The Effects of Climate Change & a Proposed Solution
There are tons of common misconceptions about the effects of climate change. It’s not only a problem that exists in the future; we’re experiencing climate change right now.
But many people don’t want to talk about it, or will even claim it’s not happening. Climate change is a scary and overwhelming situation, but ignoring it only worsens the problem.
Luckily, we still have time before we reach the point of no return (a 2°C global temperature rise). Even though we’re already seeing the effects of climate change, our planet is incredibly resilient.
If everyone took the steps to regenerate the land they live on through ecological gardening, we could easily remove enough CO2 from the atmosphere to undo a huge amount of the damage that’s been done to the earth.
Extreme Weather and Natural Disasters
Have you noticed unusual weather this summer?
Here in Cincinnati, we’ve consistently had temperatures of 10-20°F above our seasonal average for over a month (as of mid-July 2022). During that same time, we’ve had two major storms that knocked out power across the region. Many homes and businesses had no electricity for over 48 hours while the heat index was over 110°F.
The reason for these extreme temperatures is alarming. According to an article published by The Guardian in June 2022, the Arctic is currently seeing warming beyond what climate models predicted. Climate scientists said they were “all surprised…these are the highest warming rates we have observed so far.” And this “shows that even the best possible models have been underestimating the rate of warming….”(1)
The ripple effect of the accelerating temperatures in the Arctic is extreme weather across North America and Europe.
Over the last few years, we’ve seen a major rise in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. Wildfires, hurricanes, storms, and extreme temperatures have already had a severe impact on human, animal, and plant life along with the destruction of homes, ecosystems, businesses, and infrastructure. This is only going to get worse with time.
Food Shortages
Growing our own food is quickly becoming a more essential life skill. Not only does it save you money, but food grown in well-maintained soil without chemical sprays is much more nutritious.
Most food sold at chain stores also travels significant distances to get there, causing greenhouse gas emissions. Plus commercially sold food is generally packaged with plastics and other unsustainable materials. All of this is avoided by growing food ourselves or buying from local organic farmers.
Recent events have shown how easily interruptions in the supply chain can disrupt the food supply. This is only going to get worse as farms are affected by extreme weather, leading to the destruction of crops and livestock. As sea levels rise, farmland across the coasts will be underwater.
With less farmland, lower soil fertility, and farms being damaged by natural disasters, food will become scarce. This is part of why learning to grow food for ourselves is so important. We’re already seeing a reduction in the availability of commercial food along with a steep rise in prices.
Rising Sea Levels
As the planet heats up from the greenhouse effect, glaciers and Arctic ice continues to melt and increase sea levels. The result of this will eventually be that coastal land will flood and become part of the ocean. Huge areas of land that are currently homes, businesses, healthcare facilities, transit, ecosystems, farms, and infrastructure will be entirely underwater.
This will displace millions of people and force them to move inland. Living conditions will become tightly packed, which is known to cause an increase in the spread of disease and the formation of new pathogens.
Sea levels rising will also cause freshwater bodies to connect more directly to the ocean, raising the salinity content. In other words, water bodies that are currently used for municipal water will become salt water and no longer be safe to drink.
Collecting and storing rainwater is a wise skill to develop. Installing a rain barrel is a simple way to conserve municipal water, save on your monthly water bill, and be prepared during times of drought or other emergencies.
Quality of Life
The common assumption is that once we hit the 2°C global temperature rise (the point of no return in the climate crisis) all of humanity will die. But it’s not that simple. While human lives will certainly be lost, many of us will survive but with a much lower quality of life.
As infrastructure is knocked out by extreme weather and flooding, having electricity will become less common. Things we’re used to like the internet and television will become a luxury at best.
Healthcare facilities will be fewer, less accessible, and vastly overwhelmed.
The Solution: Regenerative Gardening
Every piece of land has the ability to combat the climate crisis. This starts in our own yards and private property. We need to make the mindset shift from viewing our yards as sterile and pristine status symbols into habitat restoring, carbon sequestering, food-producing ecosystems.
Soil and plants are some of our biggest allies in fighting climate change. Through photosynthesis, plants breathe in the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and use their roots to release it into the soil where it’s safely stored as carbon. In fact, soil is a carbon sink 3x the size of the atmosphere. However, when we disturb the soil by tilling, digging, or allowing it to erode, that carbon is released back into the atmosphere as CO2.
It’s important to plant the right species in your yard to achieve the highest ecological performance. This means planting species that are native to your area because they evolved in the conditions of your climate and need less maintenance and resources to thrive. Native plants are also much more beneficial to local wildlife and can help save crucial insect species that are in danger of extinction.
Building up soil organic matter with compost and organic mulch also helps soil health and carbon sequestration performance. Soil that’s high in organic matter can retain enormous amounts of water. This is incredibly beneficial during both times of heavy rain and drought. During heavy storms, healthy soil will absorb excess water and reduce flooding. During drought, healthy soil will retain enough water to keep plants alive.
It’s my professional opinion as an ecologist and landscape consultant that simply transforming our yards into healthy ecosystems is the single most beneficial thing an individual can do to help with the climate crisis.
