why not plant trees to fight global warming?

Question

Learned in grade school that tree breath in Co2 and expel O2. They also have a cooling effect on the land(Proof is when you walk in the park).
Sure slow down or stop the mass destruction of trees in the rainforest,(send them some fertilizer and knowledge) but what about in your own backyard? Asphalt is much hotter than tree shade and grass. We have been clearing and paving land for years. It is our fault too. Megahouses and no land around them.
Trees grow by themselves so low maintenance. It seems only logical.

Sure it is not going to happen immediately. But sitting with your thumb up the hine just reduces SO2 gas. Besides, global warming did not happen overnight. Plant a dozen for every person if not more.x300mil adds up. Besides if planting trees you aint driving around.

And if I remember history as it is assumed to have come about, before man, there were plants, lots and lots of plants because the planet's main gas was N and CO2. Plants thrived and created O2. then man came about. Don't blame yourself (you, the ones with the chainsaws, excess newsprint junk mail, no, that is not the way. Blame some indegineous peoples who only discovered fire.
But, only if it makes you feel good.

Answer 1

Permaculture Answer: Excellent question. If you get bored easily go on to the next answer because this one is going to be detailed and long. To be clear this answer is about owner planted Permaculture Homesteads NOT native natural woods/forests; which should be left alone.

The maximum carbon uptake point is it at at peak growing not when the tree is mature. So it starts to take up carbon as soon as it is established. CO2 sequestering saplings grow very fast particularly if they are fruit trees. In the UK trees can fruit within five years given the right conditions. If looking at CO2 sequestering, then trees that are fully mature need to be cut down and used in buildings/cabinet made furniture so that they last for hundreds of years. A hundred year old tree is no longer growing as fast, it is 'maintenance' only. So as part of your managed woodland/CO2 sequestering, you take a yield. You cut down the older timber which creates space to plant more saplings, remember, it is the new growth that sequesters most carbon, as long as you do not burn the timber or allow it to decompose it locks the CO2 in. If it is burned it only releases the same amount of CO2 as it took in unlike oil based products it is carbon neutral. So the newly planted trees then take up further amounts of carbon.

An explanation as why to plant fruit trees are the best for carbon sequestering is quoted below:
'There is a relationship of tree growth to O2 output. Cellulose is a key component of tree growth. Cellulose chemically is identical to starch - the only difference is the linkage between the monomers. Starch is a carbohydrate that is made from, and converted back to, sugar, when it's needed by the organism. Taking all of this in, tree growth results from the production of sugars. If you have tree growth AND another outlet for sugar production, such as fruit production, you get that much more bang for the buck, photosynthesis wise. If I were to plant a crop to uptake CO2, I'd plant fruit. The stoichiometric of the reaction in trees that produces oxygen ultimately results in the production of sugars. If your are looking for the tree that has the most bang for the buck in producing oxygen, pick a fruit tree. The tree not only has to use photosynthesis for it's own growth, repair, etc, it has to manufacture the fruit, which is a huge storehouse of sugars' Thomas K Yahoo Answers. Thanks Thomas.

The key is to plant a broadleaved native or fruit trees, BUT that has to be in a mixed native woodland or small clumps, not singular trees. I agree CO2 sequestering is particularly effective in a tropical climate. Figures for removal of approx. 40kg of CO2 from the atmosphere as net reduction. Combine this with reductions in emissions and new technology, we can make start to make a real difference.

Nobody is seeing the bigger picture where GW is concerned.
Mushrooms 'Mycelium' are regulating the earth's ecosystems, recycling carbon, nitrogen and other essential elements as they break down plant and animal matter to create new soil. They are essential for the health of our soil and ecosystem. Mycellium are the 'missing' keys to both human and the Earth's health. Trees and other green plants could not grow and reach maturity without symbiotic associations with mycelium, the network of fungal threads in the soil that act as interfaces between plant roots and nutrients. But we are losing them before we can even identify them. We are reducing biodiversity, through man's activity from clear cutting forests to developing land which stops them migrating and adapting. We are destabilizing nutrient cycles, which results in crop failures, loss of diversity and the need for ever more invasive farming techniques/chemicals to be used so contributing to global warming. Mycellium also help to protect the land from the damage we humans inflict. Staments the author has discovered ways in which to decompose toxic wastes and pollutants, catch and reduce silt from stream beds and pathogens from agricultural watersheds. Mycelium can be used to control insect populations too.

There are a number of other features that trees contribute to minimizing the effects of global warming. Firstly trees absorb heat, produce shade, stabilize humidity, improve air quality, create micro climates which can create cooler environments, breezes and precipitation. Psychological improvement, fruit production and soil enrichment/production. I add that trees not only build soil but the prevent soil erosion. Trees make beneficial root associates, provide aerosol for saplings, take up water and re-release it thus 'watering' other plants around them encouraging diversity and a habitat for flora and fauna.To adapt to climate change we can use the permaculture stacking system, based on natural ecosystems. Layers of growth from bacteria through, herbs, shrubs, through to full size trees. Woods are always warmer in winter than cleared ground and forests maintain an even temperature in summer, ameliorating the micro climate.

