How to erase 100 years of carbon emissions? Plant trees--lots of them.

[G_j]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/relay.nationalgeographic.com/proxy/distribution/public/amp/environment/2019/07/how-to-erase-100-years-carbon-emissions-plant-trees

An area the size of the United States could be restored as forests with the potential of erasing nearly 100 years of carbon emissions, according to the first ever study to determine how many trees the Earth could support.

Published today in Science, "The global tree restoration potential” report found that there is enough suitable land to increase the world’s forest cover by one-third without affecting existing cities or agriculture. However, the amount of suitable land area diminishes as global temperatures rise. Even if global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the area available for forest restoration could be reduced by a fifth by 2050 because it would be too warm for some tropical forests.

“Our study shows clearly that forest restoration is the best climate change solution available today,” said Tom Crowther, a researcher at ETH Zürich, and senior author of the study.

That does not alter the vital importance of protecting existing forests and phasing out fossil fuels since new forests would take decades to mature, Crowther said in a statement.

..more..

[Wounded Bear]

1. It would be a good start...

It will take more than that. But it's a great idea.

[Bayard]

2. Its a terrific start!

I'm thinking every American should be required to plant a certain number of trees each year--kind of like an environmental Peace Corp. Can't afford them? Plenty of places to get free trees/seedlings.

Examples:

https://www.nwf.org/Trees-for-Wildlife/Request-Trees

https://www.arborday.org/members/ (have had really good luck with these every year).

Many local and state programs. Google your area, or check with your state Forestry Service.
Example:
https://www.cityplants.org/ (for L.A. area)

Or minimal cost:
https://www.nationalforests.org/get-involved/tree-planting-programs
$1, and they will plant the tree for you in a National Forest.
When I was a kid, my dad bought hundreds of pine trees for a penny a piece (I know, I helped plant them all!). Years later, we had an entire evergreen forest on our 3 acres.

Many trees will root on their own from cuttings:
https://www.therealfarmhouse.com/how-to-get-unlimited-shade-trees-for-free/

Go forth and plant, America!

[Duppers]

24. Excellent idea and sources! 🌳

Thanks for posting these!

🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲

[cwydro]

49. Thanks for this. I love trees, and I plant some every year.

Usually I buy them, so this is good info!

[ck4829]

3. Pine and oak trees in particular consume more co2, so focus on them

Got to do it without making a monoculture though.

[csziggy]

7. From my experience, plant pines and the oaks will come

When I bought my farm in 1978, much of the upper 30 acres was corn fields and pig pens. We cleared the garbage and scrub trees and then planted a thousand loblolly pines, a thousand Southern red cedars, and a hundred dogwoods - the forestry department had a program that sold bare root seedlings in big bundles, so the "trees" were spindly little things around a foot tall. We also planted about twenty sawtooth oaks a neighbor didn't have room for.

One reason we planted lines of cedars and pines was as a wind and sun break - facing west from our house, we had what we called "mandatory sunsets" - absolutely nothing to shade the house from the sun in the afternoon. Around the house we planted sycamores for fast growth shade trees and crepe myrtles for open shade close to the house. Now those sycamores are immense and the crepe myrtles are forty or so feet tall. We still enjoy them though we built a new house (to replace the doubewide that was originally there) in a different spot.

Forty years later, many of the cedars have died, some of the pines were struck by lightning, and oaks have moved into the windbreaks we created with those trees. While only a fourth of the sawtooth oaks made it, other trees have moved in - post, laurel, and live oaks as well as cherry trees. The dogwoods were planted along the drive and many of them are dying, but post and live oaks, pines, and wax myrtles are providing greenery and habitat.

In addition, the loblolly pines that were here on the farm reproduced and we have about five acres of now 20-30 year old loblolly pines growing up in two different pastures. We also have encouraged the black walnut seedlings and other trees that have naturally occured - all they needed was protection from the horses in order to thrive.

Basically benign neglect works - plant one variety of tree and let natural succession take place. It takes work to continue a monoculture since nature tries to find a way.

[Bengus81]

33. Cedars suck ground water starving most everything else..........

Most farmers around here will cut them down.............

[csziggy]

34. Well, we're in the South - most years no worry about cedars using too much water

They are a native tree around here, but there were none on top of our ridge when we bought the farm. Now, the ones we planted are mostly dead but there are offspring spread by the bird scattered around.

[GulfCoast66]

38. Just as an FYI. Not taking anything from your excellent post.

But I love learning things on DU.

