Allan Savory: Hope for Reversing Desertification and Climate Change - What You Can Do

There is more to it than just carbon sequestration. It is also the way to clean up agricultural rainwater runoff, the source of the dead zones and red tides in the news lately.

Whether you believe global warming or not, this is critical for us all.

Here is his Savory's website.
https://www.savory.global/

There are others researching this. Here is research from Texas A&M University:
Cow-calf farms converting to multi-paddock grazing in the Southern Great Plains likely net carbon sinks
http://twri.tamu.edu/publications/c...outhern-great-plains-likely-net-carbon-sinks/

and Michigan State University:
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CATTLE PRODUCTION (REALLY)
https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2018/environmentally-friendly-cattle-production-really/

Carbon farming: managing pastures to reduce methane emissions from cattle
https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/climate...ging-pastures-reduce-methane-emissions-cattle

 

Twice Professor Jason Box mentions regenerating soil carbon.

 

Well, whatever we're doing, the sea ice is early this year. Tornados are at an all time low... So many positive things this year...

 

You can't really take a single year and make any assumptions.

 

I chalk that up to the weather is cooperating this year. No warranty for future events, of course, or predictions of continued helpful weather asserted.

 

What is so significant about this research that I have presented here is that it makes climate change a moot point. Regenerating soil carbon reverses the greenhouse effect.

 

I have read that too. I am hopeful that this research does, in fact have real benefits.

 

Actually Arctic sea ice hit it's summer minimum very late; not early. This year ties the 1997 record for the latest minimum. It also means the refreeze starts later as well; not earlier. In fact, even now that the refreeze has started it is occurring at an unusually slow pace owing to the unusually warm conditions in the Arctic region even by recent standards.

Increased tornado activity is not a prediction of AGW. That is a strawman argument. And this year's tornado count isn't even the lowest on record anyway.

And, of course, like camp_steveo already said conclusions about the climate cannot be drawn from one year alone anyway.

 

Interesting but buffalo herds once grazed areas to dust and or mud as they moved across the plain. Early explorers and mountain men had a hard time finding grass for their horses or water fit to drink after one I these horizon to horizon herds moved through.

 

That is the exact thing these methods are mimicking. The cattle are mobbed up, mowing, and moving every day. Their hooves indent the soil surface allowing moisture infiltration and seed germination to occur. Then, they are moved, allowing the soil and grass to recover. This period could be, for example, 40 days. Also, in between cattle rotations, egg laying hens, turkeys, rabbits, even hogs can come through as well. This further mimics nature, where a massive flock of birds would follow the buffalo, scratching out the insects from the dung piles, spreading the manure out and laying their own manure on top.

There is information out there about these methods called regenerative agriculture. You just have to look. I will share them as I find them too.

 

Are you trading carbon sequestration for runoff into streams and rivers though? Nature was pretty messy business in this regard and people downstream may not appreciate clear mountain streams clouded with sediment and fecis runoff.

 

no. The methods of regenerative ag result in both increased carbon sequestration by increasing soil organic matter, as well as increased soil moisture retention. It is a double win.

 

Seems like you are talking about purposely overgrazing which leads to sediment runoff.

 

Nope, it requires management of grazing that moves the livestock daily, allowing the grass to recover and builds the soil.

 

The project has been successful in Zimbabwe.

http://www.politicalforum.com/index...tification-with-livestock-in-zimbabwe.178785/

 

The experiment has proven successful.

http://www.politicalforum.com/index...tification-with-livestock-in-zimbabwe.178785/

 

Which is just the opposite of what herds of buffalo used to do so I guess I misunderstood your post saying this mimicked what buffalo did.

 

Seems the obvious way of doing things in the desert.

 

Yep.. Low tech and all that.

 

Buffalo moved around constantly. They were not fenced in. Modern industrial Ag leaves cattle on the same grass in perpetuity, which eventually results in desertification.

 

It works everywhere, which is why some researchers are calling it Adaptive Multi-Paddock or AMP grazing. Adaptive being the keyword.

 

It's been done a very long time by working ranches, nothing new here. The only thing new is calling it carbon sequestration instead of over grazing management.

 

Very long meaning how long? Because every ranch I have ever been to the use continuous grazing. Regen Ag requires the livestock to be moved continuously, usually daily.

Here is an aerial view of a herd of cattle being moved. You can really see the differences in the paddocks in the various stages of recovery.

 

Here is Dr. Teague explaining his research at Texas A&M:

 

If you say so but I've been hearing about this for twenty years. Its not wide spread due to associated cost but it's old technology with a new name.