Today the world turns to climate action, with a theme this year of ‘Restore Our Earth’. We took this subject to our very own experts and spoke to Environmental Science & Sustainability (FdSc) student Conall Rees, to ask what climate change action can help to restore the world’s ecosystems.
Conall raised the issues of desertification, and its underrepresentation in today’s media. Desertification, in a nutshell, is the degradation of land through excessive and intense farming practices, leading to over grazing, over cultivation and deforestation which cause soil erosion and a loss of fertility. These techniques are putting our food and water sources in danger, subsequently endangering us. He said: “The main issue with desertification is the loss of vegetation and poor land use and water management.
“In 2014 the UN stated that 20 million people in the Sahel region of Africa faced hunger and required $2 billion in food aid due to desertification. This will only get worse with rising temperatures.”
So, what can you do to help? He said: “Your everyday people can start by planting vegetation that promotes pollinators like sedums which come with the added bonus of attracting butterflies and bees to your garden.
“Apart from that, the restoration and enhancement of land is large scale stuff but would definitely benefit from community involvement and education."
An example of this is huge replanting projects taking place across the globe like The Great Green Wall in Africa, which is being used to combat desertification. If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, Conall suggests watching Netflix documentary Kiss the Ground.
Adam Harper, Programme Lead for our FdSc Environmental Science and Sustainability course, said: “This information has been being published for 50-60 years; we need to be making more movements towards being much more considerate to the planet with how we use its resources."
When asked about his course, Conall added: “I enrolled on this course to better understand how I can personally play a role in preventing and reversing climate change.
“With my degree, I hope to be a part of making my local community greener, whether that's teaching or working.”
To find out more about Earth Day and how you can help click here.
Our Foundation Degree Environmental Science and Sustainability is run at the Lackham campus and validated by Bournemouth University. To find out more click here.