If when you say ‘cedars’ you mean eastern red cedar, they are in fact not cedars. But Junipers. Juniperus virginiana. Totally different genus than, say, the cedars of Lebanon. Interesting because they become one of the most beautiful trees in North America (in my opinion) where most of that genus stays as small trees or shrubs.

Sorry. Plant geek here. I find it very interesting.

But your post is spot on. If we just leave the land alone it will do what it did. Most of Eastern America was huge hardwoods when Europeans arrived. The far southeast had lots of Pine/Wiregrass habitat which resulted in an almost prairie like feeling. But we don’t really know what evolution brought because the Native Americans burned it. Dense forest is a wildlife desert compared to open woodlands/Grasslands.

Like the Southeast the Bluegrass region of Kentucky was burned by the Native Americans resulting in Giant Oaks with grass between. Like the Southeast the burning made it perfect for grazing and browsing animals like deer, elk and Bison. Which was what they ate.

Sorry if this hijacks the thread. I greatly respect what you are doing to your bit of land. Helping bring back the natural habitat.

Don’t get me started on the possibility of using DNA to bring back the passenger pigeon!

[csziggy]

42. Interesting - they were sold by the Forestry Department as Southern Red Cedars

And that is what everybody in this area calls them - but thinking about the junipers I bought as decorative plants, the "cedars" are very close.

Around here, we have fox squirrels which like open grassland with sparse mixed hardwoods and pines. We had them on my farm but since I have been unable to mow the pastures they have moved on. A nearby subdivision that used to be part of a large plantation has some very tough HOA provisions that are designed to protect the fox squirrel and gopher tortoise habitats that the plantations have preserved - no hedges, sparse landscaping, limited night time lighting. That is one set of HOA provisions I hope is well enforced!

When I get back from the UK, I am going to have my pastures partially cleared and find someone to mow them regularly again. Between my replacement knees and fused back I am not driving a tractor again but the brush and volunteer trees have taken over. I used to allow select trees to remain, but now there is about four acres of shrubby sweetgum trees coming in below the house. Aside from the little problem that they block my view, they are covering the areas under the live oaks which make it harder for the birds and squirrels to forage.

[GulfCoast66]

46. Yeah. They are called cedars by everyone, including me.

Just like the most popular fish in the gulf is called Spotted Seatrout. Buy are not trout but in the drum family!

[harumph]

4. Not trees...bamboo - invasive as hell. Grows MUCH faster than trees, excellent carbon sink.

Plant forests of bamboo. Harvest and bury. If a source rots (releases CO2 at a slower rate than it takes in as it grows)
it's in the right direction chemically speaking. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Ever tried to contain bamboo spread? It's damn hard.

Call me Johnny Bamboo.

[Blue_true]

8. Bambo can be used as a building material, flooring and paneling material.

It also can be pulverized and used as a source of fabric cloth, paper and even toilet paper and napkins of all types. It resists bacteria, so it would be excellent in some body care products.

I like aloe and agave plants, they do the carbon removal cycle 24/7, and they remove volatile organic compounds and they LOVE warm temperatures, which would be ideal now. Even as they cool the planet be removing COx compounds and VOCs by converting them to O2 and structural carbon, they still thrive, since their temperature growth zone is wide.

Call me Johnny Tequila, even though I would not touch alcohol unless my life depended on drinking it.

[G_j]

9. Hemp

Fits that bill also

[Blue_true]

19. Yes. nt

[GulfCoast66]

39. Bamboo is invasive in North America.

None of our native wildlife can use it. Bamboo plantations would become wildlife deserts.

Much better to let the plants evolved for an area reclaim it. Which they quickly do.

[Blue_true]

5. Better yet, plant lots of succulent plants.

Such as Aloe Vera, Agave of all types, Neem plants. They perform the COx conversion 24/7 and they also can take out volatile organic compounds in the air and soil. Agave, in particular grows well in all types of Warner climates, it is a bit nasty with the spiky leaves, but it grows robust and can be planted beside roadways and in forests and as borders on cropland.

[mcar]

6. Love succulents

I'll look into planting more.

[Blue_true]

15. Read up on how they convert COx to oxygen 24/7.

Like I pointed out, they also remove stuff like gasoline and diesel vapors from the air, converting them into O2 and structural carbon.

