This piece of dirt can suck up LOADS of carbon

Peatlands are real carbon storing champions. But as we need more farmland, we're drying them up at alarming rates and release enormous amounts of CO2 in the process. What to do about it? Well, there might just be a way to do both — keep the ground wet AND grow food on it.

Reporter: Kai Steinecke
Camera: Henning Goll
Video editor: Kai Steinecke
Supervising editors: Joanna Gotschalk, Malte Rohwer-Kahlmann

We're destroying our environment at an alarming rate. But it doesn't need to be this way. Our new channel Planet A explores the shift towards an eco-friendly world — and challenges our ideas about what dealing with climate change means. We look at the big and the small: What we can do and how the system needs to change. Every Friday we'll take a truly global look at how to get us out of this mess.

#PlanetA #Peatlands #SustainableAgriculture

Read more:

History and future of peatland emissions:

Restoring peatlands:

Water level and emissions:

Paludiculture in Germany:

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:34 Welcome to the wet farm
03:37 Carbon storing champs
05:16 Paludiculture
07:50 How to rewet?
09:39 Talking money
11:21 Conclusion

[DWPlanetA]

How should we use our peatlands in the future?

[greenthumb]

I found this interesting . It's great that this farmer is trying on his own to do this . Someone in the comments mentioned the traditional way they grew food in Mexico on the lakes . The chinampas could be used in places like Ireland that is predicted to get even more rain in the future . We need to experiment with all these ideas

[SaveMoneySavethePlanet]

Honestly, our whole farming system needs a dramatic overhaul. For instance: did you know that rice doesn’t actually need a crazy amount of water?

The reason we typically grow rice in deep standing water is simply because it’s very water tolerant so this reduces the amount of weeding that we need to do….but this is at the cost of nasty methane emissions. Some farmers have found that simply draining the water at a certain point during the growth cycle cuts the methane emissions almost to zero!

Of course, we could also just replace some of our rice consumption with quinoa as well which solves a similar issue…

[ninemoonplanet]

Combine this with agro-forestry, especially with trees that are good in wetter soils. 2 bonuses, wind breaks and water retention allow the water table to become less extreme.
Willows have unique properties, they're sources of the base for ASA pain reduction, the trees produce a natural rooting hormone, and when used to make living barriers reduce the need for fencing materials. There are other species that like to grow in soggy soils like cranberries.
Why rely on dry dirt? Multiply the income streams and diversify the ecology too.

[Brurgh]

This is where selling CO2 offset tokens is very very useful. If he can sell his offset CO2 he can use that money to reinvest into wetting more wetlands.
Buying CO2 offset isn't a solution in the long term, but in this transitional period where the costs of being sustainable is very expensive it should be really pushed to help these smaller scale projects pick up momemtum and being able to reach the scale needed.

[alfiand]

I remember video about african guy who built his farm from a dryland to wetland that can grow tropical fruits such as banana, mango etc. He did it traditionally with water manipulation and it takes 20 years tho.

[chawgreens]

as a developing country's citizen, it's so mindblowing to see a farm use xray...

[Sarahlenea]

Although it is not the primary cause of peatland destruction, the vast majority of potting soils contain peat / sphagnum moss from peat bogs. If you can, use peat-free potting soil for your plants and buy bare root plants or grow your plants from seed/cuttings instead of buying potted plants!

[williamscoggin]

The government has to offer incentives of some type with the startup cost being so great. But it is pretty good at all so it is worth subsidizing the equipment.

[frncm]

This is interesting. A lot of people are taking the initiative to reduce CO2 emissions, unfortunately, Countries and major companies are dragging their feet on reducing greenhouse gasses.

[ryhol]

Nerding out over their overhead farm scanner. That’s so cool

[ramabg]

I just learned that Germany lost most of Its peatland due to agriculture while lecturing SEA countries not to use theirs for palm plantation. Discrediting CPO is not about protecting the planet. It is about protecting EU farmers who also take the most of EU budget.

[jollyjokress]

6:55 Jürgen Kreyling Haha, When I studied in Bayreuth he showed me cultures of different plant species in some study. when he tasked if i had listened I could recite everything he said. In my heart I am a true plant ecologist 🥺🥺

[grantquinones]

Is this the country that doesn't have electricity this winter talking about how green the world could be

[dennyli]

Surface water is minimal, so as peat land....

Raising water table would raise salt level as well !

[leonsvideos]

Der Landwirt ist einfach so ein Boss, respekt! Von ihm kann man einiges lernen

[TheEricZ]

You can't contrast harvests, but you can compare calories over area.

[hunterhq]

I know there being peatlands where I'm from in Malaysia, Florida too?

[caterthun]

Field of high peat quantity just been dried to improve grazing. Next home. The work cost a lot more than return on grass return

[remliqa]

I am wondering about the wildlife biodiversity in these paludiculture or whether they are introducing invasive species for the sake of carbon capture.