Age of Microbes: A Blueprint for a Habitable Earth by Steven Allison

Unlike most books on climate change, Age of Microbes by ecologist Steven D. Allison casts a hopeful tone. Allison maintains that the smallest of Earth's inhabitants—its microbes—may be key to solving problems such as droughts, rising sea levels, food insecurity, and the energy crisis.

 Written for lay readers, the text does not dispute that dire climate changes are coming. Allison asserts, however, that new agricultural techniques can offset some of the upcoming climate disruptions. 

Plants and microbes in the soil capture 30% of the world’s greenhouse gases. By using better soil management practices, biofertilizers, cover and range planting, an additional 5% of greenhouse gases could be banked. To combat drought, soil microbes can be engineered to help plants thrive in higher temperatures with less chemical fertilizer.

 The most inspiring chapter, “From Jungle Rot to Jet Fuel,” explains how microbes can be used to generate an earth-friendly fuel. Allison explains that every solution must be well-examined. After all, some climate interventions, corn ethanol, have led to unintended consequences.

Everyone interested in the environment should read this book. Allison presents sound microbial solutions that are rarely addressed in other climate crisis literature.

Is the Earth Overpopulated?

Image by Nikesh Khadka from Pixabay

MSN reports that halving the population by 2200 could reduce habitat loss and greenhouse gases to sustainable levels.

Vishwam Sankaran writes,

"It sounds like something out of a Marvel movie, but scientists have said halving the human population over a span of about two centuries could make the planet much more sustainable by reducing excess consumption."

Marvel anti-hero, Thanos, famously used the "Infinity Gauntlet" to halve the population of the Earth. His actions were designed to bring balance to the universe by instantly reversing overpopulation. 

Scientists writing for Sustainable Development argue that a much more gradual decrease in overpopulation is the better and more just option.

Imagine, though, where the decision to limit population are not made by humans but by machines. 

Chuck Wendig imagines such a situation in his work of fiction, Wanderers. 

Humans are killed by an A.I. named Black Swan that tricks humanity into thinking it is helping them. 

He followed Wanderers with Wayward which tells the rest of the tale. 

For more information, see WorldofMeters.info.

Nature's Echo by Thomas Crowther

An inspiring new environmental book, Nature’s Echo, by Thomas Crowther will be hitting the shelves soon.

Some may remember Thomas Crowther’s name because it has been associated with the Trillion Tree Campaign. In this book, Nature’s Echo, he sets the record straight. His study and subsequent article in Nature never advocated simply planting new trees.

Growing trees in a plantation, without fostering and establishing an ecosystem, can lead to devastating results. He points to the 2017 Pedrogao Grande Fire, one of the worst fires in Portugal’s history, as an example.

The Pedrogao Grande fire raged in the region because of the cash crop of Eucalyptus trees, which burn faster and more easily than other trees. Once the trees were lit, they blazed faster and faster, a feedback loop that burned nearly 45,000 hectares of land.

Crowther fearlessly writes about the misinterpreted study and how it led to some corporations to start “greenwashing” by planting trees in an ill-advised way. Many scientists disavowed him after the Nature article. In the melee, Crowther’s exhortation of restoring and protecting existing forest land was lost. In addition, his message supporting indigenous communities who practice restorative farming techniques was not heard.

Nature’s Echo gives Crowther the chance to correct the record, but it offers readers even more — it offers hope. Crowther bravely shares that, after a diving accident, he had a pontine stroke. One of the consequences of the stroke was severe depression. Wrestling with depression helped him understand those who despair over climate change.

Despair, however, leads to inaction, the exact opposite of what humans collectively need to do to avert climate change. What is needed, he argues, is joyous involvement. Joyous involvement will create positive feedback loops. In other words, people who engage in climate solutions positively and enthusiastically will spread that enthusiasm to others.

What will turn the tide are healthy land practices, innovative farming like shade-grown coffee, fair trade, debt-for-nature swaps, and other programs that promote equality. Crowther believes that inequality and poverty lead to the misuse of nature and deforestation.

Equally important are regenerative innovations. Advances in battery technology are making it possible to store solar power. Batteries can now store enough energy to power microgrids e.g. Sonnen’s community batteries, Tesla’s Powerwall, and Enphase’s Microgrid.

Crowther mentions many more innovative solutions that could change the trajectory of climate change. Electric cars reached a tipping point in 2023. Electric trains, ships and aircraft will curb even more greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. Green building materials, mycelium-based insulation, and bioplastics will add to the positive momentum.

He argues that changing the current climate crisis will not be easy, but it can be done. Even though CO2 emissions exceed 44 billion tons each year, we cannot be “passive witnesses to planetary collapse.” We must act positively and joyously because conservation efforts will fail if they are burdensome. Lasting positive changes, Crowther emphatically states, will not come from guilt, denial, or shame.

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