Are Trees A Means To An End?
It is no secret that climate change has been receiving more attention in the past few years. It is brought up in the presidential debate, college classrooms, and news stations. The ongoing debate is “What will it take in order to stop climate change?” Whether it is taxing large companies on their carbon emissions, completely stopping the use of fossil fuels, or planting more trees, something needs to be done. There has been heavy discussion around whether planting enough trees can stop climate change.
Trees are useful in stopping climate change by taking in the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Trees absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and this carbon is stored in biomass as well as in the soil. Biomass refers to the tree trunks, roots, and leaves (3). Trees taking in carbon dioxide from our atmosphere is a necessity but a problem arises when trees decompose or are burned. Carbon dioxide releases when the wood decomposes or is burned (3). Fossil fuel burning and fires emit about 11 gigatons of carbon per year in forests, grasslands, and oceans only to absorb about 6 gigatons (1). Studies have shown that planting more than half a trillion trees could capture 205 gigatons of carbon, this reduces atmospheric carbon by about 25 percent (2). While it is clear trees can make an impact on climate change, these trees cannot be deforested or it creates a problem.
Tree planting is vital although it is not the solution to currently addressing climate change (2). Tree planting is the act of planting trees in the ground, starting with young trees (3). Young trees are important for the future. However, it will take some time for young trees to catch up with the older forests’ and its ability to store carbon (2). Since it takes so long for these younger trees to mature it is important to prioritize protecting the forests already in existence (2). For example places that can support ecosystems, like the Amazon, Congo, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia already have forests, and these need to be protected (1). When planting trees in any environment it is important to prioritize native species (3). If native trees are not planted in these places it is likely that existing biodiverse ecosystems will be destroyed or disrupted (3). As well as planting native species it is crucial to plant a mix of species. A mix of tree species instead of one kind of tree makes the trees more pest-resilient (3).
It is important to note that the Trillion Trees Act, is a proposed bill that sets targets for increasing wood growth to capture carbon. This is part of a growing global focus on nature-based climate solutions to complement greenhouse gas reduction efforts (1). Nonetheless, climate scientists and Democrats on the House committee say the only real climate solution is to cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero (1). If the government chooses to both plant more trees as well as cut greenhouse gases the United States government will have a major decision to make. The government will need to decide which land areas to target first. The key factors to consider is which lands will have the least negative economic impact to both society and individual communities (2).
While trees can help mitigate climate change it is definitely not a means to an end when it comes to the climate crisis. I propose that planting more trees as well as cutting carbon emissions for large corporations and companies will end this climate crisis.
Written by: Cameron Hucek
References
Berwyn, Bob. “Can Planting a Trillion Trees Stop Climate Change? Scientists Say It's a Lot More Complicated.” Inside Climate News, 27 May 2020, insideclimatenews.org/news/27052020/trillion-trees-climate-change/.
Buis, Alan. “Examining the Viability of Planting Trees to Help Mitigate Climate Change – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet.” NASA, NASA, 7 Nov. 2019, climate.nasa.gov/news/2927/examining-the-viability-of-planting-trees-to-help-mitigate-climate-change/.-0
“Can Tree Planting Solve Climate Change?” Fern, Fern, 1 July 2020, www.fern.org/publications-insight/can-tree-planting-solve-climate-change-2172/.