The first episode of the Green the Desert podcast features Geoff Lawton, a permaculture expert who has been working on regenerative projects in desert areas for over 20 years. The conversation focuses on techniques to green the desert and restore degraded landscapes. Key topics include water harvesting, planting hardy species, and the importance of reducing evaporation.

Lawton emphasizes the need to trap every drop of water and create water systems that store and distribute it effectively. He also discusses the use of spiky trees as initial pioneers and the transition to less hardy, more productive species over time. The episode concludes with a discussion on the timeline for planting productive trees and the potential for reducing or eliminating irrigation in the long term. In this conversation, Louis De Jaeger and Geoff discuss the importance of water harvesting and regenerative agriculture in desert restoration.

They explore the concept of using water harvesting techniques on a larger area to compensate for irrigation needs, with the magic number being 20 times the area of intense production. They also discuss the role of animals, particularly goats and camels, in the regeneration process and how they can help with reforesting.

Geoff emphasizes the importance of collaboration with local communities and the need to start small and prove the concept before scaling up. He also highlights the significance of understanding the natural processes and the potential for greening the desert to have a positive impact on the entire planet.