Activity

In response to John’s question “how would you propose to reduce emissions and increase sequestration through design” in addition to my comments below about how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – landscapes can also play an active role in sequestering carbon through thoughtful plant selection and soil stewardship. Research has shown that biodiverse landscapes are typically more productive and sequester more carbon. So one solution may be to create landscapes that have multiple planting layers creating not only habitat but a multitude of benefits such as stormwater interception, climate regulation and air and water cleansing. Additional options would be to limit soil disturbance which increases decomposition and the release of carbon. It has also been well documented that Increasing organic matter through the use of compost improves water holding capacity and plant productivity. Site selection also plays a major role – unfortunately one that we often do not have much control over. Encouraging dense development on sites that have been previously disturbed will not only limit the carbon footprint of providing municipal services such as roads and water but also hopefully reduce development on greenfield sites. I am interested in hearing what others have to say. Thank you John for asking the question!