But there are many, many other factors that should help mitigates against climate change:

There is also the Urban Heat Island Effect, Albedo Effect, is a massive problem in cities in Summer, raising the temperature significantly. People then increase power use for cooling systems/fans which in turn create more heat. Again good Permaculture design can mitigate this,
using natural materials such as large boulders and shady areas another micro climate can be produced by the thermal gradient between these two zones creating a cooling breeze.
Deforestation and plowing create hot spots and flooding caused by cold rain on warm over illuminated fields. Planting Trees as mixed native woodland would do the opposite, producing shade and storing water when wet to release when it is very dry. You create useful micro climates by planting shelter belts, positioning water and light reflecting gravels and white barked trees to reflect sunlight. Using large rocks to store heat and disperse heat during cooler times.

Trees are a resource that could mitigate against climate change because trees are effective way of preventing development of land and resulting CO2 emissions from the building industry. Concrete is made from cement which requires large amounts of energy to produce, it does not reabsorb CO2, the building industry in general uses massive amounts of drinking water. Mining the raw materials for the production of both cement and iron ore for steel causes massive environmental disruption. There are much higher environmental costs in transportation than using locally sourced timber. The concrete contains gravel and sands these also need to be mined, although these gravel pits do actually create new habitat they are not generally used for food production. Processing steel also uses massive amounts of energy in blast furnaces and rolling mills. Reinforced concrete, which is needed for high rise flats, is notoriously difficult to recycle. All the above processes produce copious amounts of greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change. The concrete route is a one way trip because concrete is there for good. Trees can be replanted and old timber buildings just return to the soil without leaving a trace.

Without this land being protected and managed in this way, it's value would be in selling it for real estate. That is covering it in reinforced concrete, asphalt and erecting high rise buildings. The other main uses of land is cattle ranching, or conventional agriculture with all their environmental disadvantages and major contributors to global warming. Give trees greater value so more will be planted. If you are using them for timber, then yes they may take 80 years to grow but there is 80 years of benefit from the forest habitat, then because it is valuable it is replanted. If everybody planted a few apple trees, the Mycelium would again be able to 'run'; migrate too.

The thing to do is not just plant a tree but to plant a wood around your home, even in suburbia, as the obvious place to live is in a wood. The materials you need are at hand, your own food, timber for construction and fuel, no transport, mining, processing etc 'costs' so less CO2 emissions again.

Mycelium Running How Mushrooms can help save the World
Paul Staments 2005 Ten Speed press: California
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide_sink

Answer 2

Planting trees is always a good idea, and it definetly couldn't hurt. It's not quite that simple though, you're not going to undo the damage already done by planting trees. It's not a question of if greenhouse effect is taking place, but rather if it is has reached it's breaking point (point of no return). Planting trees would help in fighting against global warming, but in the end it's going to take something much more drastic to have a significant effect. Ironically, it may come down to the very thing that caused the acceleration of global warming in the first place... technology.

Answer 3

Your issue of planting trees or functional landscaping is more significant than you know. You pointed out the shaded areas have a cooling effect, go to see the temperature imaging this company has done. Look at the temperatures of the trees and shade compared to man made development. http://www.thermoguy.com/globalwarming-heatgain.html and see that it proves you are 100% correct.
In some of the shade experiments, it took vines 1 year to climb a building.

Answer 4

well they tell me that rotting vegitation causes greenhouse gas. So i would say you would have to use the leaves and limbs that fall as compost to improve the soil arround the tree.
The way I see it, the weather we have seen in the past few years and the seas warming, willcause more clouds which reflect the sun back into space which will cool the planet. I guess the LORD has been taking care of the earth for millions of years and hopfully will continue a while longer.

Answer 5

Planting trees is always a good idea, but it won't do much for global warming. If we covered the entire surface of the planet with trees it wouldn't be enough to absorb all the CO2 we're putting out.

Answer 6

despite comments to the contrary, planting trees is a good idea. Every step to improve the environment is a good idea. Many small steps lead to giant outcomes. You can do it by planting in your own backyard, encouraging you community to have a small forest on public lands, or by buying credits for others to plant trees in the rain forest. The air over the whole earth mixes so an improvement anywhere is an improvement everywhere.

Answer 7

Wow, how many trees are you thinking of planting? ten won't save the environment! If you want to plant trees, remember that this takes money, time, energy, and space. Where do you suggest that we plant all of these trees? It's a nice sentament, but it's just not logical. I'm not an environmentalist. I acknowledge that it could be a problem, but it's not my problem. I didn't do it, I'm not going to fix it. Don't waste my tax dollars planting trees unless you are cutting them down and putting them back into the economy!

Answer 8

Where's my shovel!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just do it people. My husband & I plant a tree every anniversary but we really don't need excuses. Every little helps when it comes to breathing.
Try to choose something that grows fast & will provide shade because even the people in denial about global warming will need some shade pretty soon!!!!!!!!
We've also got to do something about all the timber used in housing. Just wish someone was clever enough to invent a material that was strong enough to be used for houses & wouldn't create another environmental problem.

Answer 9

many cities are finally coming to the conclusion that the only way to keep trees growing is to require all new buildings to have a certain number of trees per acre and even more trees required if additional parking is needed

so one day it may just even out to what is needed

sadly its about 40 years too late between wasted burnt fuels and land fills full of plastic that no one can use

the earth is canceling everyones ticket to ride


those that continue to litter the world and waste its resources are doomed to find themselves littered upon it

Answer 10

Well in the US we have more trees now than 200 years ago. Global warming is not a big deal though it is the natural cycle of the planet.

Answer 11

If a tree will grow with no maintenance, then one will sprout there naturally, eventually. All you have to do it not cut it down. Of if you do cut it, plant another. That is what the lumber companies do. They farm trees, cutting them when they get big and planting new ones to maintain their supply of wood to sell.