Why dont we plant trees on all unused land?

Answer 1

Why don't the big lumber companies and the paper companies and so on, also stop cutting down trees in the rain forests, which take nearly 100 years or more to get to the size they are when they are cut down? Why don't we begin using hemp again, for paper and clothing and rope and many other products that are vastly superior to the materials we are making the same products out of today? *sm*

Answer 2

Because, For Starters, If We Used All Unused Places To Plant Trees, We Would Have Poor Nutrition For Other Plants Below The Thick Canopy Of Leaves, Leading To Starvation Of Many Animals That Feed On The Plants On The Ground. The Soil Needs Nutrients From The Sun So The Tree Can Stay Alive, And If There's No Sun, There's No Life For The Tree To Feed Off Of. Second, If We Had All These Trees, The Only Way To Stop The Downward Spiral Of Life Would Be To Cut The Trees Down. That Would Be VERY Expensive. It Does Seem Ideal To Have Trees Everywhere, But Its Just Not Practical. Though It IS Possible (With Some Restrictions) To Have An Ideal Society With Bountiful Trees, Its Too Expensive.

Answer 3

You have 17 answers so far, but you do not really have an answer about why it's actually a bad idea, and could be harmful to the environment.

Simple answer....water.

My husband use to work as a helicopter mechanic. The helicopters had two main jobs. Putting out forest fires, and logging in areas that didn't allow roads, or machines on the ground.

There were some areas that were logged (not clear cut, just selective), and the people who lived there were AMAZED! Drilled wells, and artisian wells that had been dry for 30-40 years suddenly had water, and plenty of it!

Trees hold a great deal of water captive. Often it's clean water we could use to drink or water food producing gardens.

So you decide...water or trees?

A better way to conserve the planets resources would be not to reproduce. If you don't produce a child (or three) that is 100% percent earth friendly.

~Garnet
Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 4

All unused land belongs to someone. So, who will own the trees? If they are to be harvested, who will have the right to do that? If you plant trees on my land, are you trespassing or coming in the back door to acquire my land by squatter's rights (which to my mind is legalized theft)?

You ask a very valid question, but the answers are not simple. If land which is unused for a period (say 50 years) were to be annexed by the State and sold to others, it would grab the attention of Fat Cats who are already wealthy, to simply acquire more at minimal cost, and be of no benefit to those who would happily use the land for productive purposes but don't have the big bucks of the same Fat Cats.

I know of unused land where the owners left 50 years ago, and it rightly still belongs to them and their family. What might be feasible is to introduce a scheme whereby grants would be available to encourage afforestation (or other productive use) of vacant land, with the legal owners being willing to sell to new people, and in the event of their not being willing to transfer ownership, that they should be obliged to commence productive use themselves within a certain period of time.

Answer 5

sounds like a good idea, yet impossible.. why? because every land, althought unused, has it's owner and most probably it's owner wont put an effort on planting trees. Also, some lands just aint capable of planting trees, not sustainable enough. Plus, u cant just say, "oh, let's plant trees!".. you have to take care of them too.. and there aint so many ppl who would dedicate their time to it, soo.. i dont think this idea will actually become true.

Answer 6

I think the best idea would be to plant trees on most unused land.

Answer 7

Many cities have initiatives to plant trees. Of course, ownership is an issue. If I am holding land for future development, I may not want to have to deal with removing trees five years from now to build on it. In Chicago they plant trees on the rooftops of city buildings. A better question would be, why can't we eliminate some city streets and plant trees? We could have bike paths for pedestrians and emergency vehicles but no cars. We could increase public transportation to those areas and individuals would have more beautiful living areas than overcrowded streets with cars jammed onto them.

Answer 8

Unused land like the Sahara Desert, Antartica, etc? The world's unused land is unused for a reason.

Answer 9

It's a good idea. Sounds like something that would have to be addressed through local legislation. There are a lot of abandoned tracts in most cities. I've seen cities pass laws that these type of sites be converted to parks or vegetable gardens. They tend to become dumps, or worse. You might see if you can organize a lobbying effort with some of the local environmental groups. Your idea is the same principle.

Answer 10

You should buy up all the unused land and start planting.