What are super-leverage points and how can they help save the future of our planet?

Super-leverage points are interventions that create large impacts in one sector but also speed up progress in other areas of the economy (read more here). In terms of sustainability, these super-leverage points are where we can make huge change across entire countries.

The report that identified these points was an international group consisting of the University of Exeter and Systemiq. So what are the tipping points that can create monumental progress?

Legislation for “green ammonia” fertilizer

Green ammonia is created with renewable energy and is less environmentally damaging and resource taxing than traditional fertilizers. In fact, using green ammonia fertilizer can reduce a farm’s carbon footprint by 90% for small grain crops (read more here). Implementing a mandate for green ammonia fertilizers could be groundbreaking for both agriculture and fuel. Green ammonia not only eliminates the need for fossil fuels to be used in fertilizer production, but the mandate would also make green ammonia more accessible, allowing it to be used for fuel and energy storage.

Legislation for electric vehicle sales

If state and federal governments begin to move toward mandates for electric vehicle sales, we could reach the super-leverage point that would allow for huge decarbonization. While this also needs to coincide with increased production and economic incentives for the population, transitioning to electric vehicles is very much in reach. For example, look at California and their new legislation. Not only was the mandate well received, but it was implemented in a way that both encouraged and supported the slow and steady transition to EVs.

Public procurement of plant-based proteins

While most of us know that the switch towards meat alternatives is a necessary one in preserving our planet, expanding these alternatives from personal diet choices to public provided options could help us reach the tipping point. Procuring plant-based proteins for meals in hospitals, schools, and government facilities could be the next step we need. Providing plant-based proteins in these spaces could free up between 400-800 million hectares of agricultural land, which equates to 7-15% of all agricultural land currently in use (read more here). The switch towards plant-based proteins will not only free up land, but it will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially methane from cows.

So, what can we do?

While we encourage and wait for these mandates and practices to be implemented, we can do our personal best to help reach these super-leverage tipping points. On our own we can opt for meat alternatives, choose produce from more sustainable farms that use green ammonia, and look into electric vehicles the next time a new car is needed. We still need to make sure that we support the mandates and practices in public ways, since a large-scale implementation will be what really tips us over the edge.

Seawater inundation is having a global effect on agriculture due to rising sea levels, monster storms, and flooding. This has caused many acres of farmland worldwide to become almost useless since the saltwater infiltrates the soil, making it almost impossible for plants to absorb the water and grow.

However, there may be a solution on the rise.

Rice and Salinity

Consumed by over 3.5 billion people per day, rice is without a doubt, the world’s most popular crop. Yet, rice is one of the crops affected most by seawater inundation (read more here).  Even minor changes in the soil water’s salinity can affect growth rate and final yield. Protecting growing conditions for rice and other crops becomes more important by the day.

Global sea levels are projected to rise between 2-5 ft by 2100 (read more here). This would devastate countries, the agricultural industry, and billions of people if we are unable to find a solution.

The Solution

With seawater inundation becoming more pressing, researchers at the University of Sheffield are working on a solution for growing rice. The research has concluded that genetically modifying rice plants to reduce the number of stomata could be the solution.

The stomata in rice plants regulate water loss and CO2 intake, so reducing the total number of them would allow for more water to be absorbed despite the salinity of the soil water. Rice with fewer stomata need 60% less water than average rice plants, which is ideal for the salty conditions.

The researchers investigated 72 different species of rice, even dwarf varieties, in order to make their findings. Dwarf rice varieties, as it turns out, create a much higher yield than normal rice varieties.

In a similar vein, the researchers are also attempting to create heat-resistant rice crops, which could be exponentially helpful in the coming decades. Rice with larger stomata work very well in hot climates (read more here).

The Next Steps

The genetic modification of rice is a forward thinking action that could save lives in coming decades. Being able to rely on the food sources we have now is vital to the global health of the planet. Genetically modifying rice would also allow it to be grown in new parts of the world that its previously not been able to tolerate.

We have to move away from the blanket fear of genetically modified foods and embrace the solutions of our future that will save us from food insecurity.

In a great start to 2023, a United Nations report projects the hole in our ozone layer to close by 2066. Thanks to a global agreement to limit use of ozone depleting substances, 35 years later we are seeing noticeable and healing changes.

Nasa Ozone Watch

The UN report is conducted every four years and helps to track the progress and status of the ozone. While steady progress has been ongoing for the past couple decades, having an estimated timeline in the near future is a huge stride towards replenishing our planet (read more here).

The Highlights 

• The ozone layer will return to 1980 values as soon as 2040 in some locations.
• In Antartica, and more heavily affected areas, the ozone layer will return to 1980 values by 2066.
• China has mostly eliminated additional ODS emissions (read more here)
• The peak destruction of the ozone layer has passed

Why Do We Need the Ozone?

Since the thinning of the ozone was first brought to public attention in the 1970s, there have been huge efforts to fight its decay. The Montreal Protocol, which first regulated Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), has been in place since 1987 and has reduced global ODS by 98% compared to 1990 levels. This wide scale success is due in part to how essential the ozone layer is to life on Earth.

It’s estimated that the effects of the Montreal Protocol annually save 2 million people from skin cancer. The ozone layer is meant to protect the Earth from UV radiation, while still allowing safe light to pass through. The ozone absorbs about 98% of harmful UV radiation; a process upon which animals, plants, and humans are dependent for survival (read more here).

NASA Visualization Explorer

Successful Action 

The Montreal Protocol and the globe’s commitment to following regulations is a success story we cannot take for granted. While ozone depletion is not directly linked to climate change, they go hand in hand with their solutions. Having a worldwide agreement that countries can commit and follow is impressive in itself, and serves as a great example for what can be done for climate change solutions.

Our progress towards healing the ozone layer is monumental. If we continue at this rate, the possibility for enacting real global action against climate change is almost in our fingertips.