Tax breaks for electric vehicles. Huge incentives to ramp up carbon-capture facilities, urge green hydrogen production and boost U.S. manufacturing of solar panels, wind turbines and next-generation batteries. The landmark Inflation Reduction Act that passed Friday includes $369 billion in climate- and energy-related funding — much of it aimed at high-tech solutions to help nudge the world’s biggest historical emitter toward a greener future.
10 steps you can take to lower your carbon footprint
But beyond those headline-making investments, the legislation acknowledges a less-heralded but essential part of the effort to combat climate change: nature. Or, more precisely, that given a chance, nature can be a profound ally in the fight against climate change.
“It’s historic, without a doubt,” said Tom Cors, director of North America policy and government relations at the Nature Conservancy. He called new funding to protect forests and boost climate-friendly agriculture practices a “once-in-a-generation investment.”
Climate change’s impact intensifies as U.S. prepares to take action
The money set aside for “nature-based” climate solutions includes about $20 billion for agricultural conservation and $5 billion to safeguard forests around the country, according to the Congressional Research Service.
While those numbers pale in comparison to other big-ticket items, many environmental advocates say such investments are critical in giving the nation a better shot at hitting long-term climate goals, and serve as a reminder that taking care of the land has added benefits to wildlife and human health.
“We can actually get a big bang for our buck by addressing climate solutions that also address the nature crisis,” Cors said. “Natural climate solutions are not a substitute for decarbonizing our economy and energy sector. But it’s a complement so that we can hit more emissions reductions than we could otherwise.”
Still, it remains uncertain whether the current legislation will ultimately dole out money in the most effective and lasting ways.
“The devil is always in the details,” said Peter Reich, a University of Minnesota researcher who has long studied the impact of global warming on forests. “Exactly how you spend the money can have marginally good impacts on slowing climate change or much better ones.”
This much is clear: To slow Earth’s warming, humans will have to rely on a major assist from trees, wetlands, peatland and other landscapes that soak up massive amounts of carbon dioxide each year. But land also releases greenhouse gases back into the atmosphere as wildfires burn, forests are razed, permafrost melts or wetlands are drained.
If humans mismanage the land by recklessly razing forests or by farming in unsustainable ways, emissions that warm the planet can increase. By contrast, embracing smarter farming practices and caring for forests in ways that reduce wildfire risk, for instance, can make reaching climate goals more realistic.
Healthy forests, restored wetlands and undisturbed prairies can pull billions of tons of carbon out of the atmosphere annually. That makes land the biggest and most reliable carbon-sequestration tool the world currently has, and worth protecting.
“Climate change is harming our forests at the very time we need them to fight climate change,” said Jad Daley, president of the nonprofit conservation group American Forests. “If we lose what forests are currently doing for us, we have no chance. They can help us or they can hurt us, depending on the time and energy we put into it.”
In fast-warming Minnesota, scientists are trying to plant the forests of the future
Daley noted that last year’s infrastructure spending package included significant support for reforestation initiatives, and President Biden this year signed an executive order aimed at strengthening forest management. Even so, some conservation efforts have historically operated on shoestring budgets or without dedicated funding at all.
“Just the fact that forests were included is really, really substantial,” he said. “I have worked on this issue without stopping for 15 years. It’s always felt like we were the last guest on the list invited to the dinner party.”
10 steps you can take to lower your carbon footprint
But beyond those headline-making investments, the legislation acknowledges a less-heralded but essential part of the effort to combat climate change: nature. Or, more precisely, that given a chance, nature can be a profound ally in the fight against climate change.
“It’s historic, without a doubt,” said Tom Cors, director of North America policy and government relations at the Nature Conservancy. He called new funding to protect forests and boost climate-friendly agriculture practices a “once-in-a-generation investment.”
Climate change’s impact intensifies as U.S. prepares to take action
The money set aside for “nature-based” climate solutions includes about $20 billion for agricultural conservation and $5 billion to safeguard forests around the country, according to the Congressional Research Service.
While those numbers pale in comparison to other big-ticket items, many environmental advocates say such investments are critical in giving the nation a better shot at hitting long-term climate goals, and serve as a reminder that taking care of the land has added benefits to wildlife and human health.
“We can actually get a big bang for our buck by addressing climate solutions that also address the nature crisis,” Cors said. “Natural climate solutions are not a substitute for decarbonizing our economy and energy sector. But it’s a complement so that we can hit more emissions reductions than we could otherwise.”
Still, it remains uncertain whether the current legislation will ultimately dole out money in the most effective and lasting ways.
“The devil is always in the details,” said Peter Reich, a University of Minnesota researcher who has long studied the impact of global warming on forests. “Exactly how you spend the money can have marginally good impacts on slowing climate change or much better ones.”
This much is clear: To slow Earth’s warming, humans will have to rely on a major assist from trees, wetlands, peatland and other landscapes that soak up massive amounts of carbon dioxide each year. But land also releases greenhouse gases back into the atmosphere as wildfires burn, forests are razed, permafrost melts or wetlands are drained.
If humans mismanage the land by recklessly razing forests or by farming in unsustainable ways, emissions that warm the planet can increase. By contrast, embracing smarter farming practices and caring for forests in ways that reduce wildfire risk, for instance, can make reaching climate goals more realistic.
Healthy forests, restored wetlands and undisturbed prairies can pull billions of tons of carbon out of the atmosphere annually. That makes land the biggest and most reliable carbon-sequestration tool the world currently has, and worth protecting.
“Climate change is harming our forests at the very time we need them to fight climate change,” said Jad Daley, president of the nonprofit conservation group American Forests. “If we lose what forests are currently doing for us, we have no chance. They can help us or they can hurt us, depending on the time and energy we put into it.”
In fast-warming Minnesota, scientists are trying to plant the forests of the future
Daley noted that last year’s infrastructure spending package included significant support for reforestation initiatives, and President Biden this year signed an executive order aimed at strengthening forest management. Even so, some conservation efforts have historically operated on shoestring budgets or without dedicated funding at all.
“Just the fact that forests were included is really, really substantial,” he said. “I have worked on this issue without stopping for 15 years. It’s always felt like we were the last guest on the list invited to the dinner party.”