Our projects have and will lead to better and faster re-vegetation and reforestation. Every good action and each tree counts, no matter how extreme the climate or weather becomes.Β
This article deals with the most important processes for all life and the biosphere on planet Earth – the global greening process and urban greening. It is written in English and in a very simple language to make it easier to understand, the very important paper will be translated also into other languages to explain and understand some things even better. First we will look at the concept and terms, later different functions, meanings, possibilities and potentials.
Global Greening and Regreening is the process of restoring natural ecosystems and increasing green spaces on our planet. This includes reforestation or afforestation, expanding vegetation in cities, and other measures to increase green space in rural areas. Global greening is important for a number of reasons, including because it creates habitat for wildlife, reduces air and water pollution, and mitigates the effects of climate change. It also provides an important source of food, fuel, and other essential resources for many people around the world. There is man-made greening and natural greening. Everyone can make up their own mind about it – but read more to understand bad, good and other sides or aspects. Today many talk much about ‘green things’, but green is not always green, most people should finally understand, because if we talk about green we mean mostly nature, environmental friendly things or just green colours β but nature is not just green and blue like most of the ‘experts’ and media say or write. It is much more and to bring some colors and diversity into these topics Greening Deserts became a new logo and works in diverse areas. The Global Greening and Trillion Trees Initiative shows also many aspects of nature and our colorful planet. Now read more why it is so important to understand how the worldwide greening process affects all life on Earth and what we all can do better.
Global greening is an important part of creating a better and greener future on planet Earth along with all life forms. To re-green and reforest the biosphere, nature is our greatest ally, everyone else who thinks they or their partners are or have “the solution” are lying. You can read here the best, only and really true solution – nature and many will prove it to you, as so many times before. Read more now about how the Global Greening organization began as a private and collaborative project, how it became a worldwide movement and finally an institution.
The Global Greening Project and future organization was founded many years ago as the main project of the Greening Deserts and Trillion Trees Initiative. The founder published many articles, innovative ideas and papers about the regreening and reforestation movement. GlobalGreening.org is and will be the main platform in the future, also for the development organization. The project is linked to Greening Deserts developments such as the global Greening Camps. It has long been a private initiative as part of the Trillion Trees Project. The Global Greening Institution wants to build an additional platform for Southern Europe and Africa, including the Drought Research Institute with its online platform DroughtResearch.com. With real active and financial support, the Global Greening Institute will also build a real building with the first nations that will really support us this year and have supported us in the first days – the Greening Campus and Institute can be built at any major Greening Camp still in the first years! All the organizations that have supported us financially will also be the main partners or sponsors, depending on the form and amount of support they have provided. They will make world history (or not) and some have even already made it, because historical archives, libraries and universities have stored a lot of background and information sent to them.
Global greening efforts can be undertaken by businesses, governments and individuals in many countries. It is a continuous work and long-term investment that can have positive effects on both, our economy and environment. With the right plans and policies in place, global greening efforts can help to reduce poverty, improve public health and create a more equitable world for everyone β it even can accelerate the global cooling and peace process. Governments can invest in real sustainable reforestation projects and green initiatives to help to reduce man-made climate change impacts and provide healthier environments or habitats for their citizens and also all other humans worldwide. Businesses who do or support global greening solutions and invest in green technologies, renewable energy sources, cleantech or greentech can reduce the carbon footprint or emissions, pollution and increase their sustainability. Individuals can also taking part by planting trees, reducing energy consumption, much waste and start advocating for greener or more sustainable solutions.
Global greening is one of the most important goals and tasks of humanity that can be achieved through a combination of cultural, individual, regional, societal and international efforts. Global greening is also global cooling and promotes or supports peacebuilding and peacekeeping. People in a healthier and greener environment are more peaceful and healthy. Together we humans can restore our natural ecosystems, reduce negative climate change effects or harmful man-made influences on nature and create a better future for us and planet Earth. There are a number of general and potential solutions for global greening like explained in this article. Most of them can be implemented at a local, regional, national and global level. Read also more on our project and network pages to understand the complexity and connections.
Before continuing with the main topics of the article, the Global Greening and Trillion Trees Initiative initiators are proud to announce some really great news! We have planned tree planting campaigns for 58 billion trees in North, East and West Africa – many tree species should be African, native or indigenous and endangered species, we hope international experts will also help us with this. Some countries where greening camps were started years ago will of course be included, such as Algeria, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda – of course, only if the governments allow and support it. Responsible people of all affected regions will be included, informed and asked for support at the right time, especially before tree planting activities will begin. They can also contact us through the official channels and pages.
Another good news is that we plan tree planting actions, campaigns and greening camps for 42 billion native Australian trees like the methane composting or storage trees. More tree species will be planted of course, not just in Australia but also in South Asia. The MethaneStorage and WetForest.org projects are also part of the global greening process and to establish more healthier and resilent ecosystems who can store and transform more greenhouse gases! More wet forests and wetlands with trees are essential to reduce warming of forests and wetlands, to prevent dry forest soils and methane storage capacities. Check Greening Deserts articles and posts or tweets of the Trillion Trees Initiative and @TrillionTreesEU, too. Understand why global greening is so important for all life on planet Earth and what vertical farming and urban greening can do to improve global greening efforts.
For more diverse trees and plants in northern regions we plan to cultivate and share also many species of marshlands, moor-, swamp- and wetlands. The focus is on wet forests but also on woods and many single trees in tundra landscapes. The plan is to plant up to 100 billion trees in taiga and tundra regions, it will also help to cool down the regions, prevent permafrost thawing and higher methane releases! It is a mammoth task and one of the largest actions. Each day counts and we hope the northern nations will support us fast as possible to build the first greening and ecosystem restoration camps there.
Global Greening is a term used to describe the process of increasing vegetation cover and plant growth across the planet. One of the main causes of global greening is the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide is an important nutrient for plants, and higher concentrations in the atmosphere have led to increased growth and expansion of forests and vegetation around the world. Despite the positive effects of global greening, deforestation remains a significant problem, particularly in regions such as the Amazon rainforest and Indonesia, where large areas of forest are being cleared for agriculture, mining and other forms of industrial or problematic developments. Deforestation has serious environmental consequences, leading to biodiversity loss, increased carbon and methane emissions, soil erosion and land degradation. The opposite of Global Greening is Global Browning, a process that is unfortunately increasing rapidly every year. As many ecosystems reaching their limits, the greening effect continues to decreasing and land degradation and desertification are rapidly increasing. Since many years Greening Deserts has been educating people about such problems and offering innovative solutions.
Vertical Farming is an innovative agricultural technique that involves growing crops in vertically stacked layers using artificial light and controlled environmental conditions. Vertical farms can be set up in urban areas and can produce high volumes of crops and trees without requiring large amounts of land or water. Vertical farming can contribute to global greening and reforestation in several ways. First, it can help reduce pressure on natural forests and ecosystems by providing an alternative source of food and resources. Second, it can increase overall vegetation in urban areas, which can help mitigate the effects of urban heat islands and provide a number of other benefits, such as improved air quality and reduced noise pollution. Vertical farming is the future of efficient and sustainable agriculture for urban areas. It can help combat climate change by reducing the carbon footprint and harmful impacts of conventional agriculture. By growing crops locally and using energy-efficient technologies, vertical farming can significantly reduce the carbon emissions associated with transporting food long distances and producing it using conventional farming methods. By using urban land such as rooftops and walls for agriculture, cities can increase their food security while reducing their carbon emissions. For example, rooftop gardens and urban greenhouses can provide fresh produce to local communities, reduce the urban heat island effect, and capture rainwater that can be used to irrigate crops.
Many of these reasons were also a factor why Greening Deserts has been developing concepts and projects like the Urban Greening Camp for years. Innovative methods and techniques have been further developed as well as interesting Vertical Farming developments have been shared with the society – also regionally and internationally. Since 2016, three advanced types of greening facilities have been developed, the main facilities are Greening Camps for land sites with agroforestry, agrovoltaics, greenhouses and nursery. Rainwater or seawater treatment plants, solar and wind energy will provide the needed energy – more energy can be stored in energy storage parks and converted to hydrogen. The second type is a model urban greening facility, the concept of Urban Greening facility includes extended Vertical Farming concepts, Cleantech and Greentech developments and in principle can be established in any major city as a specialized nursery for city and people. These concepts are unique and have been published several times by Greening Deserts founders on different networks and sites!
The vision is that all major regions affected by deforestation, desertification, and land degradation can use these camps to do reforestation, regreening or revegetation, soil improvement and freshwater harvesting faster and more efficiently than any other solution ever. Copying the concepts only confirms that Greening Deserts’ developments work. The best thing would be to ask and involve the founder, together we can improve and develop Greening Camps much further, even to the Moon and Mars – just kidding, but the reality is that the world could use thousands of such facilities to really reduce and then stop man-made desertification and land degradation! We must ask ourselves why officials and responsible people or organizations who know this since years still do not support Greening Deserts? This ignorance is not only killing the environment and many life forms every year, it will destroy all humanity! Time is running out, every day counts.
Here come some more important points about why urban greening and global greening are so important to all of us – and why they are the only big, comprehensive or realistic global solution to urban greening, global greening and cooling. The article is written in a very simple language that even children can understand.
Urban greening, ecological forestry, and sustainable cropping solutions such as agroforestry and regenerative agriculture are important components of global greening efforts. These approaches can help increase vegetation cover, restore degraded ecosystems, and mitigate the effects of climate change. Urban greening refers to increasing vegetation cover in urban areas. This includes planting trees, creating green spaces, and using green roofs and walls. Urban greening has several benefits such as improving air quality, reducing the heat island effect, and increasing biodiversity. Urban greening can provide a source of food and other resources, which can help reduce pressure on natural ecosystems. It has a positive impact on biodiversity and provides more healthy habitats for people and a variety of animal and plant species – similar to the concept of allotment gardens developed in Leipzig. All of these measures help create more green spaces that can provide important habitat for many native species, especially insects and pollinators such as bees, butterflies and wasps.
Ecological forestry or ecoforestry, is an approach to forest management that aims to balance environmental, social, and economic goals. Ecoforestry focuses on preserving natural ecosystems, using sustainable harvesting techniques, and involving local communities in forest management. Ecoforestry can help maintain and restore forest ecosystems that are critical for carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and the provision of ecosystem services.
Agroforestry is an agricultural technique that combines growing trees with cropping or raising livestock. This approach can help increase soil fertility, reduce erosion, and provide farmers with a source of income. By planting trees in and around cropland, farmers can improve soil health by increasing soil organic matter and improving soil water-holding capacity. Trees can also provide shade and windbreaks for crops, which can lead to reduced water use and increased crop yields. Agroforestry can also contribute to global greening by increasing vegetation cover and restoring degraded lands. Agroforestry and regenerative agriculture can also help improve the health and resilience of soil ecosystems. Through the use of crop rotations, cover crops, and natural fertilizers, these approaches can improve soil fertility and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. This can help reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and promote the long-term sustainability of food production.
Regenerative agriculture is an agricultural approach that focuses on restoring soil health and using sustainable agricultural practices. Regenerative agriculture can help increase soil carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve biodiversity. This approach can also contribute to global greening by increasing vegetation cover and restoring degraded lands. One of the most important benefits of regenerative agriculture is its potential to sequester large amounts of carbon in the soil. Carbon sequestration refers to the process of taking up and storing carbon from the atmosphere in plants and soils. By increasing the amount of organic matter in the soil, regenerative agriculture can help store large amounts of carbon, which in turn can mitigate the effects of climate change. Together with agroforestry and vertical farming, these are the best sustainable farming practices that can contribute greatly to global greening, healing and re-greening.
Another important factor to consider in global greening efforts is the role of technologies. Advances in technology have the potential to significantly improve sustainable land use practices, including urban greening, ecological forestry, agroforestry, and regenerative agriculture. For example, precision agriculture technologies can be used to optimize crop yields while reducing fertilizer and water use, promoting sustainable land use practices. Similarly, remote sensing technologies can be used to monitor and map changes in forest cover and land use, providing valuable information for forest management and conservation. It is important to recognize that the use of some technologies in global greening efforts should be approached with caution. While some of the technologies have the potential to improve sustainable land use practices, they can also have negative impacts on the environment and society. For example, the use of genetically modified crops can lead to the loss of genetic diversity and the emergence of new pests and diseases. The use of technology in global greening and green developments, honest climate and environmental protection should be led by really good experts and responsible scientists, especially those with strong ethical and legal frameworks – like the Scientists for Global Responsibility. This includes policies and regulations that promote the safe and responsible use of technologies and the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems.
Global Greening must not be misused for Greenwashing or Treewashing, as it has unfortunately already happened with many tree planting and environmental protection campaigns. You only have to search the media and the internet for terms like 30×30, Carbon Credits, Green Colonialism, Greenwashing, Land Grabbing, Net Zero and New Green Deal or Nature Positive and you will find a lot of scandals and scarry backgrounds. Read also more about all the problems with carbon credits, which even made the global situation immensely worse. The same goes for biodiversity credits and the idea of financialization of nature and a nature market – another bad idea of certain actors from the UK, London or the Bank of England and Wall Street. Such ideas and concepts can not only cause more damage and destruction to the biosphere, but also accelerate mass extinction, pollution and the sellout of nature. The European Union and United Nations is primarily responsible and has the biggest responsibility to reverse and stop these trends.
Urban greening, ecological forestry, and sustainable agricultural solutions such as agroforestry, permaculture, regenerative agriculture, and vertical farming are important components of global greening efforts. These main solutions can help increase healthier and more natural vegetation, restore degraded ecosystems, and mitigate the effects of climate change. By combining these approaches with other measures such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable development, humanity may be able to stop accelerating global warming, biodiversity loss, and mass extinctions before it is too late – around the year 2030? It is no joke and very serious, some tipping points have already been passed and any further tipping point is likely to trigger cascading effects that cannot be stopped by human action!
Most developments require a holistic approach that takes into account the social, cultural, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. This also requires collaboration and partnership among various stakeholders, including governments, civil society, the private sector, and local communities. For this reason, Greening Deserts would like to establish the GlobalGreening organization with a extra international platform that involves indigenous and local regions affected by the aforementioned issues and in need of professional support. With adequate and financial support from each government and the United Nations, we could finally continue important developments, infrastructures and platforms for the global Greening Camp(s), Trillion Trees Initiative,…. We also want to establish a special commission or team on Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples to better communicate and share on all important issues so we can work more efficiently and achieve the best results.
It is important to recognize the role that indigenous communities and local people play in global environmental efforts. Many of these communities have traditional knowledge and practices that can promote sustainable land use and provide valuable insights into truly healthy as well as natural revegetation processes. In the Amazon rainforest, for example, indigenous communities have long practiced agroforestry and other sustainable land use practices that promote biodiversity and soil fertility. By working with these communities and incorporating their traditional knowledge into global revegetation and greening efforts, it is possible to promote sustainable land use and conserve biodiversity while supporting the livelihoods of local people. In Africa, for example, traditional agroforestry practices have been used for centuries to promote soil fertility, reduce erosion, and support food security. By incorporating these practices, it is possible to promote sustainable agriculture and support local communities.
Community forest management initiatives can promote sustainable forest management while supporting the livelihoods of local communities. Similarly, participatory plant breeding programs can promote the development of locally adapted crop varieties and support the resilience of smallholder farmers. Many of these truly highly efficient, innovative, and sustainable solutions also often manage water issues, water balance, and avoid many water problems. Wetlands, rivers and forests are the greatest air and water filters or purifiers, including with respect to many pollutants. In addition, forests are the largest freshwater reservoirs in the world! So expanding and establishing more forested areas or even completely new forests not only ensures these important ecosystem services like water storage and supply, it also contributes to regional climate regulation and food security. More on this in further articles
Global greening efforts can be more successful if the root causes of deforestation and land degradation are addressed. This includes addressing the causes of deforestation, such as agricultural expansion, mining, and infrastructure development. It also requires addressing the underlying social and economic issues that contribute to unsustainable land use practices, such as poverty, lack of access to education, health care, water, and other essential resources. Corruption, ignorance and political instability, poor governance or management are other important factors. Without addressing and resolving all of these factors in the right way, it is very difficult or even impossible to truly change the problems mentioned. Corruption, lack of will, lack of support and lack of understanding are perhaps the biggest problem of our time – making everything worse and driving humanity into the conflicts and wars we see today. You can read more details about these problems and really effective solutions like peace consolidation or peace building in the other articles. There will be another article soon about global greening, peacebuilding and innovative solutions that can really improve everything. It depends of course on you and many people around the world to recognize, communicate and convince your local people or national government to finally understand the real causes and sustainable solutions, to focus on solving the root causes and not fight symptoms or windmills! Honest, sustainable and environmentally conscious actions, sustainable consumption and lifestyles should be taken more seriously by all and thus also contribute to a better society and healthier world. Global Greening, Sustainable Living, sustainable consumption, production and working worldwide as well as the realization of real changes should be terms and changes of the year 2023 and upcoming years.
