The Federal Government are currently seeking to implement a road map to reduce carbon emissions with a push to develop a suite of carbon capture technologies. One of the five technologies proposed by the Government is using soil carbon.
Currently a significant percentage of Australian greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture and the environment is increasingly more susceptible to drought and bush fires. As a result there has been a popular movement towards a paradigm shift in the way the landscape is being managed.
Ecosystem Restoration (ER) is being heralded around the world as one of the key components to creating a sustainable future – environmentally, economically and socially. This land management process results in capturing water, healthy plants & soils, nutrient rich foods, the returning of landscapes and wildlife habitats to their natural states, bushfire mitigation, drought resilience and an incredible ability to capture vast amounts of carbon in the earth.
Ecosystem Restoration practitioner Rob Skinner claims the carbon capture possibilities with ER are staggering.
“If we got 2% of all agricultural land in Australia and got a 1% increase in carbon we would absorb all Australian green house gases. If we were more ambitious, Australia alone could capture all of the world’s green house gas emissions. Now that’s unbelievable, but that’s the capacity”.
For maximum impact, efficacy and to ensure all Ecosystem Restoration practices are using scientifically proven and environmentally sound techniques, a peak science body, the INDEPENDENT COUNCIL for ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION (ICER) has been established.
ICER is made up of leading scientists in the field, acknowledged expert practitioners in ER, and indigenous land management specialists/consultants all of whom are independent and together will be charged as being the custodians of the Australian Landscape. The Council will set the national standards required for official ER projects, endorse practitioners and managers, review teaching and training processes and have oversight for anything that applies to the Australian Landscape.
Regeneration of landscapes will mitigate drought and bush fire threats, will provide abundant wildlife corridors, will increase productivity and product quality for producers and will aid in facilitating the preservation and restoration of indigenous lands and develop sustainable sources of income and social support with strong connection to country for traditional land owners. Ecosystem Restoration has been identified as a revolution to create a healthy and abundant future.