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500 per second, 29,000 per minute, 1.7 million per hour, 41 million per day

Gradient Ocean

Terry Cullen

Dec 27, 2022

Global

Categories:

Forests, Deforestation, Climate Change, Carbon Neutral, Sustainability, Resilience, Biodiversity

We based this article on a short video clip by BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) from February 20, 2020.


What could happen if everyone on Earth planted a tree? Currently, tree canopy covers approximately 30% of the planet. We know trees play an essential role in climate change and biological diversity. We also know that trees are a renewable resource, but cutting them down at current rates has a cost.


There are currently about 3 trillion trees on Earth. That may sound like a lot, but estimates show that humans have destroyed 50% of the tree cover since the dawn of civilization if each of the approximately 8 billion people planted one tree. Eight billion new trees would equal a little more than ¼ of 1% of all the trees already alive. It would make a huge difference, symbolically, but it would only be a drop in the bucket.


Estimates show that if we planted 1.2 trillion new trees, we would cancel out ten years of carbon dioxide emissions by the time the trees reached maturity. The current tree canopy captures 400 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. Another 1.2 trillion new trees can capture an additional 100 gigatonnes. To achieve this, every human on the planet must plant 160 trees.


There is another way we can help achieve this result. Slow down the rate of deforestation worldwide. Every time someone cuts down a tree, it starts a process of releasing the carbon captured by the tree in its lifetime. If the tree is allowed to decompose naturally, the rate of that carbon release is slow. Living organisms like fungi, insects, and other plants reabsorb some of that carbon. If we burn wood in a fire, the release of carbon occurs quickly. Approximately 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions are a result of deforestation. That amounts to 15 billion trees cut down annually, 500 trees per second, 29,000 trees per minute, 1.7 million per hour, or 41 million trees per day.


Planting more trees will capture more carbon, increase habitat protection and support increasing biodiversity. An added benefit is the relationship to mental health. Trees can lower stress and increase feelings of happiness. The Japanese have a ritual called “shinrin-yoku,” forest bathing. People reconnect with the forests to reduce stress and find inner personal centeredness.


Here are some ways you, as an individual, can reduce the rate of global deforestation and slow climate change.

1. Reduce your meat and dairy consumption. A lot of forest land is lost to make room for cattle. Consider making meat a part of special occasions only. Beef production is responsible for about 41% of the deforestation in the world today. Beef production produces five times more greenhouse gas emissions, uses 11 times more water, and takes up 28 times more land than all pork and chicken production combined.

2. Reduce your consumption of palm oil. Many tropical forests are lost each year and replaced with oil palm trees. Read the labels of the products you consume and choose alternatives.

3. Overall, consume less and choose quality over quantity. Cell phones are a good example. Companies will clear and mine land to get the rare earth minerals needed for your cell phone. Seek out eco-friendly companies and support agroforestry.

4. Use your products longer. Rid yourself of the disposable mentality. Think of everything you consume in your household - food, power, transportation, clothing, chemicals, and consumer goods. Less is more. Buy products that are known to last longer.

5. Reduce fossil fuels, but be aware that biofuels may not be a suitable alternative. Did you know that palm oil shows up in some biofuels? That and other biofuel sources rely on large-scale agriculture to grow the crops, accelerating land clearing. Walking, cycling, and car-pool can help reduce this demand.

6. Buy second-hand. Furniture is a good example. Cheap, mass-produced furniture has a shorter lifespan, is often thrown away, and encourages mass consumption.

7. Seek out sustainable products. Coffee is a good one to consider, along with clothing, food, and cooking oil.

8. Reduce and reuse is a good mantra to have. You can start with paper products in your home. Print documents double-sided. Better yet, replace printing on paper with digital files. Reduce paper towel consumption and use cloth towels instead.

The New Year is an excellent time to reassess your current lifestyle and introduce some simple changes that can make a difference. You can still enjoy your quality of life and contribute to the well-being of our planet. We are all in this together.


Photo by Tom Fish on Pexels.

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Catalog #:

1222.100.07.122722

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