A new study came out with some pretty interesting stuff: It turns out that restoring U.S. lands & coastal wetlands could reduce global warming much more than we previously thought! #conservationoptimism #conservation nytimes.com/2018/11/14/cli…
"Better management of forests, grasslands, and soils in the U.S. could offset as much 21% of the country's annual greenhouse gas emissions -- roughly the same as taking away every single car and truck in the country off the road." (NYT)
This study advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/11/e… is the first to include the climate benefits of coastal wetlands & grasslands in a comprehensive mix along w/ forests and agriculture. (Source) & more info here: enn.com/articles/56040…
A growing number of states are now looking at better managing their natural landscapes to store more carbon -- an important approach being the restriction of urban sprawwwwll (as a NOVA native I know the effects too too well)
Actions to replenish natural landscapes can have so many valuable side benefits i.e. improving water quality and protecting communities from flooding at a very low cost
As stated in NYT article, there are obstacles; one of them is the demand for farmland as population ^^. There are new Smithsonian programs out there working to strike a balance and promote "working lands and seascapes," check out bit.ly/2zaX6kq & wls.si.edu