If more people work together and harness the power of good technology and social innovation, we can create a more sustainable and resilient future for ourselves and all life on the planet. It is also very important to consider the role of social developments and innovations in global greening efforts. Social innovation, truly sustainable developments, and the implementation of new solutions to social and environmental challenges can improve many things if people accept them, believe in them, or understand them. Engaging communities and civil society is one of the main tasks, like Greening Deserts’ public and social work, which you can see on the social and project pages.
Another important topic to understand the big picture is the forms of financing and real good money. It is one of the last main topics of this article and will show that money is important, but only one factor – and that many of the global greening and/or other greening factors mentioned do not directly need money – and if they do, proper forms of financing or financial support. Most people misunderstand money, the function and types of finance or financing.
Sustainable financing models and greener forms of financing can be a critical component of ecological and global greening efforts. Transitioning to more sustainable land use practices often requires significant investments in infrastructure, technology, research and development, and capacity building. These investments are critical to promoting sustainable development and mitigating the impacts of climate change, but require significant and sustained financial resources. Funding for global greening and/or other greening efforts can come from a variety of sources, including government budgets, private sector investment, international aid, and philanthropic funds. For example, many countries have established climate or environmental funds to support investments in sustainable land use practices and climate mitigation and adaptation. Private sector investment can play a critical role in financing sustainable land use practices. Investment vehicles that finance projects with environmental benefits, have become an increasingly popular way for companies to finance sustainable development initiatives.Β
Ensuring that more funding goes to projects and initiatives that have a positive impact on the environment and society. This requires strong environmental and social safeguards, as well as robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms that ensure accountability and transparency. Funding should be targeted to the most vulnerable and marginalized societies, depending on the business, project, and region. These communities often bear the brunt of environmental degradation and climate change impacts and may not have the resources and capacity to implement sustainable land use practices on their own. Greening Deserts therefore calls for the funding of many greening programs or projects to be designed and determined to promote equity and social justice, prioritizing the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. These communities often bear the brunt of environmental degradation and climate change impacts and may not have the resources and capacity to implement sustainable land use practices on their own. .
Global greening, revegetation, and reforestation also have important implications for human health and well-being. True forests, healthy ecosystems, and green infrastructure provide important ecosystem functions and services that are critical to human health, including clean air and water, food security, and protection from natural disasters. Afforestation and reforestation can provide economic benefits, especially to local communities, if they are long-term and truly sustainable. Forests and other natural resources can provide a source of income and employment for communities through activities such as agroforestry courses, ecotourism, and the sale of non-timber forest products. This can help promote economic development and reduce poverty, especially in rural areas and countries that need better income for their rural residents.
Regarding the potential benefits of global greening, revegetation, and reforestation, it should be noted that these processes can provide a range of ecosystem services beyond carbon sequestration. For example, forests can help regulate water flow and prevent soil erosion, which can be particularly important in areas prone to flooding or drought. Forests can also promote biodiversity by providing habitat for threatened or endangered species, among other things. In addition, reforestation and revegetation can help restore degraded land and increase its productivity, which can be important for food security and livelihoods. It is important to prioritize the promotion of diverse and sustainable reforestation and revegetation practices that address the needs and perspectives of local communities. We have shown many examples on our pages and on platforms like Twitter – most of which are very successful.
Some Greening Deserts projects and developments are new, others are very creative, but most of them are based on ancient or traditional methods of indigenous cultures that still function as they did many thousands of years ago. It is not just about the knowledge and history of indigenous peoples, but also about their contribution to global health and the fact that they protect about 80% of the world’s biodiversity. It is sad that so many people, and especially governments and some of the United Nations, still ignore these facts and carry on as before. In the end, one question will open your eyes. Did you know that ecological forestry, aquaponics, hydroponics, permaculture and even the main factors of vertical agriculture were invented by indigenous peoples – just like soccer? If you know such background and history, you may understand why indigenous peoples are so important to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, environmental health, and the global greening process – which we, the Greening Deserts community, have been promoting and supporting for years.
Short Abstract: Global greening works and efforts are essential for promoting sustainable development and mitigating the effects of climate change. Urban greening, ecological forestry, agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, and vertical farming are important components of a comprehensive strategy to promote sustainable land use practices, sustainable ways of living, producing, and working. These approaches need to be complemented by the use of truly effective and sustainable technologies, policies and regulations that promote sustainability, social innovation, international collaboration, and financing. If we all work together more and engage with civil society, we can create a more sustainable and resilient future for our planet. This is what Greening Deserts, projects and communities have been trying to do for many years – with much success, but also with many problems created by crises, pandemics and wars in Europe caused by some people. Especially ignorant and corrupt politicians, corruption and ignorance of certain authorities, organizations and institutions up to the highest offices or functions are main causes and problems which should be addressed by all people – especially in the EU and UN!
Greening Camps are designed for creating greater biodiversity in cities, urban areas and greener landscapes. The Greening Camp concept is an innovative model for all major cities and landscapes that need better, faster and more efficient greening, re-greening, reforestation, renewable energy storage and water management. The entire concept has never been published and only trusted partners have insight to protect important key elements and factors from misuse – many parts are even just in printed form. Back to one important point all can or should know. Trees can be cultivated or protected indoors for many years, even in drought areas or in difficult terrain. That is why the Urban Greening Camp and Research Facility for Climate Adaptation, Tree Planting and Vertical Agriculture was launched in 2020 – to test and improve all useful things related to indoor arboriculture. It is the world’s first vertical farming company that started with various research and indoor tree cultivation, as well as palms, shrubs, herbs and other crops. The focus is on endangered plant and tree species. Each larger facility will have additional seed storage and breeding rooms. Each facility will be powered by solar, wind and hydro energy. The first pilot plant is the most energy efficient plant in the world, having been optimized for this purpose for over a year! This has been analyzed and can be proven, also based on experience in this field. The founder has been working on urban greening and vertical agriculture for more than eight years! You can download the article hereΒ and the complete version with all the messages here. The article was uploaded and shared also on hundreds of networks like livejournal, reddit and tumbrl.
More important contributions and messages of Global Greening and Trillion Trees Initiative in 2022 and 2023:
2017 was the official start and 2018 the launch of the #TrillionTreesInitiative announced many times by Change Games, Greening Deserts and @DJOGC. The Global Greening movement and Trillion Trees Initiative for Africa and Europe runs many years now. #DesertGreening #GlobalGreening
Agroforestry and regenerative agriculture are the best solution, in the short and long term. Use drip irrigation, green ground covers with herbs for example, to protect soils. Optimize permaculture and save extra rainwater with solar panels and tanks. #Agrovoltaik #ProtectSoils
Agroforestry is great, but without crops or fruits you can’t survive. Food forests and trees need many years or even decades until they grow and provide enough fruits or seeds for food security. We recommend to use mixed cultures with herbs, hemp and vegetables from beginning.
Agroforesty, ecoforestry and sustainable farming with trees, real efficient, healthy, innovative and proven methods worked for millennia. Indigenous knowledge and practices like permaculture are the world’s best solutions. #FoodForest #FoodSecurity #IntlForestDay #WaterForest s
After extreme drought years in Germany forests and trees are dying. Mortality rates are rising for all major tree species in Europe! More biodiversity, climate change adaptation and resilience, reducing deforestation and pollution? greeningdeserts.com/drought-β¦ science.org/content/article/
All the work is to improve the global greening and peace process, you can read more here and on the projects or works @GreeningDeserts.com. For a better or monthly overview just scroll down or use the search functions.
Approx 15 billion trees are lost due to deforestation, climate, environmental or natural disasters like droughts and forest fires ~ 5 billion trees are planted, is a net loss of more than 10 billion per year. Consider survival rates and that the estimated numbers are years old.
Many people and organizations had the idea of planting many billions, one or a few trillion trees – such as indigenous people, foresters or tree planters from Africa, Australia and Canada. The history dates back to the 60s and well beyond.
A study estimated that African forests capacity to remove carbon will decrease many percent by 2030. Climate adaptation, ecosystem restoration and protection can reduce risks that carbon sinks not become bigger emitters of CO2 n methane! #DRR #ForestHealth e360.yale.edu/features/will-β¦
Because of ignorance and oppression of @GreeningDeserts.com cultural, educational, scientific, social and sustainable projects we still could not build first ecosystem restoration, reforestation and greening camps in Europe who are affected by droughts,.. medium.com/@DesertGreening/gβ¦
Climate, nature and environmental protection is also species protection and human protection. Support global Greening Deserts projects like the biodiversity and ecosystem restoration camps for coastal areas, man-made deserts and damaged forests. We together can fix it worldwide!
Ecological forestry and nature-near forests with much biodiversity are the key to global health and healthy environments. Agroforestry or food forests can reform agriculture. Read more about ecosystem restoration, greening and reforestation @GreeningDeserts projects. #ecoforestry
Every day is #WorldFoodDay, but sadly not for anyone. Over 800 million humans suffer by hunger, millions of children in many nations. Even in rich countries many people are so poor that they can’t get enough healthy food! The world produces enough food.. issuewire.com/greening-deserts-trillion-trees-initiativeβ¦
In 2016 we started the international greening movement in Africa, Europe and India, South Asia. Now it is a global movement! Many African states planted millions and some even billions of trees. Thank you! #BillionTrees #GreeningAfrica #GlobalGreening #Reforestation #TreePlanting
Improve forestry, forest ecosystems and biodiversity by increasing native forest plants, endangered tree species and with indigenous advise or knowledge. You can read countless articles and tweets here and on the project pages. #ForestHealth #DryForest #MixedForest #WetForest
Since first forest observation from space and satellites who mapped vegetation it is clear how much trees planet Earth has/had approximately – thanks to ESA and NASA. Studies with more precise figures used the data, but not including all hidden and small trees. #3TrillionTrees
Since years we support biodiversity, greening and reforestation in Africa by advises, promoting and sharing forest projects. Regreening is more than planting trees or green plants. #DRR #GlobalGreening #ForestDays #IntlForestDay #WetForest #Wetlands #Wildlife #WorldWaterDay
Started a new forest campaign to support peace-building by sustainable greening and reforestation called ‘Plant Trees For Peace’. United nations should help us to create healthy ecosystems for more global health and peace. #EarthDay #IntlForestDay #PeaceDay s #PlantPeaceTrees
The Trillion Trees Initiative is not only about plants and forests, but also about animals, insects and ecosystems with trees. The main focus is on biodiversity conservation, endangered tree species and humans. Indigenous peoples, art, cultures and experiences are other themes.
Global browning, dark soils, damaged or dry soils, urban concrete deserts, streets, deforestation, desertification or land degradation are main factors in global warming. Brown, grey or dark surfaces heat up faster and longer. Evergreens, brighter / reflective surfaces could help
Global Greening Camps and Trillion Trees Initiative for Europe and Africa can reduce climate change effects and bad impacts like desertification, droughts, land degradation and water scarcity! #DRR #GlobalGreening #Reforestation #Regreening #UrbanGreening
Global Greening and Urban Greening, greater biodiversity and better ecosystem restoration are the best solutions for cooling and regreening planet Earth. That’s why the Global Greening Organization and Trillion Trees Initiative started many projects for issuewire.com/global-greeninβ¦
Greening camps are for people and regions that need better greening solutions, techniques and practices to accelerate and improve greening efforts. Most facilities can be run by locals and operate independently. It’s not necessary to buy land, we can lease if really necessary.
It is a unique concept that offers people and regions everything they need to improve biodiversity, ecosystem restoration, regreening and reforestation. Main tasks are the sharing and provision of know-how, plants, equipment and corresponding resources – also for #UrbanGreening
A new campaign and project for water canisters to help people in drought-affected regions such as Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia has been launched. Mobile water storage for better fire protection, urban greening, roof gardens and much more. #WaterCanisters #RainWater #Irrigation
Calling United Nations, European and African Union to immediately establish an emergency water infrastructure and transport fresh water, canisters and solar pumps to drought-affected regions. #DRR #Drought #EastAfrica #watercrisis #waterscarcity #watersharing #UNWaterConference
For growing fast food, use #microgreens like certain beans and seeds that germinate quickly. You can grow fast food in just a week! The fastest solution, works even in bottles, cans or trays. Also try using natural or wild herbs and ask indigenous people for advice, seeds,..
If UN or EU finally supports us we could start a bigger campaign for mobile water canisters and water filter tubes. We couldn’t start because there was a lack of interest and support. Maybe it will change this year? #Africa #Drought #DRR #MobileWater #Umbrella #RainWater #WaterCanister #WaterFilters
It’s great that many are talking or sharing about water issues and the upcoming #UNWaterConference, but the attention and main issue in this regard should be the food, drought and water crisis in East Africa! Every day and aid counts now, as water shortages reach critical levels. Mar 19
In 2022 we wanted to start a project for water canisters to support people in affected drought regions like in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. They could also be useful for better fire protection, urban greening, roof gardens and so much more. #MillionCanister Campaign for Africa.
Innovation of the Year is a well-known item that has been transformed into a multifunctional item for disaster preparedness. The fire protection canister in German Brandschutzkanister was developed for first aid, humanitarian purposes and relief actions – especially for people and aid operations who need freshwater and rainwater. The canister concept is also for regions that are or have been affected by droughts, floods and fires. The canister solution and project could save many lives – if the founder and project developer finally receives financial and proper support for his project developments. International partners and sponsors are also welcome to join further projects like CESRPP, GreeningCamp, PalmCoffee, PalmForest and SolarCoolBox.org.
The idea and project for the mobile fire protection and drinking water canister was started by @DJOGC during the first signs of a creeping drought in 2022. The innovation is not just a special concept idea, but a combination of important elements such as an umbrella and a water filter pipe or tube to collect, save and protect fresh and rain water. With this innovative invention, people will have better access to clean water and safe drinking water. The canisters can also be equipped with off-road wheels or a suitable rack. With all these features and functions, it is even a world first and could improve the food and water security of many countries or regions. Every responsible nation should establish a depot or reservoir to have quick access in case of emergency. It is important to have much clean canisters in reserve!
Not much media and governments reporting about such important issues or taking it not serious enough. The droughts and associated impacts are the main cause of most of the problems, especially related to the ongoing food and water crisis in East Africa. Somalia is most affected..
Deforestation and palm oil production is responsible for much of biodiversity loss, climate changes and global warming. Millions of hectares of ancient forests, rainforests and billions of trees are lost. That’s why we started the project #PalmForestOrg for more real palm forests.
Since 2018 we informed many African nations and regions like in North Africa. People and organizations from Morocco to Egypt were interested. First 50 million palms each year, later more, including many species of palm trees and other plants like bamboo and hemp. #Agroforestry++
Greening Deserts project developer developed some very innovative alternatives and really sustainable solutions how to reduce the bad impacts of palm oil plantations. You can read more about the global project for palm forests, how to reduce or transform monocultures and palm oil plantations to more environmentally friendly areas with more biodiversity, higher yields and better climate. Stop new plantations in biodiverse and rainforest regions, make them instead in man-made deserts and wastelands! So easy. #FoodForests #PalmForests medium.com/@GreeningCamp/greening-deserts
Main focus is on biodiversity, various plant and tree species that have been lost or are endangered. We can return them to forest, grassland and wetland ecosystems on a large scale. Greening camps and mobile greenhouse containers can accelerate and enhance all of these efforts.
