Tag: Environmental Policy

Why Dry Places Are Getting Even Drier

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Evapotranspiration rises off the forest in the mountains of Ren'ai Township, Taiwan. Credit: Erica Gies
Evapotranspiration rises off the forest in the mountains of Ren’ai Township, Taiwan. Credit: Erica Gies

And What Nature Is Trying to Tell Us

Not long ago, wildfires tore through Los Angeles in the middle of winter. That caught a lot of people off guard. Winter fires used to be rare. But meteorologists weren’t surprised. They had already seen signs: unusually dry air, low humidity, and the perfect conditions for flames to spread.

With climate change, this “fire weather” is happening more often — not just in California, but in places like Canada, southern Europe, and the U.S. Southeast. Here’s the mystery: even though the world is getting warmer, some dry places aren’t getting more humid — they’re getting drier. So where is all the moisture going?

The Science Behind Moisture and Warming

Scientists know that warmer air can hold more water. It’s a basic rule called the Clausius–Clapeyron relationship, which says that for every 1°C (1.8°F) of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture.

Climate models — the computer programs scientists use to predict the future — say we should see more moisture in the air everywhere as the world warms. And that’s exactly what’s been happening in some places. For example, intense floods in Pakistan, Germany, and New York City were made worse by extra moisture in the air.

But over drylands — places like the U.S. Southwest, parts of Africa, and Australia — the models seem to be wrong. Instead of more moisture, the air is staying just as dry… or getting drier.

Missing Moisture: What’s Going Wrong?

Atmospheric physicist Isla Simpson and her team noticed this odd pattern by studying 40 years of weather data. In places that were already dry, humidity wasn’t going up. In some cases, like the American Southwest, it was going down.

The big question is: Why?

One possible answer is that plants and soil aren’t giving off as much water vapor as the models expect. Normally, plants “sweat” through tiny pores in their leaves, releasing moisture into the air — a process called transpiration. Soil also releases water. But under stress — like heat, drought, or damage — this natural system seems to slow down.

And here’s the twist: most climate models don’t fully account for the biology of plants and soil. They focus more on oceans, ice, and the atmosphere, and less on the living systems that also affect the climate.

Why Plants and Soil Matter

It turns out that plants and soil do much more than just sit there. They help regulate temperature and rain patterns. When plants release moisture, the moister:

  • Cools the air (like sweat on skin)
  • Helps clouds form
  • Helps spread rain farther inland

Healthy soil also plays a major role:

  • It holds water like a sponge
  • It supports fungi and bacteria that help form rain clouds
  • It slows down water runoff, keeping landscapes cooler and wetter

But when ecosystems are damaged, this water-holding system breaks down. The land dries out, gets hotter, and becomes more prone to droughts and fires.

Living ecosystems help cool and moisten the Earth. Damaged ecosystems make it hotter and drier.

How Humans Made It Worse

You might wonder: how did this happen on such a large scale?

The answer lies in how much we’ve changed the land:

  • 75% of the Earth’s land has been severely altered by human activity (IPBES, 2019)
  • Grasslands and savannas are overgrazed
  • Wetlands are drained
  • Forests are logged and replaced with tree farms
  • Industrial farming strips soil of life and nutrients

Even when we replant trees, they’re often monocultures (just one species), which don’t support the same soil health or moisture processes as natural forests. These changes might look green from space, but they don’t function the same way.

What We Can Do About It

When it comes to tackling climate change, we often hear about personal habits such driving less, eating differently, using less energy. While these actions matter, the biggest changes come from policies and systems. That’s why the most important thing we can do is use our voices and our votes.

Elect Leaders Who Protect Nature

  • Support candidates who prioritize ecosystem protection, climate resilience, and land stewardship
  • Ask hard questions: Will you protect native forests? Will you fund soil and water restoration?
  • Vote in local, state, and national elections. These decisions directly impact land use and climate outcomes

Hold Politicians Accountable

  • Follow up after elections by tracking what your representatives are doing for the environment
  • Attend town halls, write to your lawmakers, and support environmental advocacy groups
  • Push for science-based policies that restore biodiversity, water systems, and climate stability

When leaders understand that voters care about land and water — not just carbon — they’re more likely to act. Restoring ecosystems isn’t just good science, it’s good politics.