Aloe is an excellent plant for your indoor living spaces, especially bedrooms, because it produces oxygen 24/7 and that is known to help people sleep better. The downside is you have to leave the plants in the Sun for several hours two-three times per week to keep them vital. So you may want to set them in movable potting. They really don't like a lot of water, but they survive well the wet periods that we can have in Florida. Really adaptable plants.

Some types of agave can be really nasty with the sharp thorny leaves, so they are not suitable for planting everywhere. But if you want your windows to be bugular proof, plant them around the outside of the windows. Agave grows like a bandit is Florida weather and can grow up to around five-six feet tall, especially blue-green agave. Blue-green agave is excellent as a "fence" border for agricultural land as long as it is set back from roadways and walking paths. It buds, so one plant over time becomes many plants, that is a challenge in maintaining a well defined fence border where the desire is not to have the plant move over a wide space, but if young plants are removed and transplanted early on, the border can be maintained over years.

[mcar]

29. I will

Thanks for the info.

[Uncle Joe]

10. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread G_j.

[Everyman Jackal]

11. But Reagan told us that trees pollute.

And ketchup is a serving of vegetables.

[mn9driver]

12. Drones are capable of planting a LOT of trees

www.techspot.com/amp/news/73032-new-tree-planting-drones-can-plant-100000-trees.html

[Snarkoleptic]

13. Meanwhile, in the Amazon...

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/02/americas/amazon-brazil-bolsonaro-deforestation-scli-intl/

Amazon deforestation accelerated more than 60% in June over the same period last year, in what environmentalists say is a sign that the policies of President Jair Bolsonaro are starting to take effect.

The rate of rainforest destruction had been stable during the first few months of Bolsonaro's presidency but began to soar in May and June, according to Brazil's National Institute of Space Research (INPE), a government agency whose satellites also monitor the Amazon.

769.1 square kilometres were lost last month - a stark increase from the 488.4 sq km lost in June 2018, INPE's data showed.

That equates to an area of rainforest larger than one and a half soccer fields being destroyed every minute of every day.

More than two-thirds of the Amazon are located in Brazil and environmental groups blame far-right leader Bolsonaro and his government for the increase, saying he has relaxed controls on deforestation in the country.

[jalan48]

16. +!

[G_j]

25. Bolsonaro,

a huge fan of Trump.

[mr_lebowski]

31. So f'ing depressing man ... we are DOOMED ... (nt)

[mitch96]

14. This will only work if business and big corporations can make an obscene profit..

with a touch of truth...
m

[Blue_true]

17. Actually honeowners and thoughtful farmers can have a major impact.

By planting plants like argave and aloe in borders and wild areas. Farmers can use aloe, agave and Neem as fencing, all are 25/7 O2 generators. People with 5 acre to 1 million acre farms can have a major positive impact on the ecosystem by setting in Neem, agave and aloe fencing around their fields and in break zones where wildlife can thrive. Trees can also be planted along the borders since they establish a beneficial relationship with the succulents and help with overall water management in the border or break.

[mitch96]

35. 5 acre to 1 million acre farms can have a major positive impact on the ecosystem "

That would be great if they could make it happen.. I have a very small home footprint so maybe just aloe?? I live in a tropical climate.
m

[Blue_true]

36. Try a mixture of Aloe and Red Oak trees.

Your soils should be the kind that drains very well, Aloe does not like a lot of water, though it will store excess water up to a point.

Red oak trees tend to be smaller and prettier than their cousins. They are nice ornamental oaks, IMO.

[mitch96]

43. "Aloe and Red Oak trees."

Thanks for the info.. Our soil in So Fla is basically sand so the drainage is good. I have a postage stamp plot so I could prolly get a bunch of aloe but no trees. I had a couple of travelers palms that took over the back and side yard and had to remove them..I want to replace them with something that is good for the earth and won't mess up my little plot. The aloe sounds great... Also if I get a burn I can just go out and get some "medicine"...
m

[marylandblue]

28. Somebody has to pay for the seeds and seedlings Trees don't grow on trees, you know.

[mr_lebowski]

30. Fine, then pay them off for doing it ... it's still cheaper than climate change (nt)

[bronxiteforever]

18. Kick and Recommend. A ray of light in the dark.

[appalachiablue]

20. Trees of Hope, wonderful.

[roamer65]

21. Stop all deforestation.

That should be the first shot fired against CO2 rise, along with massive reforestation.

I planted 4 trees in my front yard to help, along with a yucca plant.

