This Man Shot 40,000 Elephants Before He Figured Out That Herds Of Cows Can Save The Planet

Ecologist Allan Savory blamed elephant herds for destroying African grasslands. It turns out, what all grasslands need to survive is more animals eating them.

The world’s grasslands are essential for holding soil in place, storing water and carbon, and providing food. And yet, up to one third of the Earth’s land surface is at risk of becoming desert, with potentially catastrophic consequences, not least for climate change. But figuring that out took a lot of catastrophic consequences for elephants.

In this recent TED talk, the ecologist Allan Savory explains Holistic Management, a land management technique that he says can rescue grasslands.