Episode #434
436 Erica Gies - Water always wins, and we can still cool the planet if we let it
Water always wins. The question is whether we let it cool the planet while it does — or keep fighting it until there's nothing left to fight with. Erica Gies is the author of Water Always Wins: Thriving in an Age of Drought and Deluge, and is currently writing her second book, Roots to Sky: How Life and Water Can Help Cool Earth's Climate, due in 2028. She is an environmental journalist who has spent more than a decade travelling the world to document how communities are rebuilding their relationship with water — not by controlling it better, but by understanding what water wants and working with it. The common climate narrative — decarbonise, bring fossil fuel emissions to zero, done — is no longer sufficient on its own. Water vapour accounts for roughly half the greenhouse effect. We've degraded 75% of the earth's land surface, largely by draining it. And more sea level rise comes from pumping groundwater than from melting glaciers — something a 1970 MIT Press report already knew. We've only accelerated since. The good news: this is something we can change relatively quickly through land restoration. And water is absolutely key. In this episode: — Why water always wins and what it means to ask what water wants rather than fighting it — How growing up in California, built on extreme water engineering, shaped Erica's obsession — Why she shifted from surface water to the atmosphere for her new book Roots to Sky — The 1970 MIT report that flagged pumping groundwater raises sea levels — 55 years of acceleration since — Why 87% of wetlands drained, two thirds of rivers dammed, and cities doubled since 1992 have made our water problems worse, not better — Why the best water solutions are modular and decentralised — and why that's empowering — What beavers in California are teaching farmers who spent eighty years shooting them — Why investors optimising single variables are running out of natural buffers faster than they think — Why land back for indigenous peoples may be one of the highest-return interventions available — Her magic wand answer: caring for non-humans — and why she thinks we're closer to it than it seems. More about this episode. Thoughts? Ideas? Questions? Send us a message! Find out more about our Generation-Re investment syndicate: https://gen-re.land/ Thank you to our Field Builders Circle for supporting us. Learn more here Support the show ======= In Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast show we talk to the pioneers in the regenerative food and agriculture space to learn more on how to put our money to work to regenerate soil, people, local communities and ecosystems while making an appropriate and fair return. Hosted by Koen van Seijen. VISIT OUR WEBSITE JOIN OUR VIDEO COURSE SUPPORT OUR WORK Join Gumroad Share it Give a 5-star rating Buy us a coffee… or a meal! ======= YouTube channel Linkedin Instagram Join our newsletter ! ======= The above references an opinion and is for information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a duly licensed financial advisor or investment professional before making any financial decisions. Feedback, ideas, suggestions? Get in touch!
