A recent study done by the Professor Brendan Mackey of Griffith University Climate Change Response Program shows that land-based efforts, such as planting trees, has no significant effect on reducing the elevated level of atmos
pheric carbon. Planting trees, of course, is still important to the long-term health of the planet because it "avoids emissions that would otherwise result from logging and land clearing while also conserving biodiversity". What does this study mean for those who still want to do everything possible to
help the environment? It means that the only way to decrease atmospheric carbon is to drastically cut carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. And don't stop planting trees because they still help.
NOS Themes:
- Science is collaborative
- Science is based on evidence
- Science is subject to debate and tentative
I find this very interesting because many people are trying to do everything they can to reduce the carbon levels in our atmosphere. However, this study shows that planting trees and other plants has no significant effect. I do agree that we should keep planting trees because they do countless things for us, but I am baffled by this study because I truly believed that plants were able to "suck" the carbon out of the atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteHere's a list of why trees are awesome...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.treepeople.org/top-22-benefits-trees
So yes. keep planting trees.
While planting trees help, it is more of a long term environmental effect. Trees have no significant effect, and humans don't do all that much harm either, volcanoes and other natural things add most of the CO2 into the atmosphere. so in summary, while trees help, planting or not planting them won't really make too much of a difference.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting because it brings to us that it doesnt help too much and there should be other more things done..
ReplyDeletesome examples of what you can do are here
http://sustainability.publicradio.org/consumed/tips.html