Peatlands are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. The carbon-rich ecosystems, located near wetlands around the globe, store almost a third of the world’s terrestrial carbon, creates a great habitat for wildlife and plays an important role in water management. It also provides livelihoods for communities by supporting agricultural activities and producing natural products, such as medicinal plants or honey. Sadly, peatlands are also prone to disturbance, both from natural and human activity. Among the biggest issues is what’s known as “peat subsidence,” a form of land subsidence, which is the downward movement of the Earth's surface due to the removal of subsurface earth materials. Land subsidence is more familiar when we talk about it happening with mineral soil. For example, land subsidence is sited as a cause of why big cities, like Jakarta in Indonesia, are sinking. Peat subsidence triggers a number of environmental problems, including flooding, loss of land productivity and correlates strongly with carbon dioxide emissions. It’s also an issue that doesn’t receive much attention and is often perceived as a “sleeping disaster.” That is why finding ways to protect peatlands is so crucial. Causes of Peat Subsidence.........The main driver of peat subsidence is the removal of groundwater from the naturally water-logged ecosystem, mostly due to the construction of canal drainage. The use of an intensive drainage system aims to make peatlands more suitable for agricultural crops and for transportation purposes. This activity, however, leads to the decline of water table depth causing peat soil to become drier and decompose faster. As a result, the previously water-logged peat layer is exposed to oxygen, increasing microbial activities and biological oxidation of the organic deposits. The oxidation of the peat ultimately leads to large carbon losses, which triggers subsidence. Data from drained high-latitude peatlands in European countries and the U.S. show a decrease in subsidence rate over time, from around 6 centimeters (2.36 inches) per year shortly after drainage to approximately 1 to 3 centimeters per year (0.39 to 1.18 inches) after a century. Meanwhile, cumulative subsidence reported in tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia are much higher. The rates could reach 1.5 meters (4.92 feet) over the first five years, of which 0.75 meters of subsidence (2.46 feet) occurred during the first year after drainage. The peat subsidence rate will decrease over time following drainage, and the average is reported to be around 2 to 6 centimeters per year (0.78 to 2.36 inches). One indication of peat subsidence in the field is the exposure of root systems. Peat subsidence is also triggered by a combination of processes......read on       https://www.wri.org/insights/what-peat-subsidence-and-how-can-countries-prevent-environmental-disaster?utm_campaign=wridigest&utm_source=wridigest-2023-10-12&utm_medium=email

Can crops grow better under solar panels? Here’s all you need to know about ‘agrivoltaic farming’Jul 26, 2022. Agrivoltaic farming is the practice of growing crops underneath solar panels........Scientific studies show some crops thrive when grown in this way........Doubling up on land use in this way could help feed the world’s growing population while also providing sustainable energy. As world leaders prepare to gather at COP27 amid a global energy crisis, climate change and renewables are sharply in focus. At the same time, increasing climate resilience across food systems will be needed to counter rising hunger and malnutrition, according to UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid.  Agrivoltaic farming could be a solution to not just one but both of these problems. It uses the shaded space underneath solar panels to grow crops. This increases land-use efficiency, as it lets solar farms and agriculture share ground, rather than making them compete against one another.And certain crops appear to thrive when grown in such environments, according to a number of recent studies. Solar panels have to sometimes be elevated or suspended to allow plants to grow beneath them. Another option is putting them on the roofs of greenhouses. This allows enough light and rainwater to reach the crops, as well as providing access for farm machinery. Where is agrivoltaic farming already in use? Researchers in South Korea have been growing broccoli underneath photovoltaic panels. The panels are positioned 2-3 metres off the ground and sit at an angle of 30 degrees, providing shade and offering crops protection from the weather. A study into this project found that the quality of the broccoli was not any lower than that of broccoli grown in the traditional way. Nor was there any significant change in its taste. The researchers, from Chonnam National University, also discovered that the broccoli produced was a deeper shade of green, making it more appealing to many consumers. Elsewhere, agrivoltaic systems in East Africa are allowing farmers to make better use of land that was previously seen as unlivable.  An Agrivoltaic farming project in Kenya is using solar panels held several metres off the ground, with gaps in between them. The shade from the panels protects vegetables from heat stress and water loss.  Agrivoltaics is one way of using the same area of land to produce more food while also rolling out more sources of renewable energy.    https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/07/agrivoltaic-farming-solar-energy/     

Global shipping can halve emissions without impacting trade, study finds ahead of key UN decision Date: June 26, 2023 The global shipping industry can reduce emissions by nearly 50% by the end of the decade, according to a new study by CE Delft. These findings come as the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) is about to reach an agreement on climate targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships in July. Civil society groups call on the IMO’s 175 member states to urgently support halving shipping emissions by 2030 and reaching zero by 2040 to put the industry on the zero-emission pathway required for achieving the 1.5°C temperature warming limit agreed under the Paris Agreement. Today’s study from CE Delft provides strong evidence to policymakers that these targets are also economically and technologically feasible. The analysis shows that ships can achieve 36-47% emissions reduction by 2030 compared to 2008 levels by deploying 5-10% zero or near-zero emission fuels, wind-assist technologies, and by ‘climate optimising’ the speed of ships. The study also concludes that costs associated with these emissions cuts would be manageable. Halving emissions in this decade would only add around 10% to the total cost of shipping operations, a sum that would be dwarfed by the cost of climate related damages to the industry and wider society if shipping fails to cut emissions. University College London estimates that every year of inaction this decade will add an extra $100 billion to the cost of shipping decarbonisation.         https://www.pacificenvironment.org/press-releases/global-shipping-can-halve-emissions-without-impacting-trade-study-finds-ahead-of-key-un-decision/

Groundwater is a valuable resource both in the United States and throughout the world. Groundwater depletion, a term often defined as long-term water-level declines caused by sustained groundwater pumping, is a key issue associated with groundwater use. Many areas of the United States are experiencing groundwater depletion. Groundwater is a valuable resource both in the United States and throughout the world. Where surface water, such as lakes and rivers, are scarce or inaccessible, groundwater supplies many of the hydrologic needs of people everywhere. In the United States, it is the source of drinking water for about half the total population and nearly all of the rural population, and it provides over 50 billion gallons per day for agricultural needs. Groundwater depletion, a term often defined as long-term water-level declines caused by sustained groundwater pumping, is a key issue associated with groundwater use. Many areas of the United States are experiencing groundwater depletion. Excessive pumping can overdraw the groundwater "bank account"..... The water stored in the ground can be compared to money kept in a bank account. If you withdraw money at a faster rate than you deposit new money you will eventually start having account-supply problems. Pumping water out of the ground faster than it is replenished over the long-term causes similar problems. The volume of groundwater in storage is decreasing in many areas of the United States in response to pumping. Groundwater depletion is primarily caused by sustained groundwater pumping. Some of the negative effects of groundwater depletion: drying up of wells......reduction of water in streams and lakes.......deterioration of water quality.......increased pumping costs.......land subsidence. What are some effects of groundwater depletion?  Pumping groundwater at a faster rate than it can be recharged can have some negative effects of the environment and the people who make use of the water......LOWERING OF THE WATER TABLE.....and much more           https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/groundwater-decline-and-depletion