Greening Deserts started the Greening MENA project to reduce desertification and land degradation by sustainable desalination, irrigation, greening and reforestation especially in North Africa. #GreeningMENA #GreatGreenWall #NorthAfrica #TrillionTrees
On International Forest Day, remember biodiversity and ancient forests, indigenous cultures and native plant species. Reduce deforestation, protect old trees and rainforests. Support reforestation of damaged ecosystems with endangered tree species! #InternationalForestDay
The Trillion Trees Initiative calls on all nations, churches and religious leaders to do more for the global peace process. More communication, diplomacy and peacebuilding are needed to end such conflicts and wars, especially between America, China, Europe, Russia and Ukraine.
The only way to achieve real peace is to admit one’s own mistakes, through reasonable communication, peace-building and understanding. Ignorance, further military aggression, armament and violence are no solution to create true and lasting peace. #PeaceBuilding #PeaceProcess
The Trillion Trees Initiative respects all world religions and cultures of good faith. We do not favor any particular religion or deity. If some religions have many gods and goddesses, only one or no god, we should all respect that. #ReligiousFreedom #GoldenRule #WorldReligions
Global and Urban Greening, along with greater biodiversity conservation and better ecosystem restoration are probably the best solutions to most of the problems mentioned. This is also why the Drought Research, Global Greening & Trillion Trees Initiative started. #DroughtResearch
Climate disasters caused by severe weather events are normal, but when climate and environmental systems are out of balance, they become even more intense. Severe droughts can be followed by severe floods, as in Malawi in recent days. #DRR #WorldWaterDay s foreignpolicy.com/2023/03/22β¦
After reading the recent news about the disaster, we all hope that as many nations and organizations as possible will help to overcome the water crisis in the affected regions – be it the effects of the drought and water shortage or the damage caused by the floods and storm. Mar 22
Disaster preparedness can be improved by better Disaster Risk Reduction, warning systems and water management. More emergency infrastructures and protection equipment can help, too. Nature-near solutions like trees and wetlands or wet forests can reduce flood impacts, too. #DRR2
Droughts and heat waves of recent years clearly show that the climate crisis has a significant impact on our lives, the environment, consumption and our economy. Climate change adaptation with greening, reforestation and resilient plants, trees or forests can help. #IntlForestDay
Greening Deserts includes also the Drought Research Institute. It is an ongoing project development with many connections to similar projects, much contacts, experiences, studies and works – experts, networks and scientists included. If the project get finally real, active and with financial support, we can build an extra platform to publish or share more of our work and important research such as historical, innovative and very professional climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, disaster preparedness, drought forecasting and real sustainable solutions – especially for Africa and Europe. Our work already saved many lives during the drought years and droughts since 2018. Many people, organizations and even famous institutions used our work, also for other sectors like economy, education,.. – can be proven on many ways!
Here some articles about #desertification, #deforestation, droughts and pollution in Europe. Nations must act faster. #desertgreening #regreening renewablematter.eu/articles/β¦, phys.org/news/2022-06-sands-β¦, theguardian.com/commentisfreβ¦, greeningdeserts.com/drought-β¦ #reforest #desertforest #wetforest
In Africa and Europe there was no independent research institute for drought research, greening solutions, greentech, urban greening, reforestation and desert research. This was also a reason for the planning and project developments like #DroughtResearch and #GlobalGreening.org.
Support the Drought Research Institute with focus on desertification, deforestation, disaster preparedness, mining, land degradation, greening or regreening, drought prevention and reduction, risk and water management,… #DRM #DRR #DroughtPrevention #DroughtResearch #SoilRescue
The Trillion Trees Initiative is part of Greening Deserts with the global project for the Drought Research Institute. It is the first ongoing project development for a special institute of this kind for and in Africa and Europe. #DRI #DRR #DroughtResearch.org #GlobalGreening.orgg
The world’s first drought research institute is a major project development with main focus on causes, impacts and prevention of #droughts and #megadroughts. The Global Greening Deserts and Trillion Trees Initiative could work better and faster with active and financial support.
Time is running, each day counts. Act now this month! Prepare all you can to reduce risks of more extreme drought effects or impacts. The creeping drought in Africa and Europe is crawling and expanding. Many scientists predict a dry and hot summer. It’s very serious #DRR #DRR2!
#IntlForestDay #WorldWaterDay Most of the world’s fresh water comes from forests. People who will not sustain trees will soon live in a world that will not sustain people. – Bryce Nelson To be without trees would, in the most literal way, to be without our roots. – Richard Mabey
Most of the global freshwater comes from forests. World’s waters and weather cycles depend on trees. #TrillionTrees Initiative .. We need water and we need these forests. Wangari Maathai kidadl.com/articles/best-watβ¦
In memory of the inventor of the Green Belt Movement, which was followed by the Billion Trees Initiative and Great Green Wall. With best wishes for all African people and nations. Unite by healthy environments, forests and nature. Remember your roots, trees and indigenous people.
One reason we started the startup and project development for the Global Greening Institution and to push or support the global greening process. #GlobalGreening.org and #TrillionTrees.eu+in is n will be the world’s main platform for global greening, regreening and reforestation.
The Trillion Trees Initiative is not just about trees, but to support the global greening or regreening process. Reforestation and planting tree species is just a part. Creating, expanding and supporting natural ecosystems like grasslands, forests and wetlands are the main tasks.
Trillion Trees Initiative supports recycling actions, developments and initiatives because it’s part of the concept of each ecosystem restoration, reforestation and Greening Camp project – same with cleantech like solar technologies for desalination. Kelp and underwater forests..
We have briefed hundreds of climate scientists and researchers on the drought issue and why there are so few research facilities. Especially science parks in Africa that could use such professional facilities. So we decided to start a campus for #DroughtResearch.com! #DRR #RM #WM
We, the Global Greening and Trillion Trees Community, hope that many nations will join the global greening movement and the Great Green Wall project for North Africa, as well as further global greening camp projects. #GlobalGreening #TrillionTreesInitiative
We supporting indigenous and regional efforts for biodiversity, species conservation and environmental protection for years. Keep up the great work, let’s protect world’s rainforests! They need more active protectors, native or indigenous rangers,.. #IntlForestDay #rainforest #wetforest #worldforest
Cutting global food waste is one part, already many people and organizations working on. Avoiding overproduction, improving production on-demand, preserving food, and keeping food fresh should be equally important! More efficient transport, cooling, solar drying, pulverization,.. read more.
It is time to fight global hunger for more than 800 million people and hundreds of millions of children through better food sharing, preservation and distribution systems. greeningdeserts.com/greening⦠#agroforestry, #DRR #UN #foodsecurity, #foodsharing, #foodpreservation #WorldFoodDay
Forests hold and provide much of the freshwater for all life on planet Earth. #ForestDay #IntlForestDay #WorldWaterDay God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools. – John Muir
Here some more Palm Sunday quotes, good prayers and wishes for Africa. Enjoy the Holy Week and have a great Easter or Pasha holiday – whether you are a Christian or not. Belief in the good in humans and faith. #PalmSunday #PalmLeaves #PalmWeek
Congrats people of California! Finally, some officials who really doing something to implement the most effective solution to avoid or reduce microplastics in urban wastewater and water cycles. To much plastic waste ends up into rivers and oceans – and in the fishes at the end.
Informed many times about such big plastic waste problems and solutions. I thought the EU and UK would introduce European standards for all households in 2022. A microplastic filter costs not much and can be fully subsidised! Wake up Europe, stop ignorance n missed opportunities.
European actors or such actions are also responsible for many man-made climate disasters, more extreme droughts, floods, fires and water problems caused by certain agriculture, forestry and mining firms. Coal and wood burning destroys and kills the most. euractiv.com/section/climateβ¦
Further pollution and heating of climate and environment by responsible industries and humans leads to more conflicts and crises! Telling these issues since years, offered solutions so many times. #globalcooling #globalgreening #peaceprocess #urbangreening msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidou
Instead of pumping tax money into destruction and pollution, UN members should use it for international aid, DRR, education AND cultural, ecological, scientific and social development. Fossil fuel subsidies alone are ~6 trillion, but that’s nothing compared to military spending.
Only 26 hours of global military spending is enough to cover the $5.5 billion needed to help most at risk. Hundreds of millions of children suffer from hunger, many die each day! This was 2021,how is it now 2022? #ChildrensRights #ChildPoverty #HumanRights rescue.org/press-release/aidβ¦
In 2021 e-waste is surging at 57.4 million tons with just 17.4% being recycled as per 2019 figures. 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled. #ewaste #plasticwaste #recycling #wastefacts ourworldindata.org/plastic-pβ¦, theguardian.com/environment/β¦, sciencenews.org/article/annuβ¦
Never forget Repair! Developed a great formula for real sustainable living, production, consumption and working. It is Recycle, Repair, Replace, Reuse and Upcycle β especially for e-waste and plastics. #RRRRU greeningdeserts.com/species-protection… #Recycling #Upcycling #ZeroWaste #ZeroWasteDay
Global Greening & Trillion Trees Initiative @TrillionTreesInitiative Mar 23
Many ecosystems reached their limits. Carbon sinks and sequestration decline, turning into sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Risks of more extreme climate or weather events like droughts, forest fires, floods and storms increase that effects. Oceans also will reach limit… is this responsible governance and science? Since years we inform climate scientists, environmental organizations and responsible people, also in or of the UN network. Still today many ignore this, important facts and do not support our work. So it will not get better! #DRR
Marine protected areas, paper parks, policies and other measures are not very effective if lakes, rivers, oceans and other waters continue to be polluted. Many ecosystems in general or worldwide are damaged by air pollution, plastics and other harmful or toxic factors! MPAs can.. read more.
OMG, 1% climate funding for indigenous people and communities who protecting over 80% of world’s biodiversity!? A clear evidence that over decades global organizations and even UN missed to finance the best nature protectors and solutions for biodiversity! news.mongabay.com/2021/11/inβ¦
Seems EU don’t want to learn, stop wood burning, destroying biodiversity, carbon sinks and forests who are the last chance to reduce the crises. If Europe fails to stop this humanity, won’t survive – coal combustion, wood industry,.. are mainly responsible. #ecocide #genocide
The EU must stop burning trees for renewable energy Wood burning is many times more harmful for air, health, soils and waters as coal or lignite! If responsibles ignoring the environmental destruction and death rates they aren’t better as the polluters. politico.eu/article/the-eu-cβ¦
These “protected areas” are often not good protected because many nations do not follow their own laws, plans and rules they proudly presented at events like COP26, COP27 or COP15. The other main problem you can see in the picture. Many #MPAs are ineffective so long root causes like air, plastic and water pollution are not really solved or reduced. Greenwashing or false solutions like 30×30 or unrealistic targets will not solve these problems! Further ignorance of all these factors will even make things worse. #AirPollution #OceanPlastics #RiverPlastics
In Africa, only about 4,000 of the 2.2 million tonnes of e-waste are collected – less than 0.5%! Insufficient collection rates and informal dumping pose significant environmental and health risks. Why are so many of these “great leaders” silent on this issue? #AU #EU #UN There is..
Stemming the Plastic Tide: 10 Rivers Contribute Most of the Plastic in Oceans Read also how all these plastics can be collected and recycled faster with Recycling Ships. @Recycling_Ship #PlasticRecycling #PlasticFishery #PlasticFishing #PlasticMarket! scientificamerican.com/articleβ¦
All articles, contributions or posts and tweets were stored on countless networks, history archives and university servers.Β More weekly or monthly tweets you can see by using the search function, to get a better overview or finding special topics etc.. Each active and constructive feedback is welcome. If you want to help or support a bit, even if it is just by symbolic sharing, it would be also a nice gesture. Thank you!
Agroforestry, forestry and agriculture with oaks and hemp can improve soils, biodiversity and water balance. Greening Deserts launched the projects Agrarhanf.com,Β Bodenrettung.comΒ and Eichenwald.orgΒ to support the worldwide agroforestry and global greening movement. Oaks harbor and enhance biodiversity more than any other trees.
The contributions and projects are intended to support forestry and agricultural managers with useful ideas, impulses and innovative solutions. We recommend planting tree rows more densely in the beginning and then singling out individual trees as the years go by. In the beginning, larger trees can be planted and slightly smaller ones in between, which are then useful as replacements and for the region. This technique is very proven in Eastern Europe and the agroforestry is therefore also a kind of tree nursery. Agroforestry systems are less susceptible to forest fires.
Mitigation of climate change impacts through healthier and stronger ecosystems, higher soil and air moisture are essential for survival, especially with the increasing loss of cropland worldwide. Flowering trees and wildflowers on trees can attract more pollinators and important insects (beneficial insects) which, like birds, also reduce pests. Agroforestry is therefore one of the best ways to adapt to climate change and extreme weather events such as droughts.
Alternative tree species with nutritious berries and nuts as well as hardy palms can be found on Greening Deserts project pages and naturally on the Leipzig Palms Project. In the meantime, there are also plenty of suitable industrial hemp varieties, just read the official regulations for the cultivation of hemp in Germany. We recommend undemanding, tall-growing and narrow hemp varieties for the production of hemp fiber. Bushier sorts for more leaves and hemp seeds, such as for food and feed. Commercial hemp can significantly reduce nitrogen and methane emissions, this has been confirmed many times by international researchers and studies. Some hemp varieties require very little water and can improve long-term biodiversity, nutrient supply and soil moisture. Similar to lupines, hemp can also be used as a green manure, for example if there are times when yields or growth are not so good in individual years, the plants can be added to the soil after harvesting together with compost and / or leaves. For hemp cultivation, no pesticides and very little fertilizer are needed.
There are multiple options of tree planting, especially drought-tolerant oaks! Planting of pre-germinated seeds, e.g. germinated acorns, transplanting of young plants and cuttings around old trees in open areas in the forest or at the forest edge. Purchasing perennial oaks and seedlings from nurseries especially for urban regions and urban areas where larger trees are needed. If there is extreme abundance of oaks and saplings in some years, they can be taken from old trees. Otherwise it would be a pity if they die in the forest due to lack of light or are destroyed by mowing on meadows in the park. As a result, many millions of oaks are probably lost every year. The projects, campaigns and initiatives should also change or improve this, for example by showing how to do it, giving useful tips and having many people follow the movement. Not only people from the concerned areas but also people from all areas and branches, also from the educational area, for example young people from schools and students from universities. After all, collecting and planting oak trees is not only a nice balance to intellectual work, it is good for health and properly implemented also a kind of sport. In addition, one is more outside in nature and can learn a lot.
One can harvest acorns very effectively in places with the raking and a special vacuum cleaner, sustainably and only a part at a time, especially at half mast and blast mast. As some clever farmers, foresters and forest owners have already done. Every year there are acorns in abundance, according to estimates several thousand tons, sustainable harvesting would not harm ecosystems, on the contrary… too much acorns are not good for soils! You can harvest acorns very effectively in places with raking and a special vacuum cleaner, sustainably and only a part at a time, especially with half mast and blast mast. As some smart farmers, foresters and forest owners have already done.
With healthy and natural feeds like hemp and acorns you can replace many of these feeds in the short term and in the long term! Especially oaks with large fruits are suitable for agroforestry, where rows of trees are planted in fields. Useful crops can then be grown between the rows. Acorns are good not only for animals, but also for humans, as a healthy addition to the diet or medicine. Acorn meal is very healthy and acorns with residual bitter compounds are good for the stomach and intestines.
The potential for more sustainable livestock production is enormous. In Spain, animals are partially fed on oak trees. Iberian acorn-fed pigs eat only acorns, grasses and herbs from pastures. Acorn fattening and pig fattening could also in Germany not only reduce feed costs, costly and environmentally harmful procurement of feed. It would protect together with increased hemp cultivation soils and forests worldwide, since soils are destroyed less by deforestation and harmful crops. Of course, meat consumption or production should also be reduced globally – especially overproduction and senseless waste.
There is simply too much food being wasted, thrown away or going bad; improved distribution and preservation through better or faster drying could help. At the same time, less environmentally damaging crops such as corn, canola and soy should be grown along the way. Particularly intensive agriculture damages soils; oily plant parts can seal soils or repel water. This is fatal when prolonged droughts dry out the soil severely and rain then does not seep in well in many places or even runs off completely on the surface.
In order to bring forward topics such as species conservation, biodiversity, education, climate and environmental protection, as well as to promote a more sustainable forestry and agriculture, we want to increasingly involve schools and universities in our actions as well as projects in the years until 2030. The OakPark and OakForest project Eichenwald.org was established together with the Schools Forest Initiative in 2019 and 2020.
