Tree planting 'has mind-blowing potential' to tackle climate crisis Planting billions of trees across the world is by far the biggest and cheapest way to tackle the climate crisis, according to scientists, who have made the first calculation of how many more trees could be planted without encroaching on crop land or urban areas. As trees grow, they absorb and store the carbon dioxide emissions that are driving global heating. New research estimates that a worldwide planting programme could remove two-thirds of all the emissions that have been pumped into the atmosphere by human activities, a figure the scientists describe as “mind-blowing”. The analysis found there are 1.7bn hectares of treeless land on which 1.2tn native tree saplings would naturally grow. That area is about 11% of all land and equivalent to the size of the US and China combined. Tropical areas could have 100% tree cover, while others would be more sparsely covered, meaning that on average about half the area would be under tree canopy. The scientists specifically excluded all fields used to grow crops and urban areas from their analysis. But they did include grazing land, on which the researchers say a few trees can also benefit sheep and cattle. Let nature heal climate and biodiversity crises, say campaigners Read more “This new quantitative evaluation shows [forest] restoration isn’t just one of our climate change solutions, it is overwhelmingly the top one,” said Prof Tom Crowther at the Swiss university ETH Zürich, who led the research. “What blows my mind is the scale. I thought restoration would be in the top 10, but it is overwhelmingly more powerful than all of the other climate change solutions proposed.” I know it's a tree hugger post but to be honest its no different than my Grandmother insisting we plant a tree everytime my grandfather chopped one down. Right?
Your average tree farm will sock you an arm and a leg for well started trees. Check with the local agricultural extension agency for inexpensive slips, might even find some freebies suitable for your AO.
Just put in a few miles of fences and don't keep the growth in them killed down for 2-3 years and you will naturally plant thousands of willows, post oaks, silver maples, persimmons and mulberry trees and have a nice privacy screen of honeysuckle and multifloral roses to boot Those roses and honeysuckle make a pretty formidable security barrier as well!
Utterly dumbfounding, that these so-called "scientists" are finding this concept "mind blowing". Did they never actually take science, in school, and learn why we needed trees?? My only question is, if they plant all these trees, where do they plan on then putting all their solar panels??
Visit your Local Ag Collages and State Universities and they can usually offer you smokin deals on starts! Pay special attention to the groath in the areas you wish to plant so that you are planting companion species and not introducing a conflict! Focus on planting the Conifers as much as possible and you should see results pretty quickly! Edit: Contact your Local B.S.A. Chapters and arrange to "Sponsor" a planting trip! Make sammichs and bring lots of bottled water and sodas and fruits and snacks and make a fun weekend out of it! Do that several times a tear and you will be amazed at how many trees you can get planted!
We had planted 2 rows of corn plus some melons...Deer came thru and that was the end of that. Planted 50 lbs of bio logic which is mostly wheat, Pretty sure that once the deer find it...Well goodbye.
We're doing our part as we planted 20 Ponderosa Pine and 5 Blue Spruce seedlings. Next Spring we'll plant 20 White Fir, 10 Tamarack, 10 Cedar and 10 Blue Spruce. It takes more work than you think to ensure they survive. The seedlings must be watered the first season before they can make it on their own and that can be a pain dragging 300 feet of hose around on a hot day. Also, around here, you have to protect them from the deer so cages. We get our 8 inch seedlings from the University and/or the County for a $1 a piece. My intent is to plant 20-40 seedlings ever season to replace all the weed trees (Jack/Lodge Pole pines) I am taking down.
You might consider offering the lodge pole trunks to the local ham community for antenna poles. Good on ya for replacing what you take out.
I actually use them for firewood. I haven't paid a penny for heating the house for the last 2 years and, with the amount I have stored, I won't pay for the next 5 years either. No, we don't waste them... Now you got me wondering if I could use a 30 foot piece as an antenna mast. I doubt I could man-handle anything longer into the ground. I could rent an auger to dig the hole...hmmm maybe a auger wouldn't do it be cause I would need to go pretty deep to anchor, probably an excavator. I bet you wouldn't even need any guide cables for it. Now, you got me thinking about it...
Cities should PAY homeowners to plant trees instead of boosting taxes. We just saw what happens when WAY TOO much water tries to run down a finite channel. Trees help slow runoff. And collect fossil carbon. And release fresh O2. I know, preaching to the choir. Does T5R's #5 post remind anyone else of the hedgerow country of French Normandie?
@Marvin L. Steinhagen " Does T5R's #5 post remind anyone lese of the hedgerow country of French Normandie?" Actually, now that you said that, it does, except the Hedgerows are much bigger in France...
Well, 60 feet would be better than 30, and as long as you're getting an excavator involved --. (The local hams will flock to an antenna raising party, you betcha.) Not too awful long ago, like last spring, the gun club purchased a couple hundred slips of several varieties from the state aggies and had a planting party down along the creek where it had been washed out a year earlier. Needless to say, the flood of two weeks later put all the slips, every last one of them, into the Susquehanna River. Insurance paid off, but the heart is gone from the club so far as tree planting goes. That project is back burnered pending some other repair projects.
I know when I lived in N Colorado the ag extension would loan you the equipment to plant wind breaks if you purchased the trees from them or the university(CSU).
