John D. Liu about TWM

22 Nov 2017 · 2 min

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1:37

In this presentation, John D. Liu argues that humanity has reached a critical juncture where continued environmental degradation will inevitably cause severe consequences. Drawing on his experience since the 1990s, he outlines successful large‑scale landscape restoration projects in China, Africa, and elsewhere, emphasizing how engineering can be combined with emerging knowledge of microbial, fungal, and biological processes to improve soil fertility, water infiltration, moisture retention, and micro‑climatic conditions such as temperature and wind. Liu highlights the collaboration with Malik Tisse and the Weather Makers team, suggesting that this integrated approach represents a paradigm shift capable of mitigating and adapting to climate change, fostering sustainable development, and reducing risks of terrorism, migration, and war. He also notes the significance of this work emerging from Den Bosch, expressing pride in contributing to this transformative effort.

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Human civilization is at a turning point. It's no longer possible to further degrade the Earth's natural systems and assume that there will be no consequences. We are already experiencing serious impacts, and we can predict that if there is no change in our behavior, these will increase in frequency and intensity. It's been my privilege since the 1990s to study and document that it's possible to rehabilitate large-scale degraded landscapes in China, in Africa, and beyond, and to share this knowledge worldwide. Malik Tisse and the Weather Makers team have been working on connecting the enormous power of engineering with the growing understanding of microbial, fungal, and biological growth and the effects that this can have on soil fertility, infiltration and retention of moisture, temperature, wind speed, and wind direction. This knowledge suggests we are close to a paradigm shift in human capability that has the potential to help us mitigate and adapt to climate change, create a sustainable model for development, and reduce the risk of terror, migration, and war. It is wonderful that this capability is coming from the city of Den Bosch, and it is a great honor to be able to participate in this important work.