When most of us think about using nature to remove carbon dioxide from the air, we think of trees. Yet blue carbon, a new name for storing carbon dioxide in coastal and marine ecosystems where it can no longer trap heat in our atmosphere, may have even greater potential. Salt marshes and mangroves have carbon-capturing capacity that may surpass that of terrestrial forests and they are found on every continent except Antarctica. Emily Pidgeon, Vice President of Ocean Science and Innovation at Conservation International explains, “In some cases these ecosystems can have up to four or five times more carbon on a per unit area than we see in some of the ecosystems that we traditionally think of as being carbon rich, like the forests of the Amazon or other carbon rich terrestrial ecosystems.”  

The efficient sequestration of carbon can also make the loss of the coastal ecosystems especially devastating for the climate. At least half of the world's mangroves and a third of the world’s salt marshes have been lost. Seagrasses, for example, currently cover less than 0.2% of the ocean floor, but store about 10% of the carbon buried in the oceans each year. When those ecosystems are lost, they release that sequestered carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. Pigeon says, “Actions on a small area can have a disproportionately large impact from a climate mitigation point of view.” 

One way to incentivise preservation of these ecosystems is by assigning monetary value to them. That’s exactly what Ralph Chami of the International Monetary Fund advocates. After learning about whales’ role in oceanic carbon cycles, he observed, “Here's a whale and it’s providing a carbon sequestration service on behalf of humanity. If she could speak our language, what would be the wage that she would demand? He did the math and pegs the value of each whale’s carbon services over its lifetime at around $3 million. 

Chami also applied a calculation to the value of seagrass and came to a staggering figure. “If you were to use the average price of carbon of last year, which is about $60, the total value of carbon services of seagrass is over $2 trillion. Not billion. Trillion.”  

The importance of these coastal ecosystems stretch beyond their climate benefits. For example, mangroves are an integral part of many communities. Vlinder is a firm aiming to help companies achieve their net-zero goals by developing mangrove restoration projects. Their Founder and Co-CEO, Irina Fedorenko-Aula, explains, “It’s about protecting people from sometimes very violent, extreme weather events. Having the healthy mangrove forest in front of the villages is literally a question of life and death.” 

Mangrove restoration projects also provide economic opportunities to communities that often have few. Fedorenko Aula elaborates, “You basically have regions that are usually poor and usually depressed and usually struggle from unemployment. And suddenly, you have investment that creates a lot of jobs.” 

It’s one thing to propose an ecosystem restoration project; it’s another to actually implement it. From making sure the community is on board to getting the right materials to the right place at the right time of year, there is no shortage of challenges. But Isabella Masinde, CEO of Umita, a project management company in Kenya, says that when one community sees how their neighbors are benefiting, they are quickly persuaded.Masinde describes how one community reacted when they saw satellite pictures of degraded parts of the mangrove forest, “We are going to be finished if we don’t have this ecosystem restored.”

This week on Folk Alley join Elena See as we pay tribute to an icon and pioneer of folk rock, David Crosby with music by The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Plus, we dig in to Folk Alley's recently published expanded list of 100 Essential Folk Songs with music by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Phil Ochs, and more.

In hour two, hear new music from Iris DeMent's forthcoming album, 'Workin' On A World', H.C. McEntire, the Gibson Brothers, Margo Price, an instrumental by Ruth Wyand, and, in honor of what would have been her 60th birthday on February 2, a newly released song by the great Eva Cassidy with the London Symphony Orchestra. All this, plus classics from Blind Willie McTell and Koerner, Ray, and Glover; favorites from Ana Egge, Watchhouse, Molly Tuttle, Rachel Baiman; and more.

There’s been a lot of speculation about the chain of musical events that link the blues back to Africa. Most of that chain is unrecorded and shrouded in mystery. But there is one chapter, just before the blues, that we do know something about. And that’s the history of African-American string bands. This program explores that history, with music and memories from a special guest, the late string maestro Howard Armstrong. Along the way, we hear music from Canray Fontenot, Blind James Campbell, Hobard Smith and other legends of this little known chapter of Americana. Originally produced in 2000 by Banning Eyre.

