Green Gold: Regreening the Desert | John D. Liu | English

Commonland27 minutes read

Deserts are expanding due to human impact, but ecologist John D Leu has found solutions to rehabilitate damaged ecosystems, as seen in China's Lis Plateau. Collaborating worldwide, including with Jordan's royal family, Leu emphasizes the importance of restoring ecosystems for sustainability and combating desertification, highlighting the vital role of trees in reducing the greenhouse effect and enhancing climate change resilience.

Insights

  • John D Leu discovered a solution to rehabilitate damaged ecosystems by excluding grazing and allowing natural vegetation to regrow, leading to increased biodiversity and climate change resilience.
  • Jeff Lon specializes in rebuilding ecosystems through permaculture systems, breaking the cycle of poverty and ecological destruction, impacting carbon sequestration and global problem-solving.

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Recent questions

  • How did John D Leu rehabilitate damaged ecosystems?

    By excluding grazing and allowing natural vegetation to regrow.

  • What is the role of trees and plants in reducing the greenhouse effect?

    Trees absorb carbon dioxide, enhancing climate change resilience.

  • How can restoring degraded lands impact future generations?

    Restoring degraded lands can break the cycle of poverty and ecological destruction, improving lives.

  • What is the significance of natural systems in providing water for energy?

    Natural systems provide water for energy more effectively than farmland.

  • What led to the environmental degradation of Petra in Jordan?

    Environmental degradation led Petra in Jordan from prosperity to ruins.

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Summary

00:00

Rehabilitating damaged ecosystems for a sustainable future.

  • Deserts are expanding, water is depleting, and the planet is suffering from human impact.
  • Cameraman and ecologist John D Leu discovered a solution to rehabilitate damaged ecosystems.
  • Leu witnessed the transformation of China's Lis Plateau from a barren desert to a green oasis.
  • The Chinese faced ecosystem destruction due to centuries of agricultural exploitation and overgrazing.
  • Leu documented the Chinese efforts in a film, "Hope in a Changing Climate," to spread awareness globally.
  • Leu's mission is to assist in rehabilitating damaged ecosystems worldwide.
  • In Jordan, Leu collaborates with the royal family to combat desertification and water scarcity.
  • By excluding grazing and allowing natural vegetation to regrow, damaged ecosystems can be rehabilitated.
  • Restoring degraded lands can lead to increased biodiversity, organic matter, and biomass.
  • Leu emphasizes the importance of restoring ecosystems for sustainability and future generations.

23:28

Natural systems vital for water, energy sustainability.

  • Natural systems provide water for energy more effectively than farmland.
  • Human activity values agricultural productivity monetarily, but not natural systems like trees and biodiversity.
  • Trees and plants play a vital role in reducing the greenhouse effect through photosynthesis.
  • Climate change resilience is enhanced by trees absorbing carbon dioxide.
  • Loss of rainfall through runoff or evaporation can lead to system degradation over centuries.
  • Petra in Jordan, once prosperous, turned into ruins due to environmental degradation.
  • Restoration expert Jeff Lon specializes in rebuilding ecosystems in severely degraded landscapes.
  • Restoration processes can break the cycle of poverty and ecological destruction, improving future generations' lives.
  • Lon's permaculture system aims to create self-sufficient ecosystems without artificial fertilizers.
  • Restoring degraded environments can have a significant impact on carbon sequestration and solving global issues.

46:04

Global Migration Crisis: Survival in Numbers

  • Millions, tens of millions, hundreds of millions, possibly billions of people migrating to survive
  • Earth's population at 7 billion, increasing by a billion every 12 years
  • Inability to suppress humanity when survival is at stake
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