Changing Our Lawn Habits for Carbon Sequestering Habitats
There's no doubt you've heard of climate change, and you've likely heard about carbon sequestration or carbon capture as a way to slow down or reverse climate change. There's an entire industry committed to designing high-tech solutions for removing greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide (CO2) from our atmosphere. Rarely do we discuss the Earth's natural carbon capture technology... photosynthesis and SOIL!
In this article, you’ll learn in simple terms how turning our lawns into carbon-sequestering habitats can reverse climate change and sustain planet Earth.
What is Carbon & What is Soil
Carbon is one of the most abundant elements on the planet; it is the building blocks to all “organic matter”: everything we see, touch, and taste. Carbon is also what all animals exhale in the form of CO2.
Soil is the life-filled ecosystem beneath our feet. The smallest living organisms from worms and centipedes to fungus and bacteria are constantly foraging, eating, digesting, and dying, among the roots of plants. When plants absorb carbon through photosynthesis, it’s used to grow shoots above ground and roots below ground. Carbon is also released through plant roots into the soil, and is exchanged for other nutrients (e.g. Nitrogen, Phosphorous, etc.) from the living organisms underground. Further, carbon is released and stored in the soil when the underground organisms die and decompose. This is the Carbon Cycle in a nutshell, moving from our lungs, to plants, to the soil.
What’s lawns got to do with it?
It’s clear that agriculture practices that regenerate soil health – like no-till, and fertilizing crops with compost instead of unnatural chemicals – is vital to soil health and carbon sequestration. However, according to this study, turf lawns are the most watered “crop” in the United States and the maintenance of them releases more carbon into the atmosphere than what can be absorbed. For example, carbon is released into the atmosphere when:
- Gas powered lawn mowers are used
- Fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides are made and transported
Moreover, turf lawns don’t offer food or shelter to the vanishing insect population like the bees and butterflies that we need to pollinate the food we grow and eat. Finally, the root systems of turf grasses (e.g. Kentucky Blue, Bermuda, etc.) are extremely shallow compared to
prairie plants that used to cover much of North America.
Deeper roots mean more opportunities to capture and release carbon deeper into the soil.
Spare the lawn, save the planet
So, how can we change our lawn habits to sequester more carbon, benefit more creatures, and ultimately reverse climate change? Here’s a few tips:
Grow less grass and more food
- Pollinator gardens – create food and housing for insects, birds, and other animal friends to restore native habitats and rebalance our natural ecosystems.
- Vegetable gardens and orchards - by growing our own food at home, we increase soil carbon sequestration and reduce carbon emissions related to large scale food production and transportation
- Yard waste (i.e. grass clippings, leaves, etc.) is free fertilizer! By leaving grass clippings, fallen leaves, and twigs on the ground to decay, we add nitrogen and carbon to the soil. This helps feed plants and life below ground, allowing them to keep sequestering carbon and releasing the oxygen we need to breathe.
- When organic waste such as food scraps and yard waste decompose in landfills, they produce methane, a greenhouse gas even more harmful than CO2. By composting our food waste and using it to fertilize our trees and gardens, we keep it out of landfills and feed the soil that feeds us in return.