What if our climate problems are rooted in deforestation, plowing and pesticides?
"Forests precede us, and deserts dog our heals." --Derrick Jensen
Keep this in mind: A growing ecosystem absorbs carbon and water.
When we allow an ecosystem to grow and become increasingly complex and diverse, then biomass increases as a result. Organic matter increases as a result.
When an ecosystem absorbs carbon, there’s that much less carbon in the atmosphere. When an ecosystem absorbs water, there’s that much more water flowing through our plant matter, our soil and our waterways.
When ecosystems absorb water, they hold onto it, for the benefit of living things. Then some of that water gets released into the water cycles, so more rain can fall.
Plus, when there’s more water in a locality, e.g., a forest that has not been cut down, then that water regulates temperatures, so there’s less extreme cold and extreme heat in the surrounding air. This is because water has a high “specific heat.” That means water is slow to warm up and slow to cool down. This benefits the surrounding ecosystems.
Do we want to avoid heat waves? Then let’s nurture ecosystems, so they can absorb water and hold onto it. Forests, grasslands and ecologically smart urban landscapes can prevent heat waves and mitigate urban heat islands.
How do we start?
We can start where we are. We can nurture home landscapes that support bees, butterflies and birds (i.e., the drivers of our ecosystems).
We can grow more and mow less in our public parks.
We can buy our food from farms that are local and/or regenerative.
The solutions surround us.
You should consider the agriculture as well: if we would include trees and shrubs in the agriculture, as foodforest/ agroforestry is doing, we can adress the same issues you are mentioning on a even larger scale. Let’s do both!
Yes, every community every urban and rural homes should be forested instead of artificial environment farming clipped grass.