Restore Natural Ecosystems

  • Let native forests regrow instead of planting single-species trees
  • Support healthy grasslands with better grazing practices
  • Protect wetlands and water sources

Care for the Soil

  • Reduce tilling and chemical use
  • Encourage farming methods that boost soil life
  • Plant cover crops that help the land retain moisture

Think Local and Global

  • Support community land stewards and Indigenous practices
  • Include land care in climate solutions, alongside reducing carbon emissions

Restoring ecosystems brings powerful benefits: it can increase local rainfall, cool surrounding areas, reduce the risk of fires and droughts, and support healthier biodiversity. These natural systems do more than sustain wildlife — they help protect our communities too.

Summing Up

Climate change isn’t just about carbon dioxide — it’s also about water, life, and how we care for the land. When dry places get even drier, it’s a sign that something’s out of balance.

By listening to nature and recognizing the role of plants, soil, and ecosystems, we can develop better climate models, smarter solutions, and a safer future. As the science shows, protecting living systems doesn’t just help animals and plants. It helps us too.

Let’s care for the land as part of how we care for the climate.

Source: Gies, E. (2025, June 20). Climate science and the case of the missing moisture. Nature Water, 3, 634–637. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-025-00455-2?error=cookies_not_supported&code=4b4f3552-589a-41ae-8609-2d2a00e407f1

Tackling the Methane Challenge: Critical Moves to Cool the Planet

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Methane CH4.
Methane CH4. Credit: Christinelmiller, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons


Methane (CH4) is a potent but often overlooked contributor to climate change that needs mitigation.

A new study, “The Methane Imperative,” published in Frontiers in Science, shifts the spotlight from CO2 to methane (CH4), a potent but often overlooked contributor to climate change.

The Growing Threat of Methane

Methane emissions have been rising sharply, particularly since 2006, driven predominantly by activities in wetlands and the fossil fuel industry. The study emphasizes that methane is responsible for nearly as much global warming as CO2, making its control crucial for limiting global temperature rises to 1.5°C or 2°C. If unchecked, rising methane levels threaten to undermine efforts to reach net-zero carbon targets, underscoring the urgency for immediate action.

Cost-effective Mitigation Strategies

The research highlights several methane mitigation strategies that are not only effective but also economically viable. By comparing the costs of these strategies with the financial damages caused by methane-related warming, the study makes a compelling case for robust, legally binding regulations to promote their adoption. These strategies include:

  • Implement Strong Regulations: Enforce legally binding measures to ensure that methane reduction targets are met.

  • Introduce Methane Pricing: Establish mechanisms that reflect the environmental cost of methane emissions, incentivizing reductions.

  • Expand Technological Solutions: Invest in advanced technologies to capture and convert methane, particularly in the oil, gas, and waste sectors.

  • Enhance Monitoring Systems: Use satellite and ground-based tools to track methane emissions accurately and identify major emission sources.

  • Promote Sector-Specific Policies: Develop policies tailored to the primary methane sources in each sector, ensuring efficient mitigation.

  • Encourage International Collaboration: Foster global partnerships to share technologies, best practices, and resources for methane mitigation.

  • Educate Stakeholders: Raise awareness among governments, businesses, and the public about methane’s role in climate change and the benefits of its reduction.

Methane and CO2 Reduction: An Interconnected Approach

One of the key insights from the study is the interconnectedness of methane and CO2 reduction efforts. Strategies that target methane emissions can significantly aid in achieving net-zero CO2 goals through mechanisms like bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and afforestation. However, these strategies often require extensive land use, which could be optimized by reducing methane emissions from agricultural sources, particularly livestock.

Health and Economic Benefits of Methane Reduction

Reducing methane emissions not only helps mitigate global warming but also offers considerable health benefits. The study points out that lowering methane levels can significantly reduce surface ozone pollution, which affects respiratory health and crop yields. Furthermore, the economic benefits of addressing methane emissions include avoiding substantial costs associated with climate-related damages, enhancing the overall cost-effectiveness of methane reduction strategies.

Global and National Actions

“The Methane Imperative” calls for global cooperation and the implementation of national policies tailored to specific methane sources. These policies should be designed to leverage the unique economic and environmental contexts of each country, ensuring that methane reduction efforts are both effective and sustainable.

Summing Up

Methane may be less discussed than CO2, but its impact on global warming is substantial and undeniable. As the study suggests, targeted methane reduction is an essential component of the broader climate mitigation agenda. By adopting comprehensive strategies that address both CO2 and methane, the world can make significant strides towards the ambitious but crucial goal of limiting global warming.

Source: Shindell, D., Sadavarte, P., Aben, I., Bredariol, T. d. O., Dreyfus, G., Höglund-Isaksson, L., … & Maasakkers, J. D. (2024). The methane imperative. Frontiers in Science, 2, 1349770.