We want to plant about 50,000 trees for and region, together with schools and school classes. The floodplain forest could be extended by a few meters at the edges! If one the relationship of the enormous meadows and open spaces which lie around the Auwald and forests in Saxonia one asks oneself why no or so few forest extensions were made until today. There is enough space around the alluvial forest and forests in Saxony. One does not need therefore necessarily a new forest to plant. Already on a meter band more forest at the edge of the forest thousands of new trees could be planted! If the work and projects are finally financially and actively supported, the actions and projects can be implemented more quickly, even by the end of 2023. Otherwise, due to lack of money and time, all the work and other important projects of the founder can unfortunately not hire helpers, get equipment or stuff is needed and will plant the oaks themselves over time and then plant out somewhere else. Then, unfortunately, there will be no Leipzig forest expansion with many important tree species and oak varieties. Because without any payment and support it simply does not work, especially under the current circumstances and plight of the founder, which lives since spring at subsistence level. The Oak park and forest actions since a few weeks takes almost all working time and free time, if there comes no support thousands of sprouted acorns will be planted in buckets, pots and bags. This saves a lot of time and ways.
Almost 40,000 oaks have already been planted over the years in Germany and regions of Europe. These are now well adapted to the drought, because they were planted out early and thus could root deeply. In Leipzig and region about 12,000 oaks were planted out! The founder of the Urban Greening Camp and Vertical Farming Startup has collected acorns from many different trees, these can then be easily put into the ground when they have germinated. The germination rate is very high and the mortality rate very low because oaks root very quickly and deeply – so they survive drought years quite well as we have unfortunately had more often now.
Oaks support more biodiversity than any other German or native trees. Individual specimens with hundreds of species have been discovered and recently even a world record with well over a thousand species! As some Greening Deserts articles and projects have already well shown or extensively explained. Projects and programs like the Trillion Trees Initiative have been exploring these relationships for years, especially the relationship between biodiversity, healthy ecosystems and trees that are essential for the survival of many other species. If we save, protect and propagate key tree species on which many other species depend, we also protect many thousands of species in the plant and animal kingdoms, as well as soils, waters, microorganisms, insects and fungi! Key species and endangered tree species should be primarily introduced into ecosystems and forests. Various EU organizations and official bodies were informed the years several times – also directly by email and contacted with many letters, unfortunately ignored by many or answered only superficially. The Urban Greening and Vertical Farming Startup not only wants more creative urban greening with tree containers or raised beds and planting walls. It also wants to establish more mini-forests in Leipzig and the region, also to create hotspots for biodiversity. Municipalities, farmers and forest owners from all over Germany are invited to provide parts of their area(s) for this project.
It is a win-win situation for everyone as such a mini-forest promotes a good climate and insect diversity in the region, in addition various tree species can also be planted more densely to use them in the future for further reforestation or forestation in the region, this is not only logistically sensible, but also saves money, time and resources. The small forests can serve as a diverse nursery or growing forest, so to speak. Greening Deserts founders have been creating the concept for several years and to date it is mature, because it is to be implemented together with the emerging movement of agroforestry and agrovoltaics throughout Germany and then Europe. The main project can be reached under GreeningCamp or GreeningDeserts.com, in addition the Trillion Trees Initiative and various forest projects will support this movement in the future.
Greening Deserts founders and researchers explore with various projects not only drylands and arid ecosystems, but also wetlands such as floodplains, alluvial forests, wet forests, bogs or swamps, lake and river landscapes. Long-term studies of marsh trees and wetland plants have been carried out, including photographic studies and in such a number of wetlands of Europe. Swamps and bog forests have been documented over many years. Results will be published with the projects and project developments like Eichenwald.org, MoorForest and SwampForest.org in the future. The international platform will then be accessible at WetForest.org. For years we have been recommending the reforestation and expansion of peatlands, which can store more carbon CO2 than any other ecosystem, and to further reduce emissions, especially methane emissions, trees should be planted. Swamp or bog trees such as swamp oak or bald cypress grow relatively fast and together with organisms such as bacteria and fungi can stabilize the water bodies or wet soils, in some cases even bind methane as well as convert it. Wetlands without trees warm up faster than moist forests which cast shade and are much cooler than open areas. This is also a reason why wetlands release more methane, forest ecosystems suffer from droughts or extreme drought, store less carbon and can even release it – especially through forest fires and dried out or destroyed soils. Mixed forests and tree species that favor soil moisture also have a much lower risk of wildfire. Trees can cool the area by many degrees, even in urban areas, almost all cities should know this by now.
Air pollution, insecticides and pesticides are not only a threat to bees, they also endanger many other species, especially near agricultural and livestock farms. Many of the trees and forests typically found in forestry are monocultures and conifers such as Douglas fir, spruce, pine, larch and fir – unfortunately, these do not provide much nectar. Nearly 80 percent of conifers were felled because of damage. At just under 70 percent, the share of damaged wood in total logging in 2019 was more than three times higher than in 2010. As already described in the article on the Leipzig Oak Park of Diversity project, strong tree species such as oaks are also affected. Whether due to pests, powdery mildew or drought stress, the plants suffer greatly from the drought. Like many deciduous trees, oaks belong to the deep-rooted species, which fetch water from lower soil layers. What they do not need themselves, they release closer to the surface. This makes oaks good soil regulators, for example through pronounced symbioses with microorganisms and fungi. Oaks and other robust trees are suffering from climate change, as are many people and animals. Tree damage and forest degradation result not only from fires, drought and heat waves, but also from fungal infestations, pests, snow breakage, storms, floods and environmental toxins – as well as air and water pollution.
According to climate research, long-term studies and weather experts, extreme drought is becoming normal in Europe in the summer. In spring, many places around the world also lack the water needed for healthy plant growth. Soils and forests can hold less water because the important reservoirs are not only dried out but damaged, i.e. the storage capacity is reduced and in some cases reduced for years. When middle and deeper soil layers harden, humus layers turn to dust or are destroyed, even a lot of rain will not help for the time being. It then takes years of moderate rain and some plant growth until these soil layers are loosened and watered again. Trees, hedges and other plants that can form complex, strong and deep roots need several years to loosen medium and deep soil layers again. This is why ground cover, soil conservation measures and deep rooting plants like thistles are so important. Greening Deserts has therefore started the project SoilRescue.eu and TrillionTrees.eu.
The destruction of soils by extensive agriculture, surface mining and drainage accelerates land degradation. A major problem is the hardening and water repellency of soils due to greasy or oily surfaces. Fats, oils, and waxes from plant parts fall to the ground with the particulate matter. Rain then cannot penetrate the top layer of soil and runs off superficially. Factors such as soil type, plant species, temperature and the degree of desiccation determine how water repellent the soil becomes. Often, soils cannot be loosened by plowing until after harvest. However, if the drought lasts for a long time, there is a risk of soil erosion by wind – especially in the fall there are more winds and storms. We can all only hope that there is not another winter drought, as this would damage the soils for years to come. Already in 2018, more soil conservation measures should have been implemented, such as covering with ground covers, emergency irrigation with extra canals, ponds and rainwater storage above ground or underground. There are some other effective and innovative methods such as agrophotovoltaics, hemp cultivation, and desert bamboo.
Due to tree mortality during drought years, Germany is missing billions of trees; these cannot be replanted quickly by private and state forestry companies. This is compounded by more difficult conditions due to extreme weather and future droughts. Many of the new forest plantings since 2018 have died, often far more than half of all young trees. Movements like Fridays for Future and school groups should be involved in a variety of reforestation and planting activities – such as collecting seeds, planting trees and wildflowers. Especially for children and young people, it makes sense to combine healthy exercise, nature and fresh air with meaningful actions for people and the environment. During the actions you can not only learn a lot but also get a better understanding of nature and the environment. Especially in this autumn there is a chance to collect millions of acorns for new plantations and to plant perennial trees. This can be done basically all winter long if it gets as mild as 2019, there were even weeks in January and February with spring temperatures.
Reforestation and other tree planting activities should be concentrated more in the fall and more in the spring with the current climate conditions. This will give the young trees more time to root deeper and have a higher chance of surviving in a new drought year. Of course, extra watering can be done, and often a simple plastic bottle with drip irrigation is all that is needed. This simple irrigation technique is often seen in Africa and India. So you don’t need to buy new products or techniques for watering trees, there is already enough plastic waste! SchoolsForest and ‘Schools Reforest’ is a project idea of Greening Deserts and together with other planting actions, in a community, could plant the areas with forest damage faster than you think.
Contributions and quotes of Greening Deserts founder:
Agroforestry is one of the best ways for forestry and agriculture to adapt to climate change and extreme weather events such as droughts. It allows for more sustainable agriculture and ecological forestry, as an agroforestry using only trees as a type of nursery is also possible. #ClimateAdaptation
Climate protection, nature conservation and environmental protection is species protection, so it is also human protection.
Europe should finally wake up and promote more hemp cultivation to support biodiversity, CO2 storage, ecosystem restoration and soil improvement – especially in drought regions and areas with deforested or degraded soils. More sustainable agriculture is possible if hemp production increases in European countries. Healthy agriculture with hemp also requires no pesticides and very little fertilizer or some green manure and mineral fertilizers such as rock meal every year.
Greening Deserts and Trillion Trees Initiative has been informing EU and parties for years about the problems of burning fossil fuels like wood and coal. Don’t burn trees and forests, use hemp and rice straw for building, animal feed…. #agriculturalhemp.com #hempcultivation #industrialhemp.
Greening Deserts has launched new sustainable organic farming projects. One of them is called #Agrarhanf.de, a German project for industrial hemp that can improve biodiversity, animal and soil health – and reduce carbon and methane emissions! #organic farming #hemp fodder #hemp pellets.
Hemp can help improve air, climate, soil and water quality. Hemp plants support biodiversity and protect forests. Global hemp cultivation can reduce climate change impacts such as deforestation, desertification and global warming.
Hemp paper like hemp toilet paper can reduce deforestation and global warming worldwide! Prevent forest dieback with #hemppaper, improve biodiversity and soils with hemp farming. #agricultural hemp #soil saver #soil conservation #climate saver #utility hemp.
Feeding agricultural hemp to cows can lower their stress levels and improve their overall health. Hemp could replace corn, soy and other polluting crops – saving forests, soils and rainforests! Like sea grass, agricultural hemp can reduce methane emissions from cows!
Greening Deserts projects like agricultural hemp help farmers, growers and foresters with biodiversity, soil and climate protection by providing useful hints and advice, such as soil improvement, effective plant breeding, sustainable nutrition, cheap and environmentally friendly feed sourcing.
Greening Deserts projects and facilities such as the Urban Greening and Vertical Farming Camp have achieved a breakthrough in drought research! Some indicator plants have been researched which can show early signs of drought. #DroughtResearch.com #droughtresearcher
For several years, Greening Deserts projects have been recommending politics and business to finally promote / encourage soil improvement with agricultural / industrial hemp on a large scale. See article Hemp cultivation in surface mining. Not much has happened to date. #agricultural hemp #hemp paper #hemp seed
Many companies in Germany are dedicated to paper production, hemp paper production is largely absent. The machines or production is set on waste paper or pulp. German machinery and paper manufacturers do not produce hemp paper on a large scale. #hemppaper
We don’t have much time left to stop global warming and the loss of biodiversity, of which cities and urban areas are a very large part. The simple formula applies: Urban Greening = Urban Cooling. That is why the projects like Greening Camp and the private organization GlobalGreening.org, among others, were founded. Global greening is the only large-scale and nature-based solution to noticeably cool the planet and particularly affected regions. With this, it may be possible to get back below 1.5 degrees by 2050.
We have briefed hundreds of climate scientists and researchers on the drought issue and why there are so few research facilities. Especially science parks in Africa that could use such professional facilities. So we decided to start a campus for #DroughtResearch.com! #DRR #RM #WM
We hope that Europe and Germany will finally use more hemp for biodiversity and large-scale soil improvement and drought protection. Drought or drought tolerant plants and trees such as sweet chestnuts, oaks,.. can improve agroforestry and ecological forestry in the long term and sustainably.
*Acorn fattening, also commonly called eckerich in German-speaking areas, was a widespread agricultural practice in Central Europe until the 19th century. Domestic pigs were driven into the woods to gorge themselves on acorns, beechnuts and chestnuts. The word “fattening” originally referred to the tree fruits used as cattle feed. Later it was restricted to acorns and beechnuts used as pig feed. Today, the word mast is generally used to refer to the “fattening” of animals. In addition, the seed production of oaks and beeches was called, for example, eckerich, ecker, acker or acker. From this, the acker was derived from an agricultural point of view. – Wikipedia
The article version was published in October 2022 by Oliver Caplikas.
Since March, there have been indications of significant climate changes, such as shifts in the annual air currents in spring, more drought and too few longer periods of rain. Increased human activities related to the pandemic, such as more heating from traffic, business and tourism, will make the already far too warm season even warmer. In addition there are heating factors since the beginning of the war in Europe, because the fossil industry, coal and armament industry has also a certain part in the global warming! Several streams in atmosphere and oceans are disturbed because of the extreme events during the last years, much has to do also with the huge amount of forest fires and global overactivity of the economy. Many companies produced more as normal, maybe because of compensating the loses during the high of the pandemic. Others pushed fossils likes coal, gas, oil and wood production after the war in Ukraine started. Typical human panic who made many things much more worse, similar like other hasty actions. More global warming,Β armaments or rearmament rising risks of conflicts and wars of course. Special solar activities are also scientifically interesting when it comes to climate changes, especially in the northern hemisphere.Β The article is also a kind of urgent letter and reminder to the responsible persons in politics, economy and science!Β For more details, graphs and information just contact via eMail or visit the official sites like Windfinder. For historical documentation and scientific purposes a few graphics and single screenshots of the last weeks with climate examples and weather data are attached, so you can clearly see the extreme weather events and phenomena. The vortex over the North Sea and the shifted air currents from the north block the air masses and winds from the Atlantic and the North Sea. Large humid air masses can be seen as not moving over Europe. This is or was the main problem for the first dry phase in spring and April as well as the current drought, heat wave and drought – especially in Southern Europe and North Africa. You can download the latest PDF draft here.
For affected regions various soil and water samples were collected, during dry periods one can see more exact and relatively unadulterated values – particularly in relation to river and lake water which is not falsified by influences as well as inflows from the agriculture or edge areas at the waters. After we have analyzed water samples from water bodies in the region of Leipzig and Saxony, one can see very well the water quality as well as overall conditions of the water bodies. It has been noticed that the water levels have dropped sharply, this is not only due to the lack of rain upstream and in the mountains. Reasons are lack of meltwater, strong winds and increased water uptake by vegetation after the very warm April. In early May, many established plants have shown very strong growth. Logical is also the increased groundwater consumption of trees, parks and forests which naturally draw more water from the groundwater without rain.
Deforestation and lawn mowing should be significantly reduced or even banned in times of drought and minor dry spells. As you could already see in 2018, many people and municipalities mow the meadows and lawns like crazy although they clearly see that it is much too dry. Mowing weakens the grasses or plants and also disturbs plant growth in the surrounding area. After mowing the last residual moisture of the injured plants evaporates, the soil then dries out rapidly and becomes hard as stone. Soil water in deeper layers continues to decrease and the soil hardens even in deeper areas. This is fatal because during heavy rains water can penetrate poorly often flows off over large areas. Flooding and landslides then occur. Such damaged soils then often need many years to soften again and to be loosened by appropriate planting and techniques also in the depth. In urban regions and inner cities, extreme weather conditions have even worse effects on soils, air and water quality.
Disturbed water cycles in the city can have dire consequences, and the risk of fire should not be underestimated either; the danger of field fires increases especially in the vicinity of fields and very dry meadows on the outskirts of the city. So it is not only forest fires and increased levels of forest fire risk that are dangerous. So why aren’t there appropriate field fire or urban fire warning levels during periods of extreme heat or drought? Greening Deserts also recommends that all households have an emergency supply of water, such as two canisters, so that in the event of an emergency, firefighting water is immediately available, because a fire is a matter of seconds or a few minutes. In addition, such water reservoirs on the floor or roof can reduce fire risks, because in an emergency also times lines or electricity fail and it is then missing the water supply on higher floors! See the big fire in London, especially with the flat roofs and new buildings, water reservoirs could be set up so easily on the roofs – similar to the silos, gardens and even small parks on high-rise buildings in New York. These not only cool the buildings and city, they increase biodiversity and improve air quality and health.
