It’s widely known that Earth’s forests provide home to countless numbers of species, act as a vast sink for carbon, and provide much of the food, materials, and clean water on which our societies rely. But emerging science shows us that forests may play another critical role: making rain. This theory, called the biotic pump theory, hypothesizes that instead of being passive recipients of rain, forests may actively create the conditions for precipitation over land – a premise that turns modern meteorology on its head.
In this episode, I’m joined by physicist Anastassia Makarieva about the critical yet often overlooked role forests play in maintaining ecological balance and climate stability. Through the lens of the biotic pump theory, she highlights the importance of moisture and rainfall cycles, the dangers of ecosystem tipping points, and the escalating risks of deforestation. Anastassia argues that a paradigm shift is needed – one that redefines how humanity understands and manages forests in the fight against global heating.
What would climate models reveal if they fully integrated the Biotic Pump Theory? How might policies protecting against deforestation evolve if societies recognized the irreplaceable role forests play in how water moves on land? And beyond policy, how might reconnecting with our deep interdependence on forests help us rediscover a richer connection to ourselves as individuals?
In case you missed it…
In last week’s Frankly, I weighed the value of a pound of gold with other things that we derive worth from in our lives – from dollars and bitcoin to...less pecuniary markers. Although gold is simply a metal, it has long been a symbol of wealth in human cultures. Through highlighting other important, sometimes intangible forms of wealth, I encouraged the viewer to not only examine what they place the most worth on in their own lives, but also to consider why things have worth to us as humans living in a complex, modern system.
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From Anastassia’s recent followup post:
“First, by studying these ecosystems and their climate-stabilizing effects, we can better quantify the extent to which current environmental problems stem from the loss of natural ecosystems, and how much could be regained by allowing them to recover. Second, because any regulating system, as long as it remains functional, amplifies its response as perturbations increase, these least disturbed ecosystems should respond more effectively to ongoing global climate change than ecosystems already heavily altered by human activity. In other words, their climate-stabilizing value per unit area is disproportionately high.”
With regard to the “First”, allowing them to recover is a passive option relative to the active ‘keystone species’ possibilities we have for active regeneration where it’s feasible (a la those Andrew Millison has documented and promoted).
As to the “Second”, while “more effectively” is likely the case, that’s not the same as more consequentially. Their value being relatively high confirms the value of working in the most degraded areas because their potential for improved functionality (in this context) is highest.
A short-version takeaway as to optimal(?) strategy: learn from the functional and apply to the degraded.
Incredible interview! Probably her best. Thank you so much Nate for the good work that you do!