Land and Climate

The restoration of degraded land is one of the most effective, safe, and affordable strategies for preserving a livable climate.  

Land and climate are inseperable. With this understanding, Planet-TECH Associates is investigating approaches for ecological restoration that also serve as powerful tools for carbon capture. Chief among these is an innovation called Holistic Planned Grazing being advanced by the Savory Institute.  This practice restores degraded grasslands by using livestock as a proxy for the wild herds that the great plains and savannas of the world evolved with. It holds promise for restoring vast expanses of depleted land while also providing equitable livelihoods for rural citizens. Additionally, as this practice helps to preserve the watersheds on which urban areas depend, it is also germane for the future of cities, and must be considered part of their own strategic planning.

Seth Itzkan and Jim Laurie both have extensive knowledge of this innovation and are happy to share what they know with interested parties.  Jim Laurie has been studying Holistic Management and visiting with practitioners for over 20 years, and in 2011, Seth Itzkan spent six weeks at the Africa Center of Holistic Management in Zimbabwe, where he saw first hand the use of this practice toward the restoration of grasslands and the return of surface water in rural Africa. Seth has chronicled these observations in his blog, Hut With a View.

See videos below for additional information.

Seth in Zimbabwe at the Africa Center for Holistic Management

Seth Itzkan explaining Holistic Planned Grazing at The Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Seth Itzkan leading climate change discussion at the Africa Center for Holistic Management in Zimbabwe. Discussion was done in coordination with the 350.org world wide day of action in September of 2011.

Seth Itzkan at TEDx Somerville, March 4, 2012. Presentation is titled "Reversing Global Warming With Livestock"