Unfortunately, the topics are communicated too little and the population is warned by official bodies far too little about risks such as fire danger in cities and peripheral areas, not properly informed about heating-up or concrete heat effects as well as precautionary measures! Especially the possibilities of fast, long-term and sustainable cooling with greening techniques, greentech and cleantech are not taken seriously enough in this respect. Often it is the typical tips and suggestions or lately the hypes around solar on the roof without the greening or also times facade solar into the hype or topic to include. Especially if it is already a topic, these two important fields would fit very well to the topic. This shows again the superficiality of certain institutions and politicians. It is definitely not a professional way, no matter which experts are or were involved. Also missing are health advises and warnings with regard to imminent droughts, heat and drought periods which have demonstrably claimed many lives over the years – unfortunately also due to a lack of education and warnings to the population. Authorities and unfortunately also certain institutions or institutes forget with the topic drought and heat waves the topic dry stress and increased fine dust level, because logically the air quality sinks with high dryness and fine dust of the country as well as traffic becomes thereby still more unhealthy.
General tips like cooling down with wet towels and drinking a lot of water are well meant, but are far from being enough for a really good or professional disaster protection or disaster preparedness. For years, Greening Deserts has been educating people about these problems and has also offered very good as well as innovative solutions. Unfortunately this has been ignored until today by responsible persons of the country, certain municipalities and cities in Germany, especially in the Leipzig region in Saxony where the Urban Greening Camp is located. There are several useful articles and extra press releases, especially about the extreme weather conditions, drought, dryness, heat waves and floods in East Germany. Also as already described adequate and good advice for better risk mitigation, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and good climate risk management. Unfortunately, to date, one does not hear or see serious changes in certain essential areas, especially in the areas of soil conservation and soil protection in dry seasons. Not only the forestry sector and in tree plantations, parks and parts of agriculture should establish better water management and DRR.
Logging and lawn mowing should be banned in extreme drought and heat periods! In the end, everyone should understand and see how pointless all the mowing and damage is. Who wants concrete hard, yellow and brown green areas in the city. This not only affects heating and mental health, it prevents future water storage and cooling effects! This then often creates even more extreme conditions and so-called heat islands which can produce in cities up to 4 degrees on average and in extreme cases even around 10 degrees higher temperatures than the average. As a result, many people die, especially those who are already burdened, old or sick. The communities, governments and particularly affected regions must finally take more responsibility in these contexts and act as quickly as possible. This does not only belong to a professional disaster control but to appropriate prevention and precaution – in addition it promotes somewhat the cause solution instead of the constant symptom fight which we see in so many ranges for years. After all, what good are somewhat improved plans and sporadic political will if action is not really taken correctly, consistently and in the long term or over time.
Read more about all these really important issues, problems, causes and truly sustainable solutions on Greening Deserts project pages as well as social pages.
http://greeningdeserts.com/projects, http://desertforest.org, http://globalgreening.org, http://montanteforest.org, http://wetforest.org
A few more important notes and advice for better prevention as well as Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) follow. Several EU and WHO officials have been informed several times since the last months through various channels about most of the issues in this article and with other articles as well as letters.
It is recommended to take droughts or even minor drought periods as seriously as heat waves! Disaster prevention and preparedness should include health as well as environmental factors. So not only health problems related to circulation and heat stress as usual, but also drought stress in combination with increased particulate matter pollution and air pollution in particularly affected regions. With extreme dryness and strong winds, even fine dust from the land, hazardous substances or toxins from agriculture can reach urban regions! Further toxins, exhaust gases and allergens for example by certain invasive grasses and smallest pollen can bring mixed life-threatening air even into relatively well protected areas, e.g. hospitals. Thus, for sick and weak people, extreme drought and drought stress can mean death similar to that caused by heat waves. One can educate more about this through appropriate official programs, precautionary actions and warnings – yes, even in certain news media and on the radio, and warn the population in time in case of prolonged dry periods. The interrelationships and seriousness have been underestimated for years, as some of the issues seemed to be settled with the heat problem. Still a well-meant advice to the analytical report and logical experience communication, one could recommend masks in strongly affected regions where eh already bad air is, approximately in city centers with bad air circulation or ventilation, like e.g. in Stuttgart which in a depression lies and no correct fresh air channels has We hope for soon insight of the policy and responsible persons, not only in large cities and urban regions, also in smaller municipalities or small cities more for a lasting greening and cooling can be done. A few more water areas or water features are also not wrong. People care about, save rainwater, fresh water or drinking water for worst case scenarios. It seems like we have aΒ creeping or silent drought in Europe. We scientists hope the best and that it will be not a too hot summer.
By the way, the graphics or photos and PDFs may be used, shared and copied! More pictures will follow, as well as an extra gallery and exhibition. We are looking forward to the new partners from Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South America!
Update May: Some more important information and updates. Greening Deserts Climate Emergency calls, urgent letters and reminders to EU and Germany are still not answered β some even ignored or refused letters by marking it as ‘Not read’, this ignorance is unbelievable. It are very serious issues in relation health, mental health, Children’s and Human Rights. Extreme weather events like the described droughts and too long dry periods affect not just mental health and environmental health, it’s a very serious issue to European food and water security!Β
Prolonged drought, declining soil moisture, falling groundwater and water levels (especially of rivers) are serious risks and threats to life. Regions at risk should be better prepared. The authorities can reduce risks and worsening of situations by several in affected regions in time and better inform the public! adequate measures and preparation, especially with involvement on timely education of the population! Political exploitation, questionable profiling, political games and concealment of important facts endanger not only human lives but also many parts of nature and the environment!
The founder of the Leipzig palm startup and Urban Greening Camp for greening and vertical farming developed a world innovation to improve urban habitats. This innovation called ‘Energy Storage Tree‘ can reduce costs of tree planting in cities and generally make urban greening more efficient and cost-effective. It involves innovative, mobile, modular, energy- and water-saving raised bed systems. Extensive concepts have been developed for initial energy storage raised bed systems. These mobile and modular raised bed systems for sustainable recreation, energy and water storage will make urban regions, large cities, small towns but also rural areas more livable. In fact, the raised beds can also be placed in village squares, tram or train stations and bus stops. Several innovations are combined in one general raised bed system and charging station. Energy and water storage enables sustainable and environmentally friendly operation. Ecological components, durability and low maintenance allows very efficient and long operation for decades – at least with minor corrections or repairs every few years. More details on the most important points will follow on the social and project pages. A comprehensive description of the basic concept and the standard variant were already published in August 2021.
The raised bed system is an energy storage station, a space or place to relax and recharge the batteries. The raised bed is equipped with small-growing tree species up to 5m. The special construction and processing of weather-resistant woods allow a long standing time, of course, it varies depending on the stand and location. The stability is increased by extra reinforced outer walls and inner walls with squared lumber in the corners, it is just taken usual measures for stabilization as it is common for raised bed construction. Due to the scalability, it can also be planted with many flowers, bushes, herbs and special shrubs or larger trees. The raised bed provides enough space and sufficient watering for the plants to grow well, also by good energy and atmosphere.
The standard dimensions for the standard design of the basic raised bed construction is 1.20Γ1.20Γ1.20m. The minimum basic or standard equipment consists of a mobile raised bed with foldable, robust and weather-resistant wooden benches or painted chipboard. If possible, the woods are treated with ecological or environmentally friendly varnishes or oils. The benches have a small angle of inclination towards the raised bed, so that rainwater can flow into the raised bed through latticed openings. All the inner sides of the raised bed are lined with pond liner and there are holes at the bottom as is common with large pots or planters. Below the raised bed there is an extra tray to catch rainwater. Excess water can drain down the side via drains a few inches above the bottom tray to prevent waterlogging in the raised bed, but at the same time water is available at the bottom for larger plants such as trees or shrubs. The lower compartment is accessible, the water can be drained at any time via a closable drain or water can be taken out for watering. The lowest side of the raised bed is extra reinforced with a solid plate, and is attached with rotating rollers with platforms made of metal or steel. Alternatively, a prefabricated rolling board can be attached at the bottom. These constructions provide extra stability and tilting of the raised bed becomes very unlikely, even with the simple standard variant, the raised bed stands firmly and stably. Due to the weight of the tree and the soil, the benches can be well loaded.
The extended standard variant contains three water reservoirs in the outer walls. One side has closable openings and extra compartments, the spaces between them are about 10-25cm wide, depending on the variant. The dimensions as well as designs are generally variable. Wide, high, rectangular or square raised beds can be made. Wide raised beds are suitable for shallow rooted plants and high ones for deep rooted plants. The benches or solar benches are set at about 50-60cm, so all people regardless of size can sit comfortably. Depending on the application, budget and location, smaller or larger raised bed systems are possible. Various casters can be attached or even replaced at the bottom of the solid top, depending on weight and size. Casters with locks and stoppers are available, or no casters for permanent and long-term installations. More details and sketches are in the utility model, concept and design papers.
Modular functions of the mobile raised bed allow a wide variation and a lot of additional applications. Lockable compartments and flaps provide access to spaces on the sides, for example, to perform cleaning, remove drains or add special fertilizer, mineral and water mixtures. The idea of give and take is harmoniously combined with the raised bed system. The spaces for the water storage tanks and lockable compartments for the modules are easily accessible and watertight. The modules such as adapters, energy storage, climate station and measuring devices are interchangeable – the latter are good for analyzing the tree or other plants, for example. The data can be retrieved, various devices and e-bikes can be charged via adapters. An expansion of the raised bed to include a mobile climate station for the city and regional climate would be conceivable, so like a connection to the power grid. The raised bed system will support the transition towards climate-neutral, greener and smarter cities and urban habitats. Sustainability and environmental awareness is additionally trained by the raised bed. The raised beds are also a meeting point for young people, pupils and students to get inspired by nature-based solutions and ideas. The raised bed system encourages raised bed construction at universities, schools and in school gardens.
Background on the sustainable and ecological developments
Ecological and recycled materials are preferred for raised bed construction. Inexpensive variants can even be realized with simple pallets or chipboard. These are previously oiled, painted or impregnated, as well as lined with pond liner so that they last for many years.
It took months and years to develop, studying raised beds and urban trees from around the world. The basic idea was born in 2017 and matured during the last months, the main reason and intention from the beginning was to make city tree planting more affordable, because especially in western countries like Germany a planting of a city tree can cost up to 3000 euros or even more – worldwide the price in big cities is at least around 1000 dollars. This was also one of the reasons to develop a mobile raised bed system which can reduce the price worldwide to far below 1000 dollars, depending on the country and material costs even below 300!
A raised bed for trees can of course also be realized with used barrels, rain barrels or IBC containers. This is especially suitable for communities and cities with little money, similar to poor regions in Africa or places with great poverty and poor soils. For this purpose, trees can even be kept for a few years in large sturdy garbage bags, as is done in some nurseries or tree plantations in developing countries.
The pattern of the simple standard variant of the raised bed system serves as a model for all cities in the world and is at the same time a good example for public use. More efficient and sustainable greening, resources and energy use is possible in the long run with different variants of the energy storage raised bed system. There is also some space under the raised bed, for example for stones. The concept and some design variants have been further developed by the Urban Greening Network project developer and founder of the new Leipzig palm startup since 2020. In August, final designs and excerpts from the general concept were published on various platforms and made available to the international community.
The world’s first nursery and vertical farming startup for endangered tree species was started by the Leipzig Palms and Urban Greening Camp project. The urban gardening company is connected with the scientific and private project for vertical farming. It is an ongoing project development until we expand into bigger halls of the building and start with the urban farming facilities for special herbs and vegetables. First we have to test a lot of vertical farming and lighting systems. We will keep you updated here and on the other official pages and channels.
There are also good news during the crisis, such as the creation of a successful startup for urban greening, green and clean technologies combined with innovation and knowledge management. Urban agriculture and vertical farming as well as plant cultivation with hydroponics is traded by futurologists as the future of agriculture. This was also a reason to develop an extra Urban Greening Camp in Leipzig years ago and to build it up since 2020. In the run-up, the first tree and plant species have already been cultivated, including particularly endangered species. Herbs and medicinal plants will be cultivated in further grow rooms which are in preparation. There is actual no vertical farming company worldwide who combines biodiversity conservation, urban farming, tree cultivation and species protection. It is also a model project and pilot for various innovative developments — for a more ecological farming and sustainable forestry worldwide, we call it Ecosystem Restoration Systems. #ecorestorsys
Urban Greening Camp vertical farming startup example for endangered trees.
The greening camps will cultivate many native plants and important trees for agriculture and forestry. Cities will be supplied through home improvement stores and garden centers. The camps will simultaneously serve education and training, development and research. Urban and vertical farming is being taken very seriously in some major Asian cities, and complete greenhouse buildings (Urban / Vertical Farming Towers) are even being planned. With sufficient support, we can also realize a vertical greenhouse over several floors in Leipzig. The Urban Greening Camp will not only cultivate plants under artificial light, but also with direct daylight. Innovative solutions and developments in the field of aquaponics, hydroponics and optics will be developed and tested – barrels, canisters and water tanks are already available. A suitable building has already been occupied, and initial talks have been held with the owner. It is not just about endangered tree species, vegetables or a few herbs, but about professional greenhouse facilities, storage and logistic systems – which are also needed for some important species conservation projects. The Urban Greening Camp is a center for biodiversity and species conservation, not only locally or regionally but internationally! Many species conservationists, conservation organizations, botanists, botanical gardens and environmentalists have already been informed and invited. Berlin and Leipzig has many flat roofs, these should be used much more for rooftop greening and roof gardens.
The Urban Greening Camp and Leipzig Palm Project is a platform for cultural, socio-economic and scientific exchange, online as well as directly on site. Active participants are welcome to join the innovative developments and projects. The garden market and tree nursery will cultivate not only palms, but also other important plants such as herbs, ethnobotanical and medicinal plants. Endangered tree species and important flowering plants for bees are also in the program. Permaculture, urban farming, community and urban gardening are not just trendy terms, they are global movements that can make cities more livable and environmentally friendly. In principle, the allotment garden movement which started with the poor gardens and allotments in the 19th century is the first urban gardening movement. For years we have been supporting the movement and cities on urban greening issues. Kindergartens, schools and universities also have the possibility to establish allotment gardens on their premises, talked with a lot of people about how to establish more horticulture, community and rooftop gardens in inner cities.
Green roofs and rooftop solar applications are together possible, so like community and rooftop gardens.
Since 2016, the founder of Greening Deserts has been developing projects such as the greening and research camps for sustainable reforestation, greening, green and clean technologies (cleantech and greentech). Species protection, climate protection, nature conservation, environmental protection and especially sustainable actions as well as economic activities are important tasks of the future ventures. Ecological education and environmentally conscious actions are also important points on the Global Greening Agenda developed by Oliver Caplikas together with colleagues from the EU and UN over the years. The international Greening Act and the new Green Deal have already been successfully implemented in some countries. It is about an honest and conscientious transformation of environmentally harmful economic sectors, the reduction of global overproduction and the improvement of consumption and environmental awareness of societies and the world population as a whole. That is why many innovative projects have been founded over the years, successful campaigns and initiatives have been carried out worldwide. Many people and organizations got inspired and followed the good example.
The crisis has set back some developments and projects, but brought others forward. Like the new Urban Greening project in Leipzig, which is currently focusing on innovative plant cultivation, storage and cooling systems – especially with regard to green building, sustainable architecture, energy storage and economical water management. All of this will be incorporated into future vertical farming solutions and systems that will be developed at the Urban Greening Camp. Solar, wind and water energy applications will play a crucial role. A research facility on a larger roof could show that green roofs and solar systems are possible at the same place and time, for which the Agrovoltaik project was founded. Another important topic is the education and increased promotion of facade solar systems, hydrogen energy storage, transparent solar technologies and Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT). Very interesting in this context is the combination of highly efficient processes for hydrogen production from solar and wind energy. It is so innovative like facade greening and solar facades for cooling and heat storage. Energy efficiency and energy storage plays a special role in the urban cooling and urban greening process. Insulation materials made of hemp and hemp wood are further innovations that are being promoted particularly strongly in Canada and Austria. Germany should not lose touch in many respects.
