Are Trees The Answer To Climate Change?

Major changes are happening to the planet at a rapid level. Rainforests are receding, the sea level is rising, the planet is warming, and so much more. Unfortunately, most of these changes are not good ones and especially not good to us and every other living being on earth. Natural calamities have gotten stronger and more disastrous than ever. Add to that the growing threat of human conflicts that make life on earth a living hell.

Amidst all these changes, most people feel helpless and vulnerable. The truth is, we can make a difference in this world in our own little ways. Simple lifestyle changes can have a big impact to how fast climate change is progressing, which is the biggest natural threat we are experiencing nowadays. Trees can also help reduce global warming by removing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into the air for the people to breathe. Without trees, we would be stuck as a planet.

Can we use trees and other plants as a weapon in the fight against climate change? Earth's greenery comes with natural carbon-capturing abilities, but now several studies are investigating how to tweak those tendencies to have a maximum impact on carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.In 2014, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change announced that plants would have to be a major part of the world’s efforts to capture CO2. The idea would be to have trees and grasses suck up CO2as they grow, then burn or process them into fuels to generate power while capturing any CO2 produced along the way. This process is known as “bioenergy plus carbon capture and storage,” or BECCS.

We’re starting to see increasingly large tests of the technology roll out. The Washington Post, for instance, recently reported that a new large-scale trial in Decatur, Illinois, will process huge quantities of corn into ethanol, then grab the 1.1 million tons of CO2 created from fermentation each year and lock it away underground.

(Via: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/604260/can-we-fight-climate-change-with-trees-and-grass/)

Experts are testing how trees can help in trapping and storing carbon in the trees and soil to lower the atmospheric CO₂ levels, so that we can benefit from it more than just the cool shade it provides us against the scorching heat of the sun.

Trees are good for us. Carbon dioxide is one of the major contributors to global warming and climate change. Trees trap carbon dioxide and “exhale” oxygen in return. A mature tree can absorb roughly 48 pounds of carbon dioxide a year, and in turn release enough oxygen to sustain two people.

Trees reduce runoff by storing water from rain. That makes a big difference in our rainy Northwest (45 inches of rain already since Oct. 1). Trees also absorb sound and reduce noise pollution. So if you live near a freeway, plant a couple of trees! If you want to cool off in the summer (whenever that comes), you will appreciate trees reducing the heat from streets and sidewalks.

(Via: https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/burbank-just-planting-a-tree-can-do-a-world-of-good/)

Trees do the world a lot of good. It’s funny that man needs trees to live for various reasons while trees don’t need anything from us at all yet they are among the first to suffer the most from all the progress we aspire to achieve.

Typically, a tree absorbs as much as 48 pounds (21 kg) of carbon dioxide per year and can sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old. The average North American generates about 20 tons of CO2-eq each year, which means every year you’d need to plant about 500 trees to offset your carbon footprint, that’s not taking into account the time it takes for a tree to mature and reach the optimal carbon-sinking age. If you’re a New Yorker and need to fly to Berlin, your seat is responsible for generating 10,285 pounds (4,675 kg) of CO2. Essentially, your 8.5-hour-long flight just offset roughly 223 trees. Kudos! If you think this isn’t fair, that’s just life for ‘ya because neither is digging up and burning billions of dead trees accumulated over millions of years which until not too long ago safely stayed miles beneath the ground. It’s no surprise that U.S. forests only capture 10 to 20 percent of the nation’s greenhouse emissions each year.

I somewhat digress because trees are definitely a go-to solution for tackling climate change, which is why scientists are trying to find out not only which are the best species that can handle rising temperatures and dwindling water, but what an idle forest might look like.

(Via: http://www.zmescience.com/ecology/climate/thinning-forest-climate-change432/)

While experts are doing their best to come up with measures to reduce the effects of climate change or look for ways to slow down its progress, all of us still have a responsibility to pitch in and do our part. Even if we close down all factories or stop using anything that produces CO₂ from now on, it still won’t change anything in the atmosphere since its molecule is a very resilient one and can stay suspended in the air for up to two centuries.

With the help of trees, though, we can reduce CO₂ concentration around us and therefore halt the progression of climate change. It may be a very simple solution that has been staring us straight in the face for so long now but why is it that we continue cutting down trees and not plant enough in return?

There are only a handful of reasons why you’d possibly need a tree cut down and we’re not talking about doing it in a bigger scale. Just one or two that blocks your access or is proving to be a hazard in your community especially in urban cities. http://www.allcleartree.com/removal may be of help because they offer professional tree removal services when you need it the most.

The following post Are Trees The Answer To Climate Change? is republished from The All Clear Tree Service Blog

source http://www.allcleartree.com/removal/trees-answer-climate-change