Hi Greensters,

🌳 66 billion trees later – a desert is pulling carbon from the sky.
China’s massive tree-planting project may have turned the edge of the Taklamakan Desert into a functioning carbon sink.

🛰️ 25 years of satellite data show a clear shift.
More vegetation. More photosynthesis. Less CO₂ in the air during the wet season.

🥬 And in your kitchen? Caramelised miso-roasted cabbage with barley and white beans – a deeply satisfying, climate-friendly comfort meal built around one humble hero ingredient.

Let’s dive in.

Cabbage might not look revolutionary – but climate-wise, it kind of is.

🥬 Cabbage thrives in Scandinavian soil, tolerates cold temperatures, and stores well without heavy refrigeration. That means lower transport emissions, less food waste, and a naturally low climate footprint compared to many imported vegetables.

🌾 Pairing it with pearl barley (a Nordic staple) and white beans creates a high-fibre, plant-protein rich base that keeps you full and supports soil-friendly crop rotations. Barley requires relatively little water compared to rice, and beans naturally fix nitrogen in the soil – reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers.

This is climate comfort food done right: local, seasonal, fibre-rich – and seriously satisfying.

🌿 Hey Garden-Owner

Spring is around the corner and the weather is about to get warmer 🌤️🌱 Lawns will soon be trimmed, edges sharpened, and gardens brought neatly back under control. But before you start the mower…

Awareness:
A perfectly trimmed lawn stores surprisingly little carbon. Short grass develops shallow roots, and frequent mowing compacts the soil - limiting how much carbon can be stored underground.

When grass is allowed to grow taller and mix with clover or wildflowers, root systems grow deeper and soil life rebounds 🪱🌼 That underground network is where meaningful carbon storage happens.

Even a small, slightly “wilder” patch can store significantly more carbon than a conventional lawn.

Action:
This spring, choose one small area - even just 2–3 m² - and stop mowing it ✂️🚫

Let it grow naturally, or overseed with clover and native flowers 🌸

You don’t need to transform your whole garden. Just turn one small patch into a deeper-rooted carbon sink 🌍🌿

Small patch. Real impact.

“The best time to plant a three was 30 years ago, the second best time is now.”

Proverb with unknown origins

Loved this newsletter? Pass it on! ♻️ A simple share could spark someone else’s journey toward a greener future. 💚

Hope you enjoyed this newsletter!

💚 The Greenster Team 🌍