There are periods when history comes to a boil – when powerful forces of both destruction and creation result in massive social change. In 2020, the Black Lives Matter Movement emerged as the biggest protest movement in American history, and resounded worldwide. Patrisse Cullors, one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter, tells the story of the birth of this powerful movement for racial justice, and shares her vision of a world where black people are actually free, a world that we all deserve to live in.

Our guest this week on Art of the Song is Italian-born Americana singer/songwriter Guilia Millanta. A creative and prolific artist, she has released seven solo albums, and tours throughout the USA as well as internationally. An accomplished guitarist, Giulia also plays ukulele and sings in four languages. We spoke with Guilia about her 2022 album, Woman on the Moon.

Coming up later in the show, we’ll hear from Don Richmond with an essay about Writing from the Source, for the Creativity Corner.

This month on Climate Connections:

Air Date            Title:

Mon., 1/23 - People build artificial beaver dams in drought-stricken Montana: They’re hoping that the new dams will eventually attract real beavers.  

Tue., 1/24 - Seattle-area agency distributes free air filtration kits to low-income residents: The Seattle and King County Public Health Department is working to ensure that all residents have access to tools for protecting themselves against wildfire smoke.

Wed., 1/25 - Tree thinning in dense forests could bolster Western snowpack, researchers suggest: In a Washington state forest, a research team thinned trees and created small clearings, leading to more snow accumulation on the forest floor.

Thu., 1/26 - Simple energy-saving tips for winter: Reducing energy use during the winter can save money and reduce pollution.

Fri., 1/27 - Can EVs meet the needs of rural drivers? Manufacturers are offering a growing number of electric vehicles with longer ranges and all-wheel drive. 

Mon., 1/30 - Extreme rainfall exacerbates pollution threat from Oklahoma Superfund site: Decades-old abandoned lead and zinc mines in Ottawa County pose lingering health risks to nearby residents — particularly as the threat of flooding increases.

Tue., 1/31 - Study finds disparities in how heat affects Phoenix residents: While some Arizonans can afford to run their AC constantly, many low-income residents struggle to pay high utility bills and suffer in the heat.

Wed., 2/1 - Is climate change affecting the polar vortex? Some researchers link disruptions to the polar vortex to climate change, while others attribute them to natural variability.

Thu., 2/2 - Connecticut program helps 15,000 households a year cut utility bills: The initiative, called Energize Connecticut, provides free or low-cost home energy assessments and recommendations for improving energy efficiency.

Fri., 2/3 - Utility workers are seeing consequences of extreme weather firsthand: Researcher Katerina Gonzales is working with one utility to engage front-line workers in climate adaptation efforts and tap into their on-the-ground knowledge.

Mon., 2/6 - Wildfire evacuation plans can help communities avoid logistical nightmares: ‘It can be horrific… you’re trying to get people and animals out of harm’s way. At the same time, you’re trying to get first responders into those same areas.’

Tue., 2/7 - How teaching kids energy efficiency in schools can benefit families at home: Students' enthusiasm for energy efficiency can ripple outward, making an impact beyond the classroom.

Wed., 2/8 - How listening to women can boost disaster relief efforts: In Puerto Rico, the nonprofit Taller Salud partners with women to provide resources and support during emergencies.

Thu., 2/9 - Ventura County offers wildfire alerts in four languages often spoken by farmworkers: Many Indigenous workers from Mexico don’t speak English, so they miss public health warnings.

Fri., 2/10 - Female solar workers can face prejudice. This woman wants that to change: Loraima Jaramillo of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council offers tips for creating more equitable workplaces.

Mon., 2/13 - Turn your charming old house into an energy-efficient home: Efficiency upgrades are key for cutting energy costs in pre-90s homes.

Tue., 2/14 - Voluntary buyouts could help reduce flooding in six Rhode Island neighborhoods: The effort aims to secure land in the floodplain and create more green space along the Pocasset River.

Wed., 2/15 - Climate change takes toll on traditional Ojibwe wild rice harvest: Extreme weather events, including droughts and heavy rain, are making it more difficult to carry out wild rice harvests in the Upper Midwest.

Thu., 2/16 - Free program helps Gulf Coast communities assess climate risk: Many small towns don't have the resources to respond to the consequences of climate change, like sea level rise and extreme weather, on their own.

Fri., 2/17 - Mycelium Youth Network aims to empower young people on climate change: The Bay Area nonprofit brings lessons about global warming and Indigenous approaches to schools.