Another good urban vertical farming example to produce healthy food – depends on light, minerals, substrate and water quality.
The founder has informed many international institutions and universities about the potentials, especially in the field of building technology and energy storage solutions. In the future, buildings could be efficient energy storage devices and decentralized power plants; it is the future of a truly sustainable energy economy and more economical use of natural resources. Facade greening and photovoltaic facades can also protect against high heat and store heat. Urban greening in general can help cool cities and, of course, provides fresh air. More light-colored surfaces, such as lighter asphalt and concrete are also a good option; in New York and other cities, roofs have already been painted white to cool buildings. Greening cities and urban regions is key to urban cooling and thus global cooling.
We invite interested investors, strong partners and sponsors to join the further project development. In late summer, the first round and official meeting of interested parties will take place. Representatives of the city of Leipzig, Halle, Dresden, Berlin, Hamburg and other interested cities are also invited. We are looking forward to a successful start of the new startup and a greener future. Check also Greening Deserts other innovative projects like the Greenhouse and Recycling Ship! Together with other Startups we develop(ed) mobile greenhouse solutions so like greenhouse, solar and water containers which can collect and filter rainwater. We want to establish desalinization plants and applications for coastal greening and reforestation. Years ago we published some great concepts to use nature-based solutions like bamboo for loosen hard soils, to filter sea water and to improve the groundwater levels. @ #ecofarming #ecoforestry #ecorestorsys #greeningcoasts
Some more important points and summer updates:
The Leipzig Palms project and Urban Greening Camp is the world’s first nursery and vertical farming startup for indoor arboriculture and endangered tree species! Herbs and medicinal plants are cultivated in further grow rooms. We will use innovative cleantech, greentech and vertical farming techniques for tree cultivation and plant breeding of important plants.
There is no other vertical farming company worldwide who combines biodiversity, conservation, cleantech, greening, greentech, tree cultivation and urban farming. Welcome to the future of arboriculture!
The Urban Greening Camp, nursery and vertical farming startup for endangered tree species saving much energy, place, time, water and other resources by innovative management and real sustainable solutions.
The indoor farming startup in Leipzig works on the next room for critically endangered tree species, herbs and seed storage. Vertical farming will reach new dimensions with cleantech and greentech developments.
The vertical farming company office and workshop are connected with a large corridor to the other rooms and the main hall. The next room for critical endangered tree species is in progress. There are much more rooms, halls and floors in the building we can use in future – or we move to another similar building.
More classic and modern plant growing systems with good soils and substrates will be tested together with new grow lights and hydroponic systems. Manufacturers and sponsors are welcome to send us their products for testing and presentation.
We will test new light systems, not just LED, LEC, HID and CFL lights with optimal light for each plant or tree species and phases of growth — we call it the right light management. Lasers, robotics, sensors and webcams will improve the vertical farming results in future.
You are also welcome to visit the official business and social networks on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and…
Big thanks to the colleagues from Max Planck Society, New York and Toronto University for showing some support during the years — thanks going also to all the other institutions and organizations who don’t ignored the information letter. To all interested parties, welcome on board! You are always welcome to visit the camp in future. Your friend of nature from Leipzig in Saxony, Germany. Oliver G. Caplikas
Since 2018, new records have been set in terms of droughts, hottest months and driest years in centuries. The drought, heat and pests have been affecting the forests more and more since 2019 and unfortunately there is no improvement in sight in 2020 either. In Germany there was the most severe forest damage in over 200 years. Fires and storms have greater effects, because of the large amount of damaged wood and the tree damage, there are more problems with pests and fungal attack. Fine dust and environmental toxins from agriculture give many plants and animals the rest, especially insects such as bees suffer from environmental destruction. Air pollution, insecticides and pesticides are not only a danger for bees, they also endanger many other species, especially in areas of agriculture and livestock farms. Many of the typical trees and forests in forestry are monocultures and conifers such as douglas firs, spruces, pines, larches and firs – unfortunately they do not offer much nectar. Almost 80 percent of the conifers were felled because of damage. At just under 70 percent, the proportion of damaged wood in 2019 was more than three times as high as in 2010. As already described in the article on the Leipzig Oak Park of Diversity project, even strong tree species such as oaks are affected. Whether from pests, powdery mildew or drought stress, the plants suffer very badly from drought. Like many deciduous trees, oaks are deep-rooted, which draw water from the lower soil layers. What they don’t need themselves, they release closer to the surface. This makes oak a good soil regulator, for example through its pronounced symbioses with microorganisms and fungi. Oaks and other robust trees suffer from climate change, as do many people and animals. Damage to trees and forests is not only caused by fire, drought and heat waves, but also by fungus, pests, snow breaks, storms, floods and environmental toxins – as well as air and water pollution.
There are around four billion hectares of forest on earth. There are around 60,000 tree species worldwide and over 10,000 of them are threatened with extinction. According to an assessment by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), more than half of European tree species are endangered. Of the approximately 450 tree species, 265 do not occur on any other continent. More than 150 species are threatened, 66 species are at the highest level of endangerment and therefore close to extinction. In total, more than 28,000 animal and plant species are listed as endangered worldwide. These are data and statistics from recent years and some of the figures are already out of date, especially after the massive droughts and forest fires. It can be assumed that many more species are now threatened and in some regions even extinct.
According to climate research, long-term studies and weather experts, extreme drought is becoming normal in Europe in summer. In spring there is also a lack of water for healthy plant growth in many places around the world. The soils and forests can hold less water because the important reservoirs are not only dried out but damaged, i.e. the storage capacity is reduced and in some cases reduced for years. If middle and deeper soil layers harden, humus layers decay to dust or are destroyed, even a lot of rain does not help at first. It then takes years of moderate rain and much plant growth until these soil layers are loosened and watered again. Trees, hedges and other plants that can form complex, strong and deep roots need a few years to loosen middle and deep soil layers. Many plants lose branches, leaves and fruit during a drought or extreme drought. The proportion of trees with significant crown thinning increased to about 35 percent in 2019. If the trees and plants are generally weakened, they are more susceptible to parasites and other pests such as bark beetles, jewel beetles and processionary moth. In most cases, the damaged wood cannot remain in the forest. Much of this wood is not suitable for wood processing or high-quality products for the construction and furniture industries. Often the only option left is to process it into inferior wood products such as chipboard or wood pellets. A lot of damaged wood has been coming onto the market since 2018 and the price of wood has collapsed dramatically, the forecasts for 2021 and 2022 do not look any better. There is currently so much wood per year that would normally be enough for three years or more. The forest and wood industries are recording massive losses, and even cheap oak is already being sold as firewood. Forest companies and forest owners will have to work for a long time to compensate and repair the damage of recent years.
Future challenges, conflicts, wars and crises because of the worldwide water availability and water supply
The water reserves in the soil are becoming increasingly scarce, the soils are becoming drier overall. It has been relatively dry in Germany since 2015. The past two years exceeded the previous record drought of 1976. At that time it was exceptionally dry for five years and some tree species were replaced or supplemented by drought-resistant species such as hornbeam, service tree and field maple. But the adaptation of forests to the crisis and forest restructuring makes no sense if the groundwater will levels sink, lakes, rivers and water reservoirs partially dry up. Dry periods in winter are also a big problem, because when there is no snow there is much less water due to the melting of snow. The problem has been known for a long time, for example the lack of water supply due to the disappearance of glaciers and large areas of snow or ice. When mountains and oceans absorb more sun, the planet heats up even faster, especially at the North Pole. Fires and very hot times in northern areas of Russia also accelerate the thawing of the permafrost soil. Similar to the largest share of the greenhouse gas methane from agriculture or livestock farming, methane is released by the decomposition of the thawed biomass. As this happens in a very short time, the atmosphere, biosphere and weather systems cannot simply compensate for this, resulting in extreme climate changes and an increase in extreme weather conditions. For some years now, climate researchers have been able to prove the connection between extreme drought and severe flooding. In the meantime, there have been several fires, droughts and floods of the century, not only in Germany and Europe – but unfortunately also in Africa, America, Asia and India.
According to various surveys, around 80 percent are very concerned about the persistent drought. In France, Poland, the Czech Republic and other European countries, the spring was marked by low rainfall this year. French forests are very much endangered by the drought years and the hot summer of 2019. It was one of the deadliest heat waves in all of Europe, killing thousands of humans. The harmful effects of the droughts can be clearly seen on satellite images, many brown and gray fields in Europe and many large cities such as Berlin are affected. It affects especially regions in the north and east, in principle all federal states are affected. The cities in particular need more greenery, as they can heat up much more as the surrounding area. What you see more and more often are dry meadows, trees and bushes. The parks and water areas are therefore just as important as the greening of roofs and facades. The soil moisture, the total groundwater level and the groundwater levels in different regions of Germany are too low, at least in relation to normal amounts of precipitation and water levels. In April 2020, there was far too little rainfall in almost all federal states; the states of Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Thuringia were particularly affected. The soil moisture in the topsoil and total soil is simply too little for many plants. Due to the lack of water available to plants, drought stress or water stress quickly occurs. The photosynthesis of the plants and the growth decrease. If the usable soil water continues to fall, plant water stress occurs and the plants begin to dry up.
The drought monitor of the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research showed that the total soil in large parts of Germany was characterized by extreme to extraordinary drought in April and midsummer 2020. Similar to the drought monitor from the Environmental Research Center in Leipzig, there is also a research project in Switzerland called Drought CH or Trockenheit.ch, where information on the current situation is shown. The colleagues also summarize a lot of interesting data from the last few years. Such information is becoming more and more important, especially if conflicts over water resources increase in the future, whether in the energy industry for cooling or in agriculture for agricultural irrigation. It affects many European countries. If the water reserves become increasingly scarce, conflicts of use over water resources can be intensified considerably. The use of water, water resources and water management must become more economical or more sustainable so that there is not another water crisis in the next few years. Using ponds, water towers and underground water reservoirs to collect rainwater makes more and more sense, especially when you consider that around 80 percent of all irrigation throughout Germany is done with groundwater. An increasing demand for water from agriculture contrasts with other usage interests and problems, such as the public supply of drinking water, over 70 percent of which is obtained from groundwater. In addition, forests consume a lot of groundwater in dry times, this can affect rivers and other waters. The drought year 2018 and 2019 severely dried out many soils and water reservoirs, to compensate this it takes many years of rain above the usual annual average. Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony are the federal states with the lowest rainfall. Specific figures can be found on the relevant weather portals and statistics pages.
Forest dieback, desertification and expanding deserts in Europe
Due to the third year of drought in a row, there will also be considerable problems for the plant world in winter and spring 2020, as many soils and plants will not be able to recover so easily under these extreme conditions. The garden, park and forest maintenance is therefore more important than ever this year, every citizen should lend a hand in his spare time, even if it are just a few buckets of water for the tree in front of the door or some irrigation for bushes, hedges or trees at the streets. Unfortunately, awareness of sustainable use and the problem of water waste is still not taken seriously. The production of one kilo of beef requires around 15,000 liters of water, pork almost 6,000 and chicken 4,300 liters. The average water footprint in Germany is 3,900 liters per person per day. This figure includes the amount of water that is used for the production of consumed food and goods in one’s own country, but also the water that is needed, for example, for the manufacture of clothing or electrical appliances abroad. This also applies to ‘more ecological’ electric cars, which unfortunately are still made with a lot of coal, plastic and oil. The coal electricity for car production and rail traffic alone is astronomical.
2019 was the hottest year in the history of Europe, according to scientific findings, with the drought year 2018 and the drought summer 2020, it is now the worst drought in a row for 250 years. The droughts and heat waves of recent years clearly show that the climate crisis is having a significant impact on our lives, the environment, consumption and our economy. An adaptation of the plants to the more extreme climate occurs naturally, but should be supported and improved by sustainable strategies of climate change adaptation. This should not only apply to crops or to livestock, but also especially to endangered species. The selfish nature, way of life and work in certain areas of society and industry, such as fossil energy, monotonous agriculture and forestry, is harming the environment. Selfishness, ignorance and little will to change in the direction of sustainability, nature and environmental protection have produced a destructive chemical industry, energy industry, aviation, shipping, heavy industry, monoculture agriculture and monotonous forestry.
The biodiversity, soil and water quality have suffered extremely, valuable landscapes and habitats have been destroyed or have been lost due to rigorous greed for profit and environmental degradation. If things continue like this, even regardless of the climate crisis, there will soon be no more fertile land, only dust and desert. Greening Deserts Climate analyses and long-term studies, in coordination with international climate researchers and climate models, have repeatedly confirmed an increase in extreme weather conditions – even before the drought years or floods of the century, as in Europe and India in 2018 and 2019. There have been several warnings that extreme droughts and floods will become more frequent in Europe, initially in southern Europe and, with further drought years, also in central Europe. This has now even been confirmed in a study by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig. Now all we need are realistic solutions and feasibility studies to counteract these extremely rapid changes. A wind of change is blowing.
Usually the jet stream with the high and low pressure areas moves from west to east and brings Central Europe a mix of sun, clouds and rain. However, with the accelerated climate change, the high pressure areas tend to persist for weeks over some European regions in summer. As a result, there are long heat waves and droughts, in the low-pressure areas there are more frequent heavy rain and floods. Various temperature and heat records have been set over the years, in 2020 there were many cold summer nights and very large temperature fluctuations. Due to the many dry and windy days, the drought has increased overall. The logging caused by wind and storm damage amounted to 18.5 million cubic meters in 2018. That is four times as much compared to the previous year. There are many forest fires because the soil and top layers with branches, leaves or needles are very dry. The risk of fire is also very high for agriculture, especially when dry fields catch fire, for example from careless drivers and smokers or from broken glass. A field fire, forest fire or forest fire is no fun because it can spread to settlements.
In many German cities there is a state of emergency, as the asphalt and concrete deserts often heat up more than the surrounding areas can quickly reach heat records of over 40 degrees. Many people, animals and plants die. In the Frankfurt metropolitan area, thousands of dead trees will probably have to be felled due to the weeks of drought and heat in the midsummer 2020. Particularly in the driest areas of Germany, many villages and towns are affected by the tree death. Due to the drought stress and plant water stress that has damaged and weakened the plants over the years, a relatively short heat phase is enough to give the plants the rest, then often watering them does not help. On the contrary, too much water at once can even damage the plants, for example if the plant cannot absorb much water due to a large part of dried up leaves, there is then a risk of accelerated root rot at the high temperatures, which can occur more often with tap water and dried out roots. If many of the deeper soil layers have completely dried out, the water cannot drain off properly, and waterlogging then forms in some places. Gardeners and plant experts know the problem. So if possible use rainwater and then not too much at once, preferably over a large area and spread over a few evenings. If the soil is not too hard, you can put drainage in some places with a pointed stick. If the soil is slightly damp overall, the rainwater can then penetrate better into deeper layers and root areas.
Climate change knows no borders, large parts of Europe are affected by drought and water scarcity. We need an adaptation and improvement of the water management or regulation as soon as possible in order to secure the public drinking water and industrial water supply in the long term. The fear of the consequences of a third year of drought is great, especially if the water table drops, entire rivers and lakes dry up. The drought threatens historical gardens and even well-known parks, the drought also has an indirect effect on all plant growth in the area. Only if the spread of healthy and relatively wild nature is promoted by favorable conditions nature as a whole can recover and regenerate. In the case of monoculture agriculture and monotonous forestry, this is difficult, but not impossible. Some consequences can only be felt years later, as environmental and weather systems sometimes react very slowly. It is similar to the nitrate or slurry problem, where in some extreme cases the groundwater wil be polluted over the years.
