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Permsteading.com • View topic - Tony Rinaudo: Reversing Desertification
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Tony Rinaudo: Reversing Desertification

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 6:03 pm
by George Collins
I learned of Tony Rinaudo by listening to an interview with Geoff Lawton. If memory serves, in that interview, Mr. Lawton stated that satellite imagery revealed that every year the entire continent of Africa seemed to grow browner save one country, Niger. Over the same time frame, Niger appeared to grow greener each year. That led to the question of what was different in Niger. Why was it growing greener while the rest of Africa was getting browner. That inquiry ultimately led to the discovery of Tony Rinaudo.


Tony Rinaudo: "Against the odds: Reversing desertification in arid and semi arid lands"


Re: Tony Rinaudo: Reversing Desertification

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 7:28 pm
by pa_friendly_guy
I took the time to watch that entire video today George. All I can say is WOW. That is truly amazing. Increasing crop yields, increasing the water table, increasing wild life diversity, increasing farmers income, increasing the bio diversity, increasing the variety of the locals diet, all just by allowing the trees that were there all along to regenerate. The fact that the trees suck up CO2 and reduce global warming is just a side benefit to all of the rest. When you are dealing with people who are literally starving to death the economic benefits of increased yields and money from the sale of fire wood are enough to dramatically change their lives for the better. For years I have wondered if there was anything we as a nation could do to stop the Great South West from turning into the Sahara Desert, now we know what we have to do. I wondered about what effect just damming up gullies to hold back the quick run off and allow the water to slowly seep into the soil would have on the greening of the arid south west. Now we know. It would have a tremendous effect, and quickly, even with out planting trees. When you have the water the trees will come. WOW, Thanks for sharing, I had not seen anything about Tony before. Tremendous.

Re: Tony Rinaudo: Reversing Desertification

PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 4:58 am
by GrahamB
I feel like I've just had an epiphany. I watched both this and the other video with Brad Lancaster and I now know what I have to do with my land.
I watched as everything shriveled and died last year, with the grasshoppers eating everything else. Every time we have rain I watch as the water runs down the hill into the backyard and just sits there. I have already begun to dig a swale above the vegetable garden, which is at the bottom of the hill and above the house. What I need to do now is start putting in clumps of tree scattered around the field to slow the flow even further. They will provide shade for the tractored rabbits which we are starting this year. It will provide habitat for birds that could deal with the invasive insects. I would still have room to plant grain crops to feed the rabbits and ourselves, as well as hay for the rabbits.
This has been a cow pasture for so many years that nothing apart from grass has ever grown. We saw evidence of this last year when a couple of small persimmon trees shot up, probably seedlings from the mature persimmon at the top of the field, and this was after only one year without grazing.
Thank you George for posting the videos, although I think you have just sealed my fate for the next few years. Oh well, I wasn't going anywhere. :)

Re: Tony Rinaudo: Reversing Desertification

PostPosted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 11:06 am
by boo
Thank you George. I'll be watching this clip again!