Today, carbon emissions and their significant impacts on climate change are some of the challenges the world is dealing with. In fact, we are already feeling the impact of unhealthy carbon emissions in different areas of life. Apart from trapping heat to cause climate change, they are also responsible for an increase in air pollution as well as lots of respiratory diseases. As a result of this, various technologically advanced companies are investing tons of money, time, and other resources into projects like Themis Ecosystem finding a sustainable way to deal with climate change.
Based on scientific findings, one of the most cost-effective and reliable ways to reduce carbon emissions is planting trees. But is planting trees truly capable of lowering carbon emissions? Why does planting trees help to reduce carbon emissions?
Here are the reasons planting trees can help to lower the carbon emission:
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Trees are capable of absorbing carbon
Carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen are the fundamental elements of all living entities on this planet. More than 90% of the parts in most living things contain these 4 elements. So, it does not come as a surprise that the leaves, roots, branches, and even trunks of trees contain lots of carbon and the other three elements.
Unlike humans that breathe out carbon dioxide, most parts of trees are known to breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen, which is the opposite of the process in humans. Therefore, a tree is capable of consuming lots of carbon dioxide. Depending on the level of maturity of a tree, it is capable of absorbing as much as 48 lbs. of carbon dioxide in a single year. It also breathes in ozone and other greenhouse gases that may be harmful to us. With aid of the consumed gases, a tree will produce enough oxygen for humans to use for as long as 2 years.
In other words, trees will absorb carbon dioxide (which could be harmful to animals) and produce oxygen that is needed to survive. The released oxygen will also assist to reduce global warming and ensure that the climate is better, healthier, and cleaner. In addition, it will lower the rate of soil degradation, water pollution, and plagues that all have