A Class You Don't Want to Miss
and an update
I am beginning to understand what people mean when they talk about “long COVID.” It’s been two weeks since my major symptoms passed, but I am still relentlessly fatigued, needing ridiculous amounts of sleep and moving about in a vague kind of fog. And what happened to my taste buds? My advice on COVID—don’t get it, and if you do get it, take your recovery very slowly. You are not in charge.
This of course has slowed down the work, but I do have a piece on the relationship between peace and nature which I’ll post this weekend. In the meantime, I want to make you aware of an amazing learning opportunity put together by Hart Hagan and Biodiversity for a Livable Climate. Hart has gathered a remarkable line up of speakers for a class called Water and Climate: The Untold Story of How Water Governs Climate. The list includes Anastassia Makarieva, Walter Jehne, Didi Pershouse, Brock Dolman and Katie Ross. All these individuals have contributed significantly to our understanding of the living climate, and it’s a rare opportunity to have them all gathered on the same line-up like this.
Here are the details:
Dear Climate Changemaker,
It's hot! ... and summer has only just begun!
With the heat wave hitting many of us earlier and hotter than we can remember, it's more important than ever for us to understand that it's the cycling of water through plants and trees that cools the air around us.
Atmospheric physicist Anastassia Makarieva says that the current climate models do not explain the record temperatures and these models may be overlooking key drivers of extreme heat. She notes that many scientists are now recognizing "that models alone may not be a trusted source of guidance concerning the climate." Through her scientific research and observations, she’s found that forests play a far more critical role than is typically recognized, and deforestation is one of the biggest drivers of extreme heat—influencing both rainfall and atmospheric circulation.
It's time for a more real-world understanding of climate dynamics.
Here is a rare opportunity to engage directly with six leading experts who each have critical messages for us on how to cool the temperatures and restore a stable climate.
Key Messages from These 6 Thought Leaders
Each expert will offer transformational insights on how water and ecosystems regulate the climate.
Brock Dolman – Working with water means respecting its natural flow—slow it, spread it, sink it—and in doing so, we restore life to the land. Watch and hear more – Brock is speaking on July 10 - 12:00 noon ET.
Anastassia Makarieva – Forests don’t just store carbon, they drive winds and bring rainfall across continents, making them vital climate engineers. Learn more – Anastassia is speaking on July 17 - 12:00 noon ET.
Katie Ross – When we align with nature’s cycles, even small community actions can regenerate water systems and spark climate restoration and resilience from the ground up. Read more – Katie is speaking on July 24 - 12:00 noon ET.
Walter Jehne – Restoring the soil's natural ability to absorb and hold water is the fastest and most powerful way we can cool the planet and secure our future. Learn more – Walter is speaking on July 24 - 7:00 pm ET.
Didi Pershouse – Healthy soil is living, breathing infrastructure. It connects water, life and climate in a web that we can heal with care and cooperation. Read more – Didi is speaking on July 31 - 12:00 noon ET.
Hart Hagan – Water isn’t just life’s basic need—it’s Earth’s most overlooked climate regulator, flowing through ecosystems like forests and wetlands to naturally govern global temperatures in ways that most climate models ignore. Find out more – Hart is the Course Instructor for the entire program.
These lessons are more than theory—they’re proven, actionable on local scales, and powerful when scaled up.
With most of the world predominantly focused on reducing carbon emissions, it's time to incorporate what we are learning about the key role that water plays as a critical driver in regulating the climate.
And, because plants and trees start to cool themselves as soon as they have leaves, the good news is these solutions start to cool the temperatures immediately!
Course Format
4 Thursdays -- July 10, 17, 24 & 31
12:00 noon -or- 7:00 pm ET - choose one or attend both
on Zoom
What's Included
Live Classes Every Week! Two live classes are offered each week on Zoom for a total of 8 live sessions
Class Recordings are made available to students each week
Direct Access to 6 Thought Leaders who will share their expertise and research, and give you the chance to engage with them directly
Membership in a private email group to ask questions, share resources and build connections with a like-minded community
Practical Actions You Can Take Immediately—from your backyard to your bioregion
Advocacy Coaching for you to be effective in your community
Resources you can use to help decision makers create truly effective climate action plans
Praise for Instructor Hart Hagan
“I really enjoyed Hart's "Healing the Land, Healing the Climate" course. The suggested readings were eye openers. Hart's gradual and holistic approach helped me integrate and understand new concepts, such as the Principles of Soil Heath, and how they impact our Earth's health and our own health! Each week I was looking forward to Hart's presentation and to the inputs from the other students. Hart's course shows that we can all gain by learning from Nature and by working with her. I strongly recommend it.”
--Ginette Riopelle
Quebec, Canada
Pricing
Course Price: $145
Generous Group Discounts for groups of three or more people.
Generous Reduced Rates & Scholarships for those with financial
limitations.
Email us at courses@bio4climate.org with the details of your request.
Want to Start with a Free Introductory Webinar?
It's easy to begin with one session to discover how water regulates the climate. Join instructor Hart Hagan for a free introductory webinar:
The Cooling Power of Evaporating Water
Monday, June 30 - 12:00 noon ETYour Climate Friendly Backyard
Wednesday, July 2 - 7:00 pm ET
Regenerative Farming & Water
Thursday, July 3 - 3:00 pm ET
The Worldwide Loss of Soil Moisture
Monday, July 7 - 12:00 noon ET
Reforestation has Cooled the Eastern US
Wednesday, July 9 -- 7:00 pm ET
To Register for one of these webinars, visit Hart's website.
Thanks for reading! I’m glad you’re here. I keep this page free for all but still depend on reader-generosity to make this project, and the research involved, possible. Please consider a paid subscription if you can and don’t forget to hit the “like” and “share” buttons.
Take care!