Really serious consequences for agriculture are still to come, probably in the years 2025 to 2030. From 2013 to 2015 there have been massive changes in global weather systems and cycles. Many of these changes also occur gradually and over long periods of time, so they cannot be seen as clearly as the consequences of a drought summer. So that you can really change something sustainably and positively, you should think in time windows of over 10 years or even decades. It is frightening to see even natural mixed forests which are suffering from climate change. The drought years even have a strong impact on humid areas, as the groundwater level often falls due to the long dry periods. Wetlands and bogs can dry out, which increases the likelihood of bog and forest fires. In addition, there are the problems of peat extraction and the drainage of landscapes for agriculture. The diverse forest conversion and the expansion of wetlands such as floodplains and moors must finally be given priority. Many nature reserves, national parks, natural regions and near-natural landscape protection areas should be expanded and connected, if possible for example with flower strips and wild meadows. Protected areas in nature and landscape protection should also be expanded and include urban regions and larger city parks or city forests. Special wilderness biotopes for a relatively free development of really βnatural natureβ should be made possible in the protected areas. Because nature is not the same as nature, at least according to the understanding of society and people.
Soil quality and healthier soils through more ecological forestry and sustainable agriculture, as well as better water management, are important to mitigate the negative consequences and effects of climate change. The already often mentioned building up of humus, cultivation of deep-rooting plants, soil improvement and green manure plants can contribute significantly to soil formation and improvement of the overall soil. Protective layers with ground cover and wildflower meadows can protect the soil in particularly hot and dry times. The principle applies, just let it grow and support nature in the development of biodiversity with natural seeds. Naturally with suitable species depending on the region and vegetation zone, i.e. suitable plants of / for mountainous areas, wetlands, grasslands, meadows and forests. To do this, one should think more about aquatic plants and then use them to improve water bodies. Because a large part of the rivers and lakes in Germany is in a precarious state, at least when it comes to the ecological aspect, neighboring agriculture, shipping and biodiversity. Without ecosystem services, human life on earth would not be possible. Worldwide, around 60% of the ecosystem services examined by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment are in a critical state; they are at great risk from environmental pollution and environmental damage.
We all have to help make whole landscapes more diverse and resistant to climate extremes, including urban regions and cities – for this purpose, among other things, the Urban Greening Camp project started. More urban greening, solar and water surfaces as well as lighter surfaces can cool down urban areas, so-called for near-natural recreation areas and biological diversity. Agriculture based on solidarity and community gardens are also good solutions that can bring more biodiversity and community profits.
Here are a few more suggestions for improvement.
Professional advice and recommendation to good addresses and contacts in the above areas for corresponding consideration is possible, for this you can simply contact the author of this article by email.
Greening Deserts analyses and research projects have been dealing with climate change and extreme weather conditions such as exceptional heat, drought and floods since 2016. Despite all the optimism, the prognosis for the coming years does not look rosy. It takes a lot of effort, motivation and support to be able to work and live normally throughout the crisis. Cohesion is more important than ever in these times, egoism and ignorance only make things worse. We need more solidarity and courage, whether through useful information, the exchange of experiences or other meaningful actions. Simply going out into the streets unfortunately does not bring as much as taking part in constructive actions and actively participating in constructive actions for species protection, climate protection, nature conservation and environmental protection. For example planting trees, watering urban trees and plants, sowing wildflowers and caring for parks and meadows. Leaving this to others like the green space authorities or city cleaning is not a solution. In some countries or regions the corona crisis can result in massive financial problems and financial crises. There will be a lack of funds and resources for many of important environmental tasks or work in future. We all need to hold together in relation to the health of us all and the environment. Healthy ecosystems are the basis for a healthy life.
The global economic crisis and COVID-19 recession (Great Lockdown) will occupy society and the economy for many years to come. In principle there are several crises, e.g. the education crisis, health crisis, cultural crisis and social crisis. Greening Deserts articles also deal with these topics, especially in relation to the effects, consequences and causes of climate change. Many potential solutions are offered, but most of them can only be solved together – some of the suggestions have already been implemented personally or privately. I hope that many will follow. Good additions, ideas and suggestions for improvement are of course always welcome. @ feedback.greeningdeserts.com. Your friend of nature, Oliver Gediminas Caplikas. The next article deals with climate change adaptation and urban greening on many levels, for example with vertical farming. Heat-resistant and drought-tolerant plant species as well as special climate change woody plants will play an important role. Some of the plants are even drought-resistant or have a high ‘drought resistance’.
The official Greenhouse Ship, Recycling Ship and Plastic Fishery projects were started by Greening Deserts founder from Leipzig in 2018. The projects supporting sustainable developments and developing solutions to collect and to recycle plastics in oceans, rivers, seas and other waters. First plastic collector boats, landing ships and plastic recycling platforms to update old ships were designed. During the years the ship industry was invited to join these awesome projects. Many institutions and organizations were informed.
The projects will be a community network and platform for plastic fishing developments, innovative recycling and upcycling solutions on sea. It is also an global initiative to connect worldwide fishers, global fishery and shipping organizations who are interested to earn some extra money and to clean up the waters. The projects will support real innovative developments, develop sustainable solutions to collect and to recycle plastics and further useful resources in oceans, rivers, seas and other waters. First plastic collector boats and plastic recycling ships or platforms to upgrade old ships were designed. The ship industry, recycling branch and other related organizations were informed and invited to join this awesome project. With enough support we finally can continue the project development, build up a little team and set up the platform portals. The Greenhouse Ships will have not just laboratories, solar and greenhouse containers, but also a big greenhouse for research and a smaller mobile one for underwater. These mobile marine biospheres will be good for more realistic and applied and advanced research.
In future, the Greenhouse Ship can support the Greening Deserts species protection program, the Greening Camps and Trillion Trees Initiative for biodiversity conservation, climate protection, ecological education, ecosystem restoration, environmental protection, greening, reforestation and species protection. All these projects could reduce climate change effects, deforestation, droughts, desertification, droughts, floods, land degradation, mass extinction, global warming and pollution worldwide on a large scale.
Solar, Greenhouse and Recycling Ships are maybe the most ecological and environmental friendly ships you can imagine, because they will be build with cleantech, recycling, renewables and upcycling – renewable energy, hydrogen by solar and wind energy will power them. Old ships and oil platforms can be transformed and upgraded to recycling facilities. Another advantages are the positive impact on the environment, nature and whole humanity by doing active conservation and promoting cleantech, green thinking, real sustainability, recycling and upcycling. Together with world shipbuilders and shipping companies we will change or transform the shipping industry into a more sustainable, clean and green shipping industry. The Greening and Greenhouse Ship is a good example how to use innovations like cleantech, greentech and other sustainable technologies. Of course we will research the best solar, water and wind power solutions in combination with hydrogen. Some other articles of Greening Deserts founder have explained these innovative developments, especially the combination of solar containers, solar sails, floating solar farms and vertical wind turbines for hydrogen production for the solar and hydrogen ships we could use in future.
Plastic Fishing Community and Plastic Fishery Initiative to solve the plastic problem in the oceans and worldwide waters on a large scale
Plastic fishing and a complete new plastic fishery market could solve the worldwide plastic waste problem in lakes, rivers, seas and oceans fast and efficient. There is a real need to clean up the waters as soon as possible because of the micro-plastic problem. Greening Deserts projects have pointed out several times, every day counts to reduce the extinction of species and the poisoning of aquatic species or marine life by plastic β even humans and sea food is affected by the plastic. The world do not need new extra ships and wasting again resources like metals and plastics for this. The solution is to repair, recycle and upcycle old or current ships. Small and large ships such as boats, container ships and cruise ships could take a lot of plastic along their way, especially as many of them drive along coast with lots of plastic waste. Most of the world’s vessels could be upgraded and refitted in just one year!
Professional plastic fishery and recycling ship yards are possible.
The Plastic Fishing project will be an extra community network project to inform and to connect worldwide fishers and global fishery to new forms of plastic fishing and innovative developments for a complete new fishery market, the Plastic Fishery. It will reform the fishing market, real sustainable fishery and even parts of the shipping sector.
The Greenhouse Ship and Recycling Ship projects have introduced many new forms of plastic fishing, e.g. by equipping new and old boats or vessels with plastic fishing nets on the sides and behind. The plastic fishery can become a complete new market and give the plastic waste a better value worldwide, in the end all would win. Humanity would profit, so like the nature with all their life forms, the poorest who collect plastic waste to survive, the sustainable fishery and sustainable shipping industry – who really will do something for the climate protection, nature conservation and environmental protection. Plastic fishers and other new jobs in this relation could be created with a worldwide plastic fishing market. It is not just a chance, it has really big potential and will create a lot of opportunities for existing companies, branches and industries.
Plastic Fishery will be the official platform, directory and network for Sustainable Fishery, Plastic Recycling and Sustainable Shipping. The project want to develop and share plastic fishing innovations. We all together can build and establish a complete new branch or market. Plastic Fishing will reform the fisheries and even parts of the shipping sector. Sustainable Fishing and Sustainble Shipping together is possible! There will be a lot of more topics, innovative solutions and news in future. Constructive feedback and real support is always welcome.
Help us to create the world’s first Greenhouse Ship with lab, greenhouse and solar containers, recycling facility and workshops. Investors, international partners and sponsors are always welcome to join the project developments.
Read more on the official project pages and the future platforms which will be developed during the years.
The hemp plant is not only the most useful plant in the world, hemp is also a potential climate saver and can even significantly reduce global warming, climate crises and land degradation with appropriate applications. Greening Deserts projects such as the Greening Camps and research stations will use bamboo, hemp and other key plants extensively to improve soil quality and water quality. Various greenhouses and research fields can be established together with the camps for education, research and product development, the projects also serve the climate, nature and environmental protection. At each camp can be special biotopes, botanical gardens, greenhouses and parks for endangered species – especially for cultivating or saving plants, insects and other animals of each climate zone or region.
The groundwater, global waters and water circle can be improved by sustainable hemp cultivation, ecological agriculture, organic farming and innovative water management. Only natural fertilizers will be used and pesticides are avoided, there are many good alternatives. Different bamboo and hemp sorts can be used in almost every climate and under all possible conditions or events. Global hemp cultivation can really contribute to climate, soil and water improvement as well as for a better cultivation of crops and a variety of afforestation or reforestation. The founder and project developer of Greening Camp projects has been developing these innovative and sustainable solutions for years. Climate protection, nature conservation, species protection and plant science are a few of the primary tasks.
Since the Greening Deserts Masterplan in 2017 many of the innovative ideas, developments and solutions have been presented and realized – not only in relation to open-cast mines, open-pit mines and surface mining. Through connected projects, most developments and ideas have been established internationally, even if only conceptually or theoretically. Many of the developments or products can be realized with hemp, e.g. hemp books, papers, nets, tarpaulins, ropes, textiles, packaging materials and other hemp products. Hemp fibers have been used for many centuries in fishery and shipping because of their flexibility, tear resistance and resilience. Nowadays, there are well over 50,000 industrial hemp applications, but far too few are really used. That is why many of the most useful applications are analyzed with the greening and research camps and applied accordingly. Hemp paper, hemp wood and hemp plastic are interesting products, so like the ingredients CBD, THC, etc. – not just for science. Industrial hemp can be used for hemp paper and hemp packaging, saving more trees and forests and reducing global deforestation. It could even reduce the plastic waste, especially the plastic bags. In this relation is the hemp cultivation not just interesting for developing countries with soil and water problems like in Africa, it also has enormous potential for European countries and whole Europe who missed many of these developments.
Hemp papers and hemp books are the future.
More information about hemp plants and hemp paper:
For about 12,000 years people have been using the raw material. Hemp paper was invented in China over 2,000 years ago and reached Europe in the 13th century. For 500 years it was the most widely used raw material in paper-making. Hemp books such as the Gutenberg Bible and other well-known works were printed on hemp papers. Hemp paper is much more stable and durable than wood paper. Hemp paper books last much longer and do not turn yellow fast. Hemp fibers are naturally lighter than wood fibers. Hemp is therefore better suited for paper production than wood.
The cannabis or hemp plant produces several times higher yields than trees in terms of cultivated area and growing time. One hectare of hemp field can replace about 120 hectares of trees. Sustainability, the forest conservation or preservation of the forests, as well as the improvement of the soils, are further advantages of hemp production. In principle, almost all varieties can be used for hemp cultivation. Particularly suitable for hemp fiber production is high-growth industrial hemp. Depending on the variety, hemp plants can grow several meters in just three to four months. Hemp leaves an optimal field or soil for subsequent plants. According to farmers and hemp farmers, a wheat or potato field can produce up to 20% more yield in the following year. The hemp plant is therefore a perfect catch crop and is also very well suited as a bio fertilizer. In some regions even two harvests per year are possible. Hemp is the ideal plant for ecological and organic farming or sustainable agriculture. In Germany, hemp is not allowed to grow for everyone. The cultivation of hemp is just allowed with certain permits and only for certain agricultural companies. All other companies in agriculture are not allowed to grow hemp, not even private or forestry organizations. This clearly contradicts the positive qualities and benefits for the environment, nature, medicine and society.
Further ecological and economic advantages of the raw material hemp:
Hemp is very undemanding and grows on almost any soil, the root system loosens up the soil.
Hemp plants are very resistant to fungal attacks.
Hemp cultivation creates a slightly wetter climate, hemp fields support biodiversity, especially with respect to insects. The pollen of the male hemp plant is interesting for bees or wild bees.Β
Hemp plants suppress weeds and improve the soil climate.
Hemp can clean up poisoned soils, sometimes even from some heavy metals.
The hemp blossom has many valuable ingredients.
The hemp plant can be fully utilized, including the foliage, flowers, seeds and stems. There are thousands of applications and products, e.g. hemp tea, hemp oil, hemp paper, hemp textiles or hemp fabrics.
Hemp fibers are very resistant and therefore usable in many areas.
Hemp fibers are among the most stable natural fibers in the world.
Hemp paper can be recycled more often than wood paper, almost every type of paper and cardboard can be made from hemp.
Hemp books, magazines and newspapers are the future!
More information you can find on the Hemp Papers project pages.
Please care the soil not just on the World Soil Day on 5th December, care it everyday like your fresh water. If we care more about our soils we care more about ourselfs, our planet Earth and the humanity. The Latin name for man, humans or homo, derived from humus.
Interesting quotes:
About a third of the worldβs soil has already been degraded. Soils are the basis of life, ninety five percent of our food comes from the soil. – Maria-Helena Semedo
A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
A treeβs most important means of staying connected to other trees is a βwood wide webβ of soil fungi that connects vegetation in an intimate network that allows the sharing of an enormous amount of information and goods. – Tim Flannery
Collaboration has no hierarchy. The Sun collaborates with soil to bring flowers on the earth. – Amit Ray
Civilization has its roots in the soil. Each soil has had its own history. Like a river, a mountain, a forest, or any natural thing, its present condition is due to the influences of many things and events of the past. – Charles Kellogg
The Earth and soil is the basis of all life, even on the deep undergrounds of the oceans. The deforestation, land degradation and the pollution of air, water and soils by humans is responsible for many climate changes, human-made global warming and even a mass extinction in only 100 years! If humanity will fail to save and protect the most important species, the endangered and keystone species, the human species will also die out – maybe also in just 100 years. – Gediminas Caplikas
History is largely a record of human struggle to wrest the land from nature, because man relies for sustenance on the products of the soil. So direct, is the relationship between soil erosion, the productivity of the land, and the prosperity of people, that the history of mankind, to a considerable degree at least, may be interpreted in terms of the soil and what has happened to it as the result of human use. – Hugh Hammond Bennett
If we pollute the air, water and soil that keep us alive and well, and destroy the biodiversity that allows natural systems to function, no amount of money will save us. – David Suzuki
I saw all the people hustling early in the morning to go into the factories and the stores and the office buildings, to do their job, to get their check. But ultimately itβs not office buildings or jobs that give us our checks. Itβs the soil. The soil is what gives us the real income that supports us all. – Ed Begley, Jr.
It helps to think of soil as a living organism covered with skin like a human. We can live with a certain percentage of our skin damaged, but if too high a percentage is damaged, we die. So, too, does soil and thus most life. – Allan Savory
People in cities may forget the soil for as long as a hundred years, but Mother Nature’s memory is long and she will not let them forget indefinitely. – Henry A. Wallace
Soil is not usually lost in slabs or heaps of magnificent tonnage. It is lost a little at a time over millions of acres by the careless acts of millions of people. It cannot be saved by heroic feats of gigantic technology, but only by millions of small acts and restraints, conditioned by small fidelities, skills, and desires. Soil loss is ultimately a cultural problem; it will be corrected only by cultural solutions. – Wendell Berry
Soil organic matter sustains agriculture, which sustains civilization. Soil organic matter generates and regulates every ecosystem service that sustains life on earth. Topsoil loss in excess of topsoil formation has been the defining characteristic of agriculture. The rapid formation of carbon-rich topsoil is the greatest priority and opportunity of our time. If you harvest a crop you are removing nutrients from that ecosystem β for sustainable production they need to be replaced.
