Heal the planet! By using the sun’s energy to rebuild the plant and animal systems we have destroyed.

The science:

The sun’s energy that warms the planet also builds biomass – trees and shrubs, grazing, soils, oceanic and fresh water plankton that drive food chains, animals and fish.

Trees in the Amazon put more water into the atmosphere than the Amazon puts into the ocean. Everywhere trees are critical to water and soils.

Soil moisture contains more water than the atmosphere, living plants and rivers combined.

Trees cool the land because their leaves, which have 10 times the area of the land they grow on, actively transpire far more moisture into the air than evaporates from oceans.

The biomass of humans is 36% of all mammal biomass on earth, their livestock accounts for 60%; wild animals amount to a mere 4% of all mammal biomass.

The necessary response to the climate crisis:

Heal the planet! By using the sun’s energy to rebuild the plant and animal systems we have destroyed.

Near to human settlements, aim to get all our useful energy from sun, wind and biomass.

Plant “trees on streets”, also in town surroundings especially hills and some river flats.

That requires technologies to collect and burn biomass efficiently for heat, electricity, fuel gas, and biochar which sequesters carbon for thousands of years.

Use biogas from appropriate waste products.

It means walking and cycling for transport on mostly-car-free shady streets – health benefits!

It means choosing the species to rebuild planet health according to the soil and climate of each location.

Our economic system must recognise the need for local provision for human needs, and the value of local activities which provide for the entire ecology of our particular locations.

Principle:

Biodiversity is the key to healing the planet and restoring our living communities.

Each species, each life type, is required, starting with the fungi and bacteria, which are fostered by particular species within the macro-flora and fauna.

Each contributes to building soils, absorbing and generating rain, and providing food for the ecological communities and for humans.

Researching the science of our local ecologies is the first critical step.

Molly is a member of our core team. She has a degree in physical chemistry and studied bio-ecology in 1956 at what was then the Connecticut College for Women in the USA. Since coming to New Zealand in 1963 she has been an unpaid researcher and communicator on electricity and energy issues.