Harnessing Nature’s Power for a Sustainable Future
A tipping point is crossed when sufficient vegetation and soils are lost. The land surfaces harden or are paved over, transforming into hot plates or heat islands. These surfaces warm stormwater that is no longer held by vegetation and soils. The warm freshwater then rushes to the sea, spreading its heat across the salty sea surface. By noon, the bare ground has warmed the air, causing it to rise in spiral thermals, leading to changes in the climate.
It is crucial to restore vegetation with deeper soils to mitigate the negative impacts on our climate. Carbohydrates photosynthesized by plants are put into the ground, holding minerals so far apart that four inches of soil can hold seven inches of rainwater. This water infiltrates into groundwater, making it available during dry periods.
A high diversity of native plants is important because plants cooperating via mycorrhizal networks are more fit for survival than others. These plants can restore the water cycle and produce more white puffy cumulus cloud cover. Historically, the Earth was covered by more than 50% cumulus cloud cover. However, cumulus cloud cover has decreased by 1% or 2% reflecting less light away and warming the climate.
On the US Eastern Seaboard, the Gulf Stream is strengthened with more stormwater from off the land. NASA’s 2024 Arctic Ice Melt animated video clearly demonstrates the impact of Atlantic Ocean water on melting Arctic Sea ice. The seasonal ice melt does not begin along a warming shore but starts along the Greenland Sea. As the world turns to the east, the warm ocean current veers right and enters the Arctic Sea due to the centrifugal motion of the Coriolis Effect. The last ice remains thick along Canada and Greenland’s shore, while icebergs crowd the sea at the North Pole.
The land must be restored to a more natural state with diverse native plants and deeper soils to restore Arctic Sea ice and the climate. These plants improve the water cycle and create a more stable and resilient climate. We can mitigate the effects of climate change and work towards a healthier planet by focusing on reforestation and sustainable land management practices.
Restoring the climate with native plants and deeper soils is a viable and sustainable solution. We can make informed decisions to combat climate change simply by understanding the importance of vegetation and soils in maintaining the water cycle and regulating temperature. The reintroduction of diverse native plants will help restore the climate, promote biodiversity, support ecosystems, and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.
Dr. Rob Moir is a nationally recognized and award-winning environmentalist. He is president and executive director of the Cambridge, MA-based Ocean River Institute, a nonprofit that provides expertise, services, resources, and information unavailable on a localized level to support environmental organizations’ efforts. Please visit www.oceanriver.org for more information.
More from Dr. Rob Moir
- Hope for Right Whales
- Cooling the Gulf of Maine Surface Ocean Waters
- Touch the Earth Lightly, Use the Earth Gently
- Easter Island, Hard Work & Good Cheer for a Changing Climate-Challenged World
- Cooling Our Planet: New England’s Battle with Climate Change
- Land & Sea Change for Earth Day, Expanding The Climate Change Narrative
- The Earth and Three Blinkered Scientists
- Fallen Forests and Rising Ocean Fury
- What If There Was a Right Whale National Marine Sanctuary?
- Atlantic Ocean off Florida Spawns a Giant Sargassum Blob Due to Climate Change & Nutrient Pollution
- Emerald Bracelets to Solve Three of the World’s Greatest Environmental Problems
- Slowing Water for Greener Neighborhoods
- Put Down the Federal Stick to Build a Greener Future
- Of Mousy & Elephantine Cycles, Managing The Climate Crisis After Glasgow COP26
- Melting Greenland Ice Sheet, Sea Ice Formation, and the Flow of The Gulf Stream
- A Whale of a Pattern of Thought and Organizing Principle for Community-Based Environmental Management