[Farmer-Rick]

22. I have a stream that I allow to grow wild.

I wont let my sheep get in to tear it up. It rims my 14 acres of pasture. Cedars, pines, maple, pawpaw and persimmon trees line it. Bushes protect the crayfish, salamanders, frogs and minnows. As a small farm, it took dedication to keep it from being used and abused. It originates from a cold stream in a fold in the mountains.

Now, when my fields are way too hot for a Southern day in the high 90s F. in May, all the animals hang out by the stream (at least as close as they can get what with it being fenced off). At first light, the ewes take their lambs there to stay cool. It is easily 20 degrees colder there. There is a constant breeze that flows up over my front porch thanks to the difference in temperature.

Trees really do make a big difference in the environment not just in the carbon they suck up.

[Blue_true]

37. It is great that you are doing what you are. nt

[paulkienitz]

23. Ocean plankton.

Marine plankton grows faster than trees, and once it dies a lot of it sinks to the depths, taking carbon with it. Furthermore, it supports fish and helps undo some of the tremendous loss of ocean biomass caused by overfishing. If we're going to decarbonate the atmosphere successfully, we need both trees and plankton.

[Brother Buzz]

27. Or drink eco friendly vodka and let someone else do the planting

360 Vodka - Eco Friendly Superior American Vodka

We worked with the Missouri Department of Conservation to launch FOREST 360, an effort to plant indigenous trees on 40 acres of the land around the distillery. It is estimated that one tree absorbs 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide in its lifetime, so the planting of these trees will help cut down on the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming. We have also invited their business partners to participate in this project, and to date over 225 trees have been planted through these efforts.

https://vodka360.com/green-initiatives/

Note: This is a great marketing gimmick, and I support the concept, but in my perfect world, everyone would be doing it.....and on a colossal scale.

[stopwastingmymoney]

32. Kick, nt

[GulfCoast66]

40. As a plant/biology guy I geek out on this subject!

The pine tree swindle pulled from South Carolina to east Texas may become a great asset.

Swindle? For the past 50 year tons of landowners were convinced to plant pines on their land as sure money. And they did by the millions of acres. But the predictable happened. They are now not really worth the price of harvesting. What with the digital age and recycling there is no demand for them. Sucks for the landowners. But might be good for us. It not worth plowing the down and planting row crops because the price of the crops does not pay for the effort on most of the land, which is marginal for row crops anyway. Which is why pines were planted in the first place.

But given time those pines start to give way to the hardwood forest evolution dictated. I already see this happening where I deer hunt in Arkansas. Forest that were all pine when I was a kid 45 years ago are turning into hardwood forests.

Sure, there is still harvesting going on. But not at a level that will use all or even most of the forest.

And over time these families come to like their new woods. My right wing uncle sure does.

Florida has an innovative program where families can basically ‘sell’ the development rights to the land. They keep it with greatly reduced tax assessments. But can’t develop it.

We have been reforesting this country for the past 50 years. My dad remembers a South with no deer that looked like the Great Plains. One small farm or sharecropper after another.

Sorry for carrying on. But this is a subject that gets me going. My goal is that someday our grandchildren can see the great forest of the Eastern US that died over the past 3 centuries. I sure won’t.

[mitch96]

44. I see forestry done in Fla off 19 north of Cheifland

I never knew about that till I took a ride up 19.. I think they are pines..
Who of thunk Florida had pine forests and did harvesting!! Disney world, Beaches, Fishing, car races, tourism yes but PIne trees? Neat stuff...
m

[GulfCoast66]

45. And lots of cows!

[mitch96]

47. " lots of cows!"

I don't know if it's true but I think I read that there are more cows and horses in Fla than in Texas!! Now that is weird
There use to be lots of cow farms here in So Fla but they are slowly going away. Big beautiful gated communities that people can't afford... uff.....
m

[Blue_true]

48. The Mormon Church owns millions of cattle farming acres.

Most of the land was scrub land, but got turned into pretty good cattle land.

A lot of land that used to be orange groves is now going wild after successive freezes killed off most of the orange trees in central and north-central Florida. I think that is a good thing long term because it increases plant and animal biodiversity on the land.

[misanthrope]

41. I'm glad this story was written -- I've seen it several places -- but it still baffles me

that its highly self-evident information even needs to be pointed out to anyone. Someone who has had the most primary level of biology/earth sciences education knows all this. It's about on a par with knowing what oxygen or photosynthesis is, things we learned in elementary school.

There's a reason environmentalists were derided as "tree huggers." Being primates, we should be ashamed of how far we've fallen from our arboreal past.

[ck4829]

50. Kick