Summary
We face an imperative to reduce actions which heat the planet, & then clean the air to restore stability.
Climate stability requires stopping “heating” activities equivalent to 10-15 billion metric tonnes of carbon (“BtC”) per annum as soon as possible, plus clean the air by drawing down another 200BtC from atmospheric carbon stocks.
To date, the focus has been on eliminating fossil fuels. Instead, more feasible & quicker solutions can be implemented if people cease destructive behaviours & rely on biology (plants & soil) to restore our environment.
Deforestation & wood-harvesting is entirely in our control - we must preserve and regenerate all forests.
Burning of forests and grasslands is 90% caused by humans, and in every instance can be replaced by more effective and less damaging methods.
Intensive Agriculture causing dehydrated and oxidised soil can be healed with re-generative practices at similar yields
If implemented broadly and without delay, six actions, tailored to local environments, can rapidly reduce these sources of emissions and set the world on a path to climate cooling.
Net Zero should read minus 20 billion tons p.a. x 10 years: to radically reduce the C stock rather than just contain the flows.
There are different views on ‘stability’, but all agree carbon must be pulled out of the atmosphere.
Emissions are still rising at an alarming rate… now up to 10-15 BtC per year, with threats of explosive growth in methane when ice caps melt.
As of May 2020, we are at 417ppm carbon dioxide in the atmosphere equating to nearly 890 billion tonnes carbon (BtC). Stability targets of 300-350 ppm imply 150-250 BtC drawdown, plus cutting todays emissions to net zero.
Realistically >200 BtC needs to be drawn back on or below the earth by 2040, or 10Bt per year for the next 20 years. Given we are at +10, this means minus 20Bt from today’s levels.
Current plans come nowhere close to these levels:
focus is on annual emissions, not the huge stock which, left as-is, will cause calamitous climate issues.
focus is mostly on Fossil Fuels which if eliminated completely gets us to Zero, requiring ANOTHER -10.
Burning, deforestation & intensive agriculture have pushed atmospheric carbon up 50% since pre-industrial times.
Carbon Stocks and Flows – last 270 years, BtC
Strategies exist to reverse the damage to plants & soil that would capture over 20Bt carbon per year… before savings from fossil fuels.
Potential Global Biological Carbon Capture Opportunities vs Fossil Fuel & Industry Emissions BtC per annum
Six Actions Framework.
Six actions can kickstart a rapid cycle of natural cooling.
© Alisdair Ferrie 2020
Everyone can re-green & cool the Earth.
Actions
Bolster the Foundations
+ Overall
- Stop run off
- Halt erosion
- Avoid chemicals
+ Individuals
- Lobby for dual water supplies
- Low stream taps and low flush toilets
- Clean up local waterways
- Collect rainwater
+ Corporates
- Harvest and recycle rainwater
- Include water risk measures in investment decisions
+ Governments
- Create separate drinking and utility water systems
- Maximise rainwater capture
- Water planning
Bolster the Foundations
+ Overall
- Boost biology:
- Inoculation
- Compost
- Regenerative practices
- Holistic/managed grazing
+ Individuals
- Stop chemicals
- Make compost
- Separate veggies for organic waste
- Buy organic produce
+ Corporates
- Support regenerative practices across supply chain
- Revitalise your land, replant, no chemicals
+ Governments
- Support soil R&D
- Fund farmer transition to regen
- Patent processes not biology
- Legislate to reduce soil degrading chemicals
- Educate farmers and industry
Put Carbon Back in Plants & Soil
+ Overall
- Punish arson
- Mow, cut or graze crops, grasslands & forest floor
+ Individuals
- Minimise fires
- Go electric
- Reduce use of A/C
- Walk/public transport
+ Corporates
- No burning in supply chain
- Go electric
- Adopt carbon credits for regreening
+ Governments
- Ban burning and punish enablers
- Subsidise farmer shift to cutting/grazing techniques
- Promote/ reward renewable electrics
- Educate public
Put Carbon Back in Plants & Soil
+ Overall
- Keep big trees
- Infill native planting
- Shelterwoods
- Stop further destruction
+ Individuals
- Buy sustainably sourced wood and paper products
- Support/visit areas of ecological value
+ Corporates
- Protect existing trees
- Use only sustainable wood products
- “Adopt a park” charity
+ Governments
- Protect and celebrate parks and natural forests
- Support carbon credit trading
- Ban manufacture or import of unsustainable products
Put Carbon Back in Plants & Soil
+ Overall
- 365 day cover
- Less chemicals & tilling
- Multi cropping
- Livestock on land
- Pre-monsoon dry seeding
- ZBNF etc.
+ Individuals
- Make compost
- Plant your space
- Lobby to replant local degraded land
- Support local organic producers
+ Corporates
- Use regenerative products in supply chain
- Pay for CO2 produced
- Maximize planting on corporate land
+ Governments
- Intensive urban planting
- Tax breaks to regen ag and regreening
- Sequester carbon programs: no-till, etc
- Stop subsidies to inefficient producers
Sustain
+ Overall
- Organic
- More veggies
- Grass fed meat
- Reduce wastage
- ‘Lowest mile’
+ Individuals
- Exercise more
- Eat lower down the food chain – more veggies,grass fed beef
- Don’t eat if unsustainably sourced
+ Corporates
- Provide healthy eating options
- Recycling culture
- Promote staff exercise and dieting
+ Governments
- Educate re diet and exercise
- Promote recycling
- Sponsor sports
- Tax unhealthy foods
@ Alisdair Ferrie 2020
