Source >>><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\nBy Helen Briggs<\/strong>
Environment correspondent Published 1 day ago Share Related Topics<\/p>\n\n\n\n- COP26<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"Road](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/F1D3\/production\/_123170916_road_gettyimages-1016401280.jpg\")
Image caption,A small road through a pristine forest can have a large environmental footprint<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWith much of the planet already \u201cused-up\u201d, the world has hard choices to make over how to use land in the most sustainable and effective way.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThat\u2019s the take-home message from 50 leading experts on why land matters in tackling a host of existential challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vast areas of land are being earmarked for grand plans to fight climate change and nature loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet land is also needed for food production and alleviating poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scientists say there simply isn\u2019t enough land on the planet to address all of these things at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe live on this used planet where all the land that\u2019s even considered unused or untouched is providing really important benefits to people,\u201d said Dr Ariane de Bremond of the University of Bern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere isn\u2019t enough land to do everything simultaneously \u2013 we have to recognise that and find better ways \u2013 and that requires a lot of negotiation between different sectors of society and between nations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Cutting](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/A3B3\/production\/_123170914_cuttingwheatgettyimages-1356201181.jpg\")
Image caption,Much of the Earth\u2019s surface has been transformed by humans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe paper<\/a>, published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences<\/a>, sets out why land matters in a host of problems facing humanity and calls on decision makers and stakeholders to do more to address misconceptions over land use and sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n- Scientists address myths over tree planting<\/a><\/li>
- \u2018Quick fixes\u2019 to the climate crisis risk harming nature<\/a><\/li>
- \u2018Future proofing\u2019 forests for orangutans<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is very little land potentially available for expansion of agriculture, urbanisation, climate change mitigation, or biodiversity conservation land uses that is \u2019empty\u2019 or \u2018free\u2019 of trade-offs,\u201d they write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three-quarters of the planet\u2019s land that is not covered by ice has already been turned over to farming, building cities and mining, with the little land that is left \u2013 often of prime importance to local people \u2013 earmarked for ambitious plans to absorb carbon emissions or create space for nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Land is a limited resource and there are no silver bullets, no easy answers and lots of trade-offs, said Dr Casey Ryan of the University of Edinburgh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you look in the news you see half of Earth being set aside for nature as an ambition from the nature conservationists, you see zero deforestation coming out of the last Cop (Conference of the Parties), the trillion trees agenda \u2013 all of those very well-meaning, but ultimately flawed huge ideas are really not supported by the science that we have in this paper,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Tree](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/13FF3\/production\/_123170918_newtreesgettyimages-1297584965.jpg\")
Image caption,Solutions to fighting climate change and nature loss must be tailor made not \u2018one-size-fits-all\u2019, the experts say<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe authors distilled knowledge on the science of land use into ten \u201chard truths\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Land has multiple meanings and values<\/li>
- The dynamics of how we use land is complex, often with unforeseen consequences<\/li>
- There are distant global connections<\/li>
- There are many trade-offs<\/li>
- There are few \u201cwin-wins\u201d<\/li>
- Claims on land are overlapping and contested<\/li>
- Benefits from land are unequally distributed<\/li>
- Changes to the way we use land can be irreversible and have impacts for decades or centuries<\/li>
- Relatively small changes can have large \u201cspillover\u201d effects.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
They say keeping these facts in mind will help decision-makers rise to the challenge of sustainable, just, and effective land use across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow Helen on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"09 FEBRUARY 2022 : 1H7TJ Source >>> By Helen BriggsEnvironment correspondent Published 1 day ago Share Related …
Environment correspondent Published 1 day ago Share Related Topics<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- COP26<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Image caption,A small road through a pristine forest can have a large environmental footprint<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n With much of the planet already \u201cused-up\u201d, the world has hard choices to make over how to use land in the most sustainable and effective way.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s the take-home message from 50 leading experts on why land matters in tackling a host of existential challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vast areas of land are being earmarked for grand plans to fight climate change and nature loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet land is also needed for food production and alleviating poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scientists say there simply isn\u2019t enough land on the planet to address all of these things at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe live on this used planet where all the land that\u2019s even considered unused or untouched is providing really important benefits to people,\u201d said Dr Ariane de Bremond of the University of Bern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere isn\u2019t enough land to do everything simultaneously \u2013 we have to recognise that and find better ways \u2013 and that requires a lot of negotiation between different sectors of society and between nations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Image caption,Much of the Earth\u2019s surface has been transformed by humans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The paper<\/a>, published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences<\/a>, sets out why land matters in a host of problems facing humanity and calls on decision makers and stakeholders to do more to address misconceptions over land use and sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Scientists address myths over tree planting<\/a><\/li>
- \u2018Quick fixes\u2019 to the climate crisis risk harming nature<\/a><\/li>
- \u2018Future proofing\u2019 forests for orangutans<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is very little land potentially available for expansion of agriculture, urbanisation, climate change mitigation, or biodiversity conservation land uses that is \u2019empty\u2019 or \u2018free\u2019 of trade-offs,\u201d they write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three-quarters of the planet\u2019s land that is not covered by ice has already been turned over to farming, building cities and mining, with the little land that is left \u2013 often of prime importance to local people \u2013 earmarked for ambitious plans to absorb carbon emissions or create space for nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Land is a limited resource and there are no silver bullets, no easy answers and lots of trade-offs, said Dr Casey Ryan of the University of Edinburgh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you look in the news you see half of Earth being set aside for nature as an ambition from the nature conservationists, you see zero deforestation coming out of the last Cop (Conference of the Parties), the trillion trees agenda \u2013 all of those very well-meaning, but ultimately flawed huge ideas are really not supported by the science that we have in this paper,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Image caption,Solutions to fighting climate change and nature loss must be tailor made not \u2018one-size-fits-all\u2019, the experts say<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The authors distilled knowledge on the science of land use into ten \u201chard truths\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Land has multiple meanings and values<\/li>
- The dynamics of how we use land is complex, often with unforeseen consequences<\/li>
- There are distant global connections<\/li>
- There are many trade-offs<\/li>
- There are few \u201cwin-wins\u201d<\/li>
- Claims on land are overlapping and contested<\/li>
- Benefits from land are unequally distributed<\/li>
- Changes to the way we use land can be irreversible and have impacts for decades or centuries<\/li>
- Relatively small changes can have large \u201cspillover\u201d effects.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
They say keeping these facts in mind will help decision-makers rise to the challenge of sustainable, just, and effective land use across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow Helen on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
09 FEBRUARY 2022 : 1H7TJ Source >>> By Helen BriggsEnvironment correspondent Published 1 day ago Share Related …
- \u2018Quick fixes\u2019 to the climate crisis risk harming nature<\/a><\/li>
- Scientists address myths over tree planting<\/a><\/li>