Planting Trees (LOTS of Trees) for Carbon Sequestration and Shade
Editor’s Note: Planting trees is one of many solutions to global warming… and we are going to need to use them all. As reported in this article, to plant a sufficient number of trees to make a difference, governments (at all levels) must take an active role.
“A full Carbon Capture Crew, similar to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) of the 1930s, could be deployed in every country. Funded by carbon footprint taxes, their tasks might include planting millions of trees, painting roofs white to reflect more sunlight, paving roads with recycled plastics, installing carbon capture technologies, etc.” – Moving to a Finite Earth Economy
Ireland will plant 440 million trees by 2040 as part of its efforts to combat the climate crisis. The government had already promised to plant more trees as part of a climate action plan released in June, which aims to make Ireland carbon neutral by 2050 by investing in renewable energy, instituting a carbon tax and changing land use. Read the full article at EcoWatch.
The announcement comes about two months after a study found that planting more than 500 billion trees was the “most effective” climate change solution available. However, critics of the study warned that reforestation wasn’t enough to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gasses, and that it should be one of many strategies employed.
Still, other countries have embraced tree-planting initiatives. Ethiopia planted a record 350 million trees in a single day in July. Scotland announced this year that it had surpassed its own tree-planting goals. It had planted 11,200 hectares (approximately 43 square miles) of trees in 2018, a boost on its 10,000 hectare (approximately 39 square mile) goal. The final tally was more than 22 million trees planted.
If Ireland’s initiative is to succeed, it will need to persuade farmers to plant more trees on their land, something the government acknowledges is currently not popular. The government plans to convince farmers and to hold community meetings across the country to bolster support for reforestation.
