft sketch of mine to show this. How is incoming solar radiation transformed on the ground – producing latent energy (therefore water is needed) or sensible heat? Sensible heat means higher reradiation from the land into the atmosphere – a key factor for the greenhouse effect. The higher the reradiation, the higher the GHG effect.
Latent energy – that is water vapour – build clouds, reflecting solar radiation (positive!), transporting that solar energy from the ground into the higher atmosphere (positive!), which can dissipate partly into outer space (positive!). And the clouds can bring rain (positive!).
Sensible heat is producing a lot of hot air (negative!), increasing long-wave reradiation (negative!), building eventually high pressure zones which can block incoming low pressure zones which would bring precipitations (negative!).
Just to name a few consequences. For more, check out my UNEP paper “Working with plants, soils and water to cool the climate and rehydrate Earth’s landscapes” [1], my presentation “Planting water” [2], our project “Climate Landscapes” [3].
[1] bit.ly/3zeukPb
[2] www.youtu.be/tBmtIPhh7UI
[3] www.climate-landscapes.org
Great podcast [1]: “A conversation with Alpha Lo, physicist and writer of the Climate Water Project, about the importance of slowing water down, the connection between drought, fire, and floods, and the massive role water plays in heating and cooling our planet. Trees create rain not the other way around. There is just so much to learn about water in all its forms, what it does when it’s part of a healthy watercycle or what it does when it isn’t (e.g. massive floods around the world). With Alpha Lo we try to start to unpack the massive role water plays in heating and cooling of our planet and argue why we should absolutely pay way more attention to water and the watercycle. Potentially it is more important and relevant in the climate discussion than carbon.
[1] https://investinginregenerativeagriculture.com/2023/07/21/alpha-lo/
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 into higher parts of the atmosphere (which is beneficial). Here, when released, some of it (some people say up to half) disappears into outer space (which is good for climate cooling). The condensation means clouds are being created, which reflect incoming radiation (another positive effect). Clouds mean it can bring rain (which is more and more missing in its usual regularity around the world). Vegetation actually emit biogenic aerosols, which help to create these clouds at lower atmospheric levels, creating more rapid and more regular rain (another important benefit). And there is more to it (see links below).
Now, a funny (?) thing:
When looking on CO2 concentration and global temperature anomaly, we see a strong correlation:
However, the interesting thing is, that we see the same correlation between the loss of primary (and naturally regenerated) forests (which are the most important drivers of the small water cycle) and the temperature anomaly:
This is not to say that the CO2-narrative is wrong. I am convinced that we must urgently stop emissions and try to store emitted CO2 in soils and vegetation. But I wonder what influence the disappearance of natural forests, the increasing amount of bare soil and surfaces (asphalt, beton, buildings), the loss of water retention and storing capacities in the landscape and the according changes in the energy redistribution/balance/transport has on climate change.
More and more research shows that this is not negligible (see articles in my blog), but could even prove to be a major factor.
Interesting additional links:
Forests and trees must be recognized as prime regulators within the water, energy and carbon cycles.” – David Ellison and Jan Pokorny, authors of this article, will be speaking on our Climate Landscapes Conference, https://climate-landscapes.org, starting today. Learn more about the potentials of #vegetation, #soils and #watercycles to cool the climate! Register now: https://climate-landscapes.org
Nature can’t be seen and analyzed linearily. It’s always more complex. That’s why we must look at how the cycles of carbon, water and energy are closely coupled. Here is a draft sketch of mine to show this.
Tomorrow, 18/10/22, the Climate Landscapes Conference, https://climate-landscapes.org, will look into this in more detail. Come and join us!
And check out my presentation “Planting water”.
Countdown for our Climate Landscapes Conference, https://climate-landscapes.org, with one day to go. We’ll bring together scientists and practitioners from around the world under the (sub)title “Working with plants, soils and water to cool the climate and rehydrate Earth’s landscapes“. Come and join us!
Rising temperatures and weather extremes such as droughts and floods threaten the Earth and the human population, besides biodiversity loss, land degradation and other major issues. However, it seems we have a solution for many of these issues right before us: We can work with plants, soils and water to cool the climate and rehydrate and restore Earth’s landscapes.
With our “Climate Landscapes Conference“, we want to draw attention to the interrelationships and potentials of vegetation, soils, water and climate to cool the climate and rehydrate earth’s landscapes. A combination of scientific presentations, enterprise engagements and best practices will show
Our conference aims to provide a forum for people from different fields of science, practice, politics, administration, business and media. You will have the chance to learn about the interwoven natural relationships from world-renowned speakers and participants, discuss the appropriate solutions, create new networks and find ways for the next urgent steps.
For more information and registration please check out our website.
It’s (almost) all about forests and water: An investigation of naturally occurring water recycling in rainforests finally marries the results of global climate models with observations. Alarmingly, it also suggests that deforestation can greatly reduce tropical rainfall.
Join us next week for much more insights in our Climate Landscapes Conference.
We have reworked the agenda for our upcoming Climate Landscapes Conference. We have over 20 fascinating speakers lined up, all with deep knowledge in their fields, showing you how vegetation, soils, water & climate are interconnected, and how we can successfully cool the climate and rehydrate Earth’s landscapes. Don’t miss these incredible insights for creating a better world!
Under the (sub)title “Working with plants, soils and water to cool the climate and rehydrate Earth’s landscapes” we are inviting you to the upcoming online Climate Landscapes Conference, 18.-19.10.2022.
Rising temperatures and weather extremes such as droughts and floods threaten the Earth and the human population, besides biodiversity loss, land degradation and other major issues. However, it seems we have a solution for many of these issues right before us: We can work with plants, soils and water to cool the climate and rehydrate and restore Earth’s landscapes.
With our “Climate Landscapes Conference“, we want to draw attention to the interrelationships and potentials of vegetation, soils, water and climate to cool the climate and rehydrate earth’s landscapes. A combination of scientific presentations, enterprise engagements and best practices will show
Our conference aims to provide a forum for people from different fields of science, practice, politics, administration, business and media. You will have the chance to learn about the interwoven natural relationships from world-renowned speakers and participants, discuss the appropriate solutions, create new networks and find ways for the next urgent steps.
For more information and registration please check out our website.
Judith Schwartz’ book “Water in Plain Sight” is a really great read on all these interconnections between vegetation, soil, water, atmosphere and climate. If you haven’t read it yet, go for it.
The publisher agreed to make available the chapter “Missing the Water for the Trees” in PDF format, as this subject becomes more and more attention, and is so important for cooling the climate. So, here you go with the chapter. Enjoy!
And join as at the Climate Landscapes Conference, online, 18.-19.10.2022 in order to learn from experts from various fields and discuss with others.
Rising temperatures and weather extremes such as droughts and floods threaten the Earth and the human population, besides biodiversity loss, land degradation and other major issues. However, it seems we have a solution for many of these issues right before us: We can work with plants, soils and water to cool the climate and rehydrate and restore Earth’s landscapes.
With our “Climate Landscapes Conference“, we want to draw attention to the interrelationships and potentials of vegetation, soils, water and climate to cool the climate and rehydrate earth’s landscapes. A combination of scientific presentations, enterprise engagements and best practices will show
Our conference aims to provide a forum for people from different fields of science, practice, politics, administration, business and media. You will have the chance to learn about the interwoven natural relationships from world-renowned speakers and participants, discuss the appropriate solutions, create new networks and find ways for the next urgent steps.
For more information and registration please check out our website.
Wow, 70°C on the tilled soil (38°C air temperature). Incredible. In comparison, the patchy clover right next to it is 33°C cooler!
I am tempted to exclaim: If you want to cool the planet, cover the soil!
More on the background of the influence of land use on climate and water cycle in my UNEP paper, presentation, conference “Climate Landscapes”.
Great quote from Masanobu Fukuoka:
It was in an American desert that I suddenly realized that rain does not fall from the heavens – it comes up from the ground. Desert formation is not due to the absence of rain, but the rain ceases to fall because the vegetation has disappeared.
Once again on the road to measure temperature differences. Very exciting. Here two comparisons – at each 20°C difference between “without vegetation/open ground” and “with vegetation/trees”. Very impressive. What effects do surface temperatures of 60°C have, directly on the ground, the plants, the air layers, the weather?
My presentation on “Working with plants, soils and water to cool the climate and rehydrate Earth’s landscapes“.
As it looks, we have a pretty exciting tool in the climate as well as agriculture discussion with multiple benefits: more vegetation (especially in agriculture; through undersowing, intercropping, agroforestry, but also through a different form of animal husbandry, forest conversion, water retention) means more fertile soils, more water storage capacity and infiltration, more nutrients, more habitat for insects & co, more … and v. especially a cooling (of the layers near the ground), heat loss into space, more clouds with more precipitation and more sunlight reflection, which in turn contributes to the cooling of the climate, as well as activates the small (weakened) water cycles.
In short, we can(t) work with nature to cool the climate, strengthen the small water cycles, and in the process make agriculture, forestry, and water management more resilient and “fertile.”
This talk is based on the findings of my UNEP article (exists in French, Spanish, Chinese too).
My UNEP paper on “Working with plants, soils and water to cool the climate and rehydrate Earth’s landscapes“.
The continued destruction of forests, the deterioration of soils, the subsequent loss of terrestrial soil water storage and the reduction of water retention in the landscape are disrupting the movement of water in and through the atmosphere. This disruption causes major shifts in precipitation that could lead to less rainfall and more droughts in many areas of the world, increases in regional temperatures and an exacerbation of climate change. These changes affect regional climate, but can also impact regions far away. Understanding the interwoven relationships and the subsequent fluxes of energy between plants, soils and water on the ground, as well as in the atmosphere, can help mitigate climate change and create more resilient ecosystems.
Translations into French, Spanish, Chinese to be found here (#25).