Standing on soil feels so much different than standing on city pavement; it lets you look inward and reflect and see who you really are, while you see a beautiful, unspoiled land as far as the eye can see. It allows your inner life to grow. β Ricardo Montalban
The only truly dependable production technologies are those that are sustainable over the long term. By that very definition, they must avoid erosion, pollution, environmental degradation, and resource waste. Any rational food-production system will emphasize the well-being of the soil-air-water biosphere, the creatures which inhabit it, and the human beings who depend upon it. – Eliot Coleman
The fate of the soil system depends on society’s willingness to intervene in the market place, and to forego some of the short-term benefits that accrue from ‘mining’ the soil so that soil quality and fertility can be maintained over the longer term. – Eugene Odum
The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life. – Wendell Berry
Understanding is the soil in which grow all the fruits of friendship. – Woodrow Wilson
We must come to understand our past, our history, in terms of the soil and water and forests and grasses that have made it what it is. – William Vogt
Greening Deserts Sustainable Projects Summary:
Greening Deserts projects are cultural, economic, educational, scientific, social and sustainable projects in the field of horticulture, hydroponics, sustainable agriculture and ecological forestry – but also in the fields of clean technology, green technologies and renewable energy such as solar, water and wind energy. Electricity access, availability and reliability together with energy efficiency will be optimized at the greening and research camps. The focus is on education, sustainable developments and scientific research. Conservation, environmental protection and species protection plays a very important role, too. Main goals of the projects are to reduce deforestation, desertification, pollution and global warming on a large scale. Goals are also to improve the energy and food security, to offer innovative management, ecosystem and greening services. The projects will reform the agriculture and forestry with Ecofarming, Ecoforestry and Permaculture methods, technics and techniques. The projects can include each region and nation in the process, especially in relation to Cleantech, Greentech, environmental protection, a real Sustainable Infrastructure and Sustainable Investments – Green Finance and Sustainable Finance. The worldwide cleaning and greening process can accelerate the global peace building process significantly.
More articles and news will come! Feel free to comment and to add interesting quotes to the topics.
Greening Deserts sustainable projects like the Greening Camps want to establish innovative developments like Agrophotovoltaik and Energy Storage Parks, Greening Drones and Seeding Balloons, Transparent Solar and Vertical Greenhouses. With the first Greening Camp and adequate fundings all the sustainable developments could finally be accelerated and developed worldwide. The projects were founded and initiated by the Greening Deserts founder. He informed institutions, organizations and even invited governments to join these projects and initiatives, as well as to the Greenhouse Ship, Plastic Fishing and Trillion Trees Initiative. If for example each nation plants approx 2 billion trees, we the humanity could reach the goal to plant one trillion trees very fast and we could really cool down the planet on a large scale. It would also protect and save countless species which are endangered by extinction. There are many campaigns and initiatives in this relation and we all are connected to reach the global goals faster.
The Greening Camp keyplants like bamboo, beans, hemp and sunflowers will improve the soils, underground water and waters. Drylands and wastelands can be turned into fertile lands easily. Hemp improves the soils in just a few years, after this other soil improving plants, environmental friendly crops and trees can be planted. Hemp will be just a side product of the forestation or greening processes, it can be delivered to hemp product producers like the hemp paper branch and hemp wood industry. The Greening Camps will produce millions of tons of hemp. All would win at the end, the poor people or regions, the degraded lands or soils, the forestry, paper and wood industry – even big wood paper consumers like the book, newspaper and packaging industry. Hemp papers and hemp carton packages will save a lot of trees and will reduce deforestation significantly. Forestation.net
Since the last two years the founder informed hundreds of publishers, media companies and paper producers about these facts. Greening Deserts Camp projects and products like Hemp Papers have really big potential to reduce deforestation, land degradation, pollution and wasting resources worldwide. Each camp will have a recycling center and workshop, especially for creative plastic waste recycling and upcycling. Biowaste Management, Greenhouse Management and Water Management will improve soils, air and water quality in all camp areas. Millions of new jobs and whole new markets will be created!
Other main goals in this relation are to bring back biodiversity, typical and rare plants of all concerned region. Seed banks or stores and special greenhouses, botanical gardens or similar habitats for the most endangered species will be established at each camp. Climate protection, conservation, environmental protection and species protection are also main tasks of the camps. Of course, we can not do everything. We will exchange and share a lot with other similar institutions, organizations and projects – like with national parks, game reserves or wildlife preserves.
The Greening Camps will establish green spots, healthy environments and platforms for all regions really need better soils, clean air and fresh water. The camps will be platforms for cleantech, climate protection, conservation, culture, education, environmental protection, greentech and science. All camps will have a library, lounge and media room. Bigger camps will get an Energy Storage Park and even could be expanded to a kind of campus or science park. We exchanged with a lot of institutions about it and many liked the projects. With active, constructive and financial support by the official institutions the camps can be build very fast. We have not much time to reduce desertification, global warming, human-made climate change effects and extreme weather before the biosphere will collapse β responsible bodies and institutions need to act immediately. Many camps could be build in 2020, the case the projects will finally be supported by the African Union, EU and UN. Even refugee camps could have a greening camp area. The founder combined and researched since years much more innovative developments, technics, techniques and products. You can check them on the official project pages.
The planet earth can be cooled with more diverse forests, green and natural landscapes worldwide – especially urban regions which heat up very much each year. Bamboo, hemp wood, rice straw and other sustainable innovative building materials and fuels could significantly reduce deforestation and man-made climate change. The future of truly sustainable cities, the energy transition and transport sector are: AI and Cleantech, Energy Efficiency and Green Building, Greentech and Sustainable Architecture, Sustainable Living and greening of cities, Sustainable Production and Sustainable Consumption, Sustainable Transport and Sustainable Working, Sustainable Agriculture, Ecological Forestry and Organic Farming in relation to Community Gardens, Hydroponics, Permaculture, Urban Agriculture, Vertical Farming can significantly support change or reversals. Not forget to mention Sustainable Aviation, Sustainable Shipping and Sustainable Tourism. All of these areas or topics will also play an important role at Urban Greening Camps. First camps in this relation are planned for European cities or urban areas and for open pit terrains or surface mining landscapes.
Short Summary:
Greening Deserts projects are cultural, educational, economic, social, scientific and sustainable projects in the field of horticulture, hydroculture, sustainable agriculture and ecological forestry – but also in the fields of clean technology (CleanTech), green technologies (GreenTech) and renewable energy such as solar, water and wind energy. Electricity access, availability and reliability together with energy efficiency will be optimized at the greening and research camps. The focus is on education, sustainable developments and scientific research. Conservation and environmental protection plays a very important role, too. Main goals of the projects are to reduce deforestation, desertification, pollution and global warming on a large scale. Goals are also to improve the energy and food security, to offer innovative management, ecosystem and greening services. The projects will reform the agriculture and forestry with ecofarming, ecoforestry and permaculture methods, technics and techniques. The projects can include each region and nation in the process, especially in relation to cleantech, greentech, environmental protection, a real sustainable infrastructure and sustainable investments β Green Finance and Sustainable Finance. To manage and to share better necessary finances a special Greening Fund will be established together with international financial institutions. Greening Camps for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, environmental greening, reforestation and species protection will improve environments, health and nature-near habitats.
It is a real chance for the world, especially for Africa and Europe to reach faster the Climate Goals and more Sustainable Development Goals together with Greening Deserts international and innovative developments. The future vision is to establish a Greening Campus on all continents and several camps for all regions who need ecological, environmental and sustainable development services. Each constructive feedback and real active support is always welcome!
You can read more about all the developments on the official project pages like Agrophotovoltaik, Energy Storage Park, Greening Coasts, Greening Camp, Greening Drone, Greenhouse Ship, Green Ring Africa, Great Green Wall North Africa, Hemp Books, Hemp Papers, Seeding Balloon, Transparent Solar,.. and on the newest projects like Plastic Fishery and Recycling Ship. Each project will get an own page or section in future.
Climate protection, nature conservation and environmental protection is also species protection. We need more environmental awareness and sustainability, sustainable living and sustainable working, in all fields or areas. We need to create a world of understanding, acceptance, respect, tolerance, compassion and consciousness.
Keynote and Update X:
The maybe most important issue, topic or point is the problem with the daily extinction of the real endangered species and wrong focus or awareness in relation to endangered species in general and most endangered species who really need to be saved – and to reduce or prevent the ongoing mass extinction really effective. It are mainly the most endangered species and keystone species which must be cared more than well known and relative protected species like elephants, hippos, lions, pandas, whales, etc.. Many of the countless programs and resources for mentioned species should be used for the most endangered species and threatened keystone species. It makes no sense to protect more and more the well know species and every day dying or even extinct so many other important species. AI, Deep Learning, Supercomputers and intelligent computing systems should be used primarely to find all the most endangered and keystone species who are recorded. Search algorithms and organizations likeΒ ACM, MA, Google, Research Gate and Wolfram Alpha should support this actively. International institutions and nations should unite in this relation. It is maybe the most important issue of the world! Afforestation.org
We have not much time to establish hundreds of camps, greenhouses and new special areas for this special species protection tasks – on land and at sea – for the most endangered species of this world. The reality is, if the most important species or keystone species like bees extinct or reach a certain low population level (MVP), humanity and much other species depending on them will die out, too. If these most important food or dependency chains and bridges collapse, even if it are relative small or partially unknown keystone species, it can cause cascade effects similar like in the case of the permafrost problem.Β No panic, but every day and action in this relation counts. The only way is to unite, to focus on this problem and find fastest solutions. My tip work out keystone species and priority lists for all the expert workgroups and worldwide institutions like universities and schools – not just in relation to climate protection, environmental or species protection. The media and public should also report mainly about this.
Don’t ignore it. Forward and share if you can, it affects us all.
Author: Oliver Gediminas Caplikas, Leipzig, November 2019
Drought and heat are also a problem for the farmers. European farms expect harvest losses of 30 to 50 percent compared to the previous year. In parts of Germany, the soil is as dry as it has been for 50 years. Extreme drought, thunderstorms and floods often occur together and can severely affect affected countries.Β These extreme weather conditions are increasing not just in Africa but also in Europe, particularly hit countries such as Greece, Spain and Italy, where massive forest fires and the resulting desertification increases extremely. This year, even European countries such as Germany and Poland are affected, where some regions even introduced emergency harvesting and water restrictions after the second drought. In some regions, rivers and lakes dry up, even the groundwater and drinking water is scarce. Greening Deserts has been reporting extensively on these topics for years, especially in terms of soil degradation and desertification. Large opencast mining areas (surface mining deserts), cities (concrete deserts) and urban regions also contribute to this extreme climate. Many of these consequences of man-made climate change are not exactly predictable, but can be estimated very well with today’s scientific findings in climate research. We discussed with many climate researchers, nature and environmentalists and exchanged about this problem.
Other topics such as the reform of agriculture, soil improvement and water improvement have been and will be discussed in detail. Unfortunately, we have not received any active and financial support from the responsible authorities since years. For a long time we could do research on more effective cultivation and irrigation methods with a first greening and research camp in the surface mining landscape of Leipzig (Lakeland Neuseenland) – if our inquiries and demands had been taken seriously, especially by the big parties who were informed several times. Our demands and requests for help to German foundations, especially in the field of education, nature and environmental protection were ignored or there were the usual excuses.
We hope for quick help or support, so that we can work together with all involved parties to make the coal exit and transformation of the energy industry and agriculture to clean energy and technologies (cleantech) fast and efficient. We want to cultivate bamboo, hemp and palm trees on a large scale in opencast mining areas – not just because of the benefits in these areas, but also because of new innovative developments and compensatory measures in relation to global warming. In addition, special desert plants, extremely resistant, robust and undemanding plants are explored, such as rock garden plants and desert bamboo. Thus, many useful plants for improving the quality of soil, air and water can be used not only on land, but also in urban areas and large cities. Of course we will run a diverse agriculture and gardening – this is also called ecofarming. Wild blooms and flowerbeds counteract massive bee and insect deaths or in general the massive extinction of species. As you can see Greening Deserts is not only concerned with deserts and desertification but with many other important tasks and topics. If this is not eligible .. an extensive consultation and accompaniment to appropriate funding would be really appropriate.
Read more:
https://climatenewsnetwork.net/3c-may-double-europes-drought-risk
https://www.zmescience.com/science/europe-drought-future-2427845
Visit our social and scientific pages and groups for more information. You’re welcome to discuss and to exchange with us about all these topics!
Today is World Water Day! More than 1 billion people around the world have no access to safe water. Over 2 million people die each year because of unsafe water. Care about and don’t waste water. Never forget clean air, food and water are Human Rights, as well as a healthy environment. #WorldWaterDay
Greening Deserts are economical, educational, cultural, social, scientific and sustainable projects to reduce desertification and global warming. We will use filtered ocean, sea, lake or river water for sustainable irrigation and water sharing systems overground and underground. Greening Deserts projects will produce different kinds of water like process water, drinking water and fresh water.
Greening Deserts projects want to develop, reseach and work on better water processing and water management methods. We will use advanced aquaponics and hydropnics techniques. After some applications for fundings or financial support and after informing responsible German institutions like Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) we still havn’t got any support – just excuses and promises. The ignorance of the responsibles in Germany is unacceptable. Since autumn last year we informed most of the German parties and responsible authorities, institutions and organisations that we need help and financial support. In some cases we waited over an month, got no answer or just automated e-mail answering, although we informed them many times by email and got receipts – so we know that the most got the information and requests.
“The ecological status of German waters is 70 percent bad, 65 percent of the wetland habitats are in acute danger, reports the Global Nature Fund. The foundation also gives a bad prognosis for the future. Entries from agriculture and human use are, according to a recent report, the main causes of poor water quality; Micropollutants caused by drugs, hormones and microplastics would bring further risks. ” https://wasser-abwasser-technik.com/besorgnis-ueber-zustand-der-gewaesser-in-deutschland
More news about waters and water quality in Germany and Europe:
https://www.eea.europa.eu/airs/2017/natural-capital/copy_of_surface-waters
http://www.bpb.de/nachschlagen/zahlen-und-fakten/globalisierung/52730/wasserverbrauch
https://www.partnerfuerwasser.de/blog/water-quality-issues-in-germany-and-the-uk-similarities-and-differences
http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/fluesse-und-seen-haelfte-deutscher-gewaesser-oekologisch-verarmt-a-1151998.html
https://www.deutschlandfunknova.de/nachrichten/seen-und-fluesse-schlechter-oekologischer-zustand
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/news/wissen/umwelt-nur-jedes-13-gewaesser-indeutschland-in-gutem-oeko-zustand-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-170614-99-845565
http://www.gewaesser-bewertung.de/files/170829_uba_fachbroschure_wasse_rwirtschaft_mit_anderung_bf.pdf
http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/9/8/554/pdf
http://www.lebensraumwasser.com/?p=7319
https://www.aquarium.co.za/blog/entry/11-reasons-why-wetlands-are-vital-for-humans-and-animals
https://www.ramsar.org/news/world-water-day-wetlands-discover-an-ecosystem-important-for-life
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetland
http://worldwaterday.org/link-forests-water
For more information visit the official pages and connected project like Greening Coasts and Desert Bamboo Project. We wrote a lot about water management and improvement of water quality. http://www.greeningdeserts.com/further-goals-and-ideas-for-the-effective-sustainable-and-fast-cultivation-of-surface-mining-landscapes
..wetlands were important for carbon capture and storage, a process known as carbon sequestration, holding up to 50 times as much carbon by area as rainforests. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/03/scientists-hope-wetland-carbon-storage-experiment-is-everyones-cup-of-tea
We want to restore also old wetlands like were destroyed by coal mining companies in the region of Leipzig. Support our sustainable projects for a better and greener future for us all. The time to change and to invest is now. Thank you!
World Water Day, water quality, truth, facts and reality in Germany or Europe. More information will come.