Climate-friendly Gardening
With climate change, we need to make sure we leave the world better than we found it. Ecologically friendly gardening practices, or ‘eco-friendly gardening’ as they are affectionately known, are forward-thinking methods of gardening that are responsive to the global threats of climate change. Climate-friendly gardening is gardening in ways that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from gardens and encourage the absorption of carbon dioxide by soils and plants in order to aid the reduction of global warming. As a home gardener, you can be an important part of the solution to climate change by using climate-friendly practices.
“Climate-friendly gardening is gardening in ways that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from gardens and encourage the absorption of carbon dioxide by soils and plants in order to aid the reduction of global warming.”
Eco-friendly gardening also encourages the absorption of carbon dioxide by soils and plants in order to lessen the effects of global warming. To be a climate-friendly gardener means considering both what happens in a garden and the materials brought into it and the impact they have on land use and climate. Sustainable gardening and landscaping techniques can dramatically reduce carbon emissions, conserve water, and slow warming by increasing carbon storage in the soil. It can also include garden features or activities in the garden that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere. Reducing your carbon footprint while increasing biodiversity is easy to do and yields delicious results.
Land use and greenhouse gases
If you want to improve your gardening habits and decrease your carbon footprint, there are a few steps you can take. Most of the excess greenhouse gases causing climate change have come from burning fossil fuel. But a special report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimated that in the last 150 years fossil fuels and cement production were responsible for only about two-thirds of climate change: the other third has been caused by human land use. Climate-friendly means not harmful to the environment, especially because of not making climate change worse by producing carbon dioxide.
The three main greenhouse gases produced by unsustainable land use are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Black carbon or soot can also be caused by unsustainable land use, and, although not a gas, can behave like greenhouse gases and contribute to climate change. If you’re looking for a climate-friendly way to irrigate your crops, consider using a rain barrel.
Create a More Climate-Friendly Garden –
- Reduce emissions and inputs. Use more human power, instead of gas-powered equipment.
- Protect & improve soils. Make compost from yard waste and food scraps and use cover crops to recycle nutrients and reduce erosion.
- Use water efficiently and manage stormwater
- Make your garden friendly for pollinators and beneficial insects.
- Choose climate-friendly landscaping. Plant to reduce the need for home heating and cooling, etc.
