Restoring Global Ecology

Ep 178  |  Andrew Millison

Andrew Millison — Restoring Global Ecology: The Great Green Wall and Large-Scale Permaculture in Action

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Andrew Millison The Great Simplification

Description

It’s no secret that massive change is needed to restore our planet’s vital ecosystems. Permaculture offers practices to restore local environments by focusing on creating sustainable agricultural systems that mimic patterns found in nature. But how might permaculture initiatives go beyond agriculture to transform some of our largest-scale problems, such as social cohesion, climate stabilization, and even human migration?

In this conversation, Nate sits down with permaculture educator Andrew Millison to discuss the Great Green Wall project, a massive ecological initiative aimed at combating desertification in the Sahel region of Africa. They explore the causes of the Sahara Desert’s expansion, the simple but impactful permaculture techniques being employed to restore land, and the significant ecological and nutritional benefits resulting from these efforts. This conversation highlights the collaboration between local communities and global organizations, emphasizing permaculture’s potential to transform lives and ecosystems around the world. 

How can innovative permaculture techniques aid in helping our most complex ecological challenges? In what ways have land restoration projects reduced conflict between people in resource scarce areas? Furthermore, what kinds of  responses – both grassroots and top-down – are needed to implement these practices on a large scale?

About Andrew Millison

Andrew Millison is an innovative educator, storyteller and designer. He founded the Permaculture Design education program at Oregon State University (OSU) in 2009. At OSU Andrew serves as an Education Director and Senior Instructor who offers over 25 years of experience, and a playful approach to regenerative design. Andrew is also a documentary videographer who travels the world documenting epic permaculture projects in places such as India, Egypt, Mexico, Cuba, and throughout the US. You can view his videos and series on his YouTube channel.

In French, we have a motto that says that a simple drawing is often better than a long explanation. Jean-Marc Jancovici Carbone 4 President

That’s very understandable because with left atmosphere thinking, one of the problems is that you see everything as a series of problems that must have solutions. Iain McGilchrist Neuroscientist and Philosopher

We can’t have hundreds and hundreds of real relationships that are healthy because that requires time and effort and full attention and awareness of being in real relationship and conversation with the other human. Nate Hagens Director of ISEOF

This is the crux of the whole problem. Individual parts of nature are more valuable than the biocomplexity of nature. Thomas Crowther Founder Restor

Show Notes & Links to Learn More

00:00 – Andrew Millison, University page, YouTube Channel

00:48 – The Great Green Wall, Countries involved

01:05 – Oregon State University Permaculture Design

02:27 – Permaculture, Exploration of principles

03:40 – Millison’s popular Great Green Wall video, His others: 1, 2 (showing long-term effects), & 3

03:50 – Sahara Desert, Saharan Desert expansion by 10%, History as a desert

06:20 – Causes of Desertification, Scramble for Africa

08:40 – The United Nations World Food Programme, Volli Carucci

10:45 – The Sahel 

10:50 – Issues with the African Great Green Wall

11:19 – Agroecology, Agroforestry, Ecological Restoration

12:25 – Water Harvesting, Soil Building, Soil Microbiology, Hydrology 

14:30 – Relationship between productive land and migration

15:25 – Sudanese civil war, Issues in Mali and Burkina Faso

15:50 – Senegal Great Green Wall successes

16:30 – Subsistence farming, Nomadic herding

17:30 – Water-Harvesting Half Moons, Different styles, Silvopasture system

20:48 – Acacia seyal

21:56 – The Great Green Wall hss improved malnutrition rates

23:26 – Planet Wild, Trees for the Future, Natalie Topa, Danish Refugee Council

26:17 – Relationship between desertification and climate change

27:30 – Niger government’s commitment to restoration, Niger coup

28:01 – Benefits of the Great Green Wall: Biodiversity improvement, Cooling temperature

30:40 – African Great Green Wall origin

32:45 – Water table, Borewell 

33:11 – Effects of rainfall in the desert, Erosion

34:01 – Aquifer

34:33 – Sahel rainy season

34:57 – Perennial vs. Annual plants

35:41 – Amazon TGS episodes: Carlos Nobre, André Guimarães

35:46 – Some parts of Amazon Rainforest at risk of becoming a savanna

36:20 – Relationship between Sahara and Amazon

36:49 – Biotic pump, Trees and rain relationship

38:01 – Record rains in Sahel in 2024

39:02 – The complex history between herders and farmers

40:42 – Fertility Rates in Africa and Niger

43:24 – Chad electricity statistics

44:47 – Seawater Agriculture, Halophyte, Millison’s YouTube video 

46:25 – Genetically modifying plants to withstand salt

47:20 – Animal-Industrial Complex, Global calorie provision from livestock

50:55 – “Anti-lawn” Movement, Millison’s Kill Your Lawn and Grow Food! video

51:18 – Total area of lawns in the United States

51:28 – The environmental burdens of lawn maintenance 

51:50 – History of the lawn, Evolutionary psychology behind our draw to lawns

52:58 – Homeowner association

55:00 – Sheet mulching

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