In what meaningful ways do the combined efforts of millions of backyard gardens benefit the environment?

Question

I was a bit discouraged to hear that the CO2 the plants remove is ultimately rereleased into the atmosphere when the plant decomposes. So I’m wondering what positive impacts I’m making with my backyard garden, if any.

Also, with millions of gardens, would they really be totally useless for CO2 removal? Or is there some small amount that gets captured by the plant and then *not* rereleased into the atmosphere, in other words, permanently removed from the air?

In: 4

Answer 1

What you need is a carbon sink. A place where it doesn’t biodegrade. Bogs are natural carbon sinks, the lack of oxygen means things that would rot in months or years can last for millennia.

You could make an artificial carbon sink and that may be a necessary part of carbon capture technology.