“These actions have turned fertile moist green productive landscapes into hot dry deserts on all continents. These deserts include the Sahara and much of the USA.
… Most deserts became deserts because the soil sponge was destroyed.”
This is not true of most of the natural deserts in the US. These are natural and fully functioning biomes that evolved after the last ice age. They perform their own work of carbon sequestration. Proposals to regreen these deserts through grazing (or other means I might not have heard about) are a form of not listening to these natural workers, but trying to override them with our own set of beliefs.
Thanks for the comment. I'm thinking about how to reword this to be more accurate, because I dont think you and I disagree. Suggestions? Much of the US is actively desertifying.
I'm glad we agree! I've had debates with people who want to change the definition of a desert to any place with less than 2" of annual rain (down from the standard 9 or 10"), and then graze everything else. I'm glad you're not saying that!
By desertifying, do you mean places like the Central Valley of California and the Ogallala Aquifer in Kansas? Those places are definitely being degraded, over-pumped, aridified, and destroyed. We desert advocates would prefer that the name for this process wasn't "desertification," because it furthers the myth that actual deserts are all barren places. But I realize it's common usage, so if you have to use it, I'd suggest also making a clear distinction between the places that are being aridified and the places that have evolved over eons as deserts.
My friend Chris Clarke has been writing about this for a long time. His best article about desertification doesn't seem to be available online anymore, but here's another one with the bit about desertification vs. actual deserts in the middle:
I was right there with you until this part:
“These actions have turned fertile moist green productive landscapes into hot dry deserts on all continents. These deserts include the Sahara and much of the USA.
… Most deserts became deserts because the soil sponge was destroyed.”
This is not true of most of the natural deserts in the US. These are natural and fully functioning biomes that evolved after the last ice age. They perform their own work of carbon sequestration. Proposals to regreen these deserts through grazing (or other means I might not have heard about) are a form of not listening to these natural workers, but trying to override them with our own set of beliefs.
Hi Larry,
Thanks for the comment. I'm thinking about how to reword this to be more accurate, because I dont think you and I disagree. Suggestions? Much of the US is actively desertifying.
I'm glad we agree! I've had debates with people who want to change the definition of a desert to any place with less than 2" of annual rain (down from the standard 9 or 10"), and then graze everything else. I'm glad you're not saying that!
By desertifying, do you mean places like the Central Valley of California and the Ogallala Aquifer in Kansas? Those places are definitely being degraded, over-pumped, aridified, and destroyed. We desert advocates would prefer that the name for this process wasn't "desertification," because it furthers the myth that actual deserts are all barren places. But I realize it's common usage, so if you have to use it, I'd suggest also making a clear distinction between the places that are being aridified and the places that have evolved over eons as deserts.
My friend Chris Clarke has been writing about this for a long time. His best article about desertification doesn't seem to be available online anymore, but here's another one with the bit about desertification vs. actual deserts in the middle:
https://www.pbssocal.org/redefine/why-you-should-love-the-desert
Thanks for considering this topic!
Great job putting the pieces together in understandable language. Kudos.