Natural Climate Solutions

A call to action

This is the second part of Rewilding – a natural solution, posted last week, describing the science behind “Natural Climate Solutions” (NCS), and an urgent call to protect all wildlife and nature, and restore and our land, rivers, oceans, and atmosphere.

Back to nature

Rewilding is used herein as a process to reconnect and see the world with fresh, humble eyes, to find and care for Mother Nature. Gaia, a wonderful generous being providing all we need, has been mistreated and abused in search for coal, oil, and gas. Humans have gone astray, choosing money over nature, fracking the land creating massive sinkholes in the Permian basin, destroying wetland forests, and threatening nations with economic sanctions and nuclear weapons in never-ending wars.

Avoiding climate breakdown

George Monbiot says ecological restoration will improve our lives and avert a climate breakdown. NCS has been ignored in the search for a magic technical solution of mitigation funding, and far too little political attention.

NCS has 20 conservation and restoration initiatives to increase carbon storage and avoid greenhouse gases across global forests, wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural lands. These initiatives are compatible with Drawdown projects. There are many ways to address climate change, but one of the most effective and immediate ways is nature.

The National Academy of Science found NCS can provide over one-third of the cost-effective climate mitigation needed between now and 2030 to stabilize warming to below 2°C. Forest protection and restoration have the highest potential to mitigate climate change. The full report is available on their website.

The road ahead

The transition from burning fossil fuels to clean energy is not enough, we have waited too long and surpassed 350 parts per million concentration of carbon dioxide. From May 2018 to 2019, the increase was 3.5 ppm, the second-highest annual increase.

Greenhouse gas emissions have dual negative impacts. One, extreme weather events are destroying our farms, cities, and homes. Two, the climate system is rapidly changing, increasing the global temperature and approaching a “lights out” climate breakdown.

Our government pretends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with disinformation while promoting the extraction, use, and exports of coal, oil, and gas. The myth “burning natural gas is cleaner than burning coal” ignores known methane leaks from the well-head to the point of use. Excess methane is burned or vented at will. Oil frackers paying to haul away natural gas have no incentive to plug methane leaks.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration lumps together dirty and clean energy to make the numbers look good. Hydropower and forests are listed along with solar and wind. Clearcutting trees and burning them as wood pellets creates massive emissions. Dead trees on diesel-fueled logging trucks do not suck carbon dioxide, as anyone driving behind them knows.

Good news

Bison roam again at the Badlands National Park. Lawns, the top crop in the U.S. will soon be replaced with native landscapes reducing the use of water and chemicals. Children will spend hours playing outdoors. Adopting rescue pets and related events will soar.

U.S. cities and communities are building resilience by redesigning buildings and green areas for energy efficiency. Solar energy and electric vehicles are increasing.

China, India, and other countries are stopping the use of diesel trucks and promoting electric vehicles and buses for mass transportation. They have dedicated armies planting millions of trees.

At a local level, the ECHO Village is using permaculture and growing edible forests – visit and give them a hand, you may learn something. The Farmers’ Market is changing the way we eat, choosing locally grown organic produce.

Rise up

We are fortunate to have First Nations and Indigenous American tribes who understand nature from their ancient heritage. Seeing Tokata Iron Eyes and Greta Thunberg with the Sioux Nation at Standing Rock was the highlight of her wonderful trip. “We shouldn’t leave it on the back of two little girls to do this, it’s too much weight to carry for them. It should be all of us doing our part.” Sioux Nation.

Let’s keep our minds clear and join the good fight.

Dr. Luis Contreras