A natural solution to climate change
Let’s Begin…
Want to fight climate change? Then we need to phase out fossil fuels as soon as possible—and work more with nature. In fact, protecting and restoring nature could provide 1/3 of the greenhouse gas reductions we need to keep the climate in safe boundaries. Learn more from The Nature Conservancy.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Natural climate solutions are critical in the fight against climate change. These solutions, which harness the power of nature to remove carbon from the atmosphere, offer a cost-effective and practical way to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Natural climate solutions help reduce carbon emissions while providing a ton of co-benefits. Just to name a few, natural solutions protect biodiversity, improve water quality, and replenish soil health. Investing in nature-based solutions can simultaneously address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss while creating a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
Some inspiration
Natural climate solutions need to be tailored to the region and specific geography of their implementation. Here are just a few of the most common and effective natural climate solutions:
Forest restoration: Trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, making reforestation and forest conservation effective ways to sequester carbon. Forests can also provide habitat for biodiversity and offer many other benefits, such as regulating water cycles.
Agricultural practices: Certain agricultural practices can remove carbon from the atmosphere by storing it in soil. For example, cover crops, reduced tillage, and crop rotations can all promote soil health and increase carbon sequestration in agricultural land.
Wetland restoration: Wetlands, such as marshes and swamps, are effective at capturing carbon and can store it for centuries. Restoring wetlands can also provide habitat for many species and help regulate water quality.
Ocean-based approaches: The ocean plays a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate and can absorb significant atmospheric carbon. Ocean-based approaches to carbon removal include marine conservation, seaweed farming, and ocean afforestation. It's important to note that scientists encourage more studies of ocean afforestation as a carbon sequestration strategy.
Watch the video and finish the Think section to complete the lesson.
About Earth School
We can save the world. Speed and Scale shows us how to unlock a cleaner, healthier and safer future by laying out a roadmap that will get us to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. How’s it going to work? We need to electrify transportation, decarbonize the grid, fix food, protect nature, clean up industry and remove carbon. To learn how we’re going to do all that - and to learn how you can take action now - explore this page.
Meet The Creators
- Video created by The Nature Conservancy
- Lesson Plan created by TED Ed