Biochar

Biocharis a special charcoal product made from the slow burning of vegetable matter in a very low-oxygen environment to create almost pure carbon that, when buried in soils, provides many benefits for biodiversity and plant, soil health and human health.  It has many tiny pores that store nutrients, water, microbes, and carbon captured from the atmosphere for hundreds or thousands of years, thus helping to address global warming.  In this scanning electron microscope image, fungal threads are attaching to the biochar. See How Biochar Helps the Soil.

Soil Carbon Cowboys

Soil Carbon Cowboys is an entertaining twelve-minute video that clearly explains how three ranchers moved away from chemical-based ranching to holistic management and dramatically increased the soil carbon content and water-holding capabilities of their pastures – as well as the profitability of their operations and the time to spend with their families.

Can Cows Save The Planet?

Holistic Management and Planned Grazing. Grasslands and grazing animals co-evolved over 50 million years. Good management of grasslands and grazing animals the way nature does it – constantly moving in tight herds rather than confined by fences – restores biodiversity, healthy water cycles, cools the biosphere and provides food and fiber to millions of people. Holistic Planned Grazing can turn a desert green again (left). A good introduction is Judith Schwartz’s landmark bookCows Save the Planet.

Bring Biodiversity and Lower Temperatures to Your Town

Set up biodiverse “pocket parks” and rain gardens. Pocket parks and rain gardens capture rainwater and allow for better water infiltration into soils, and increase soil health and groundwater recharge. Grow an inexpensive Miyawaki Forest in your urban habitat (shown: Clifton Park in Karachi), with native plants, pollinators and biodiverse animal life. If there’s not much space, you can start with as little as 1,000 square feet (around six parking spaces).

Spread The Word

Educate your Neighbors. Host a talk at the library or local coffee shop on the vital importance of wetlands, grasslands, and forest ecosystems.

Work with local schools. Incorporate lessons relating to organic gardening, urban forestry, wetlands, green infrastructure, and healthy soils. Improve children’s wellbeing. 

Cool Your Communities, Protect All Creatures (Including Us!)

Support and participate in community-driven programs for green initiatives. Work with your community to increase urban trees and vegetation to create an expanded urban tree cover, which is vital for cooling cities, managing water, improving air quality, and decreasing stress. And did you know asphalt heats up faster than bare ground? Depaving has a number of benefits including decreasing water pollution, increasing green space and thereby cooling surrounding areas, improving air quality, and reducing flooding. Install permeable pavers. These are made up of a layer of concrete or fired clay brick. The pavers are separated by joints filled with crushed aggregate. Rainwater passes around the paver and percolates into the ground, thereby recharging groundwater.

Revive Dead and Dying Lawns

No Shale Gas Drilling / No Fracking / No Pesticides / I love my family and the environment more than my lawn. Sierra club window sign in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Collective de-lawning. Most lawns are difficult to manage and do not allow for adequate water infiltration and carbon sequestration. Replacing turf grass with native grasses and plants would reduce the need for fertilizers and bring back critical functions of the soil.

Bring Life To Your Neighborhood

Green your Infrastructure. Transform your roof or balcony into a “green roof.” Lobby your town to support green roofs on new construction. Utilize green infrastructure to collect and infiltrate stormwater into the soils. Your neighborhood will soon be very cool!

Composting

Composting. Collect all plant-based food waste for outdoor compost piles or consider signing up with a compost service company. You could also make a worm bin and let worms turn your food and paper scraps into rich food for your garden to help feed your family, friends, and other hungry people. You can compost even in a small kitchen and keep food waste out of our overfilled landfills.

Keep Organic Standards High

USDA organic standards have been seriously weakened over the past decade. Organizations like the Real Organic Project encourage consumers to inquire about how their USDA organic food is grown. A higher demand for organic and to know how the food is grown will incentivize stores to find out more and bring real organic to the stores.

Invest In Health

Demand Organic Food from your market/Inquire and Invest in Real Organic. Yes, high-quality food costs a bit more, and unfortunately not everyone can afford it – but if you possibly can, even as part of your diet, consider what you may gain by maintaining optimal health. Buy organic 100% grass-fed beef/dairy products and free range/pastured poultry and eggs (preferably local) if you’re an omnivore, or transition to an organic plant-based diet. Support local farmers as much as possible – and get to know them too. They’re smart and wonderful hard-working people, take pride in their work, and will be happy to answer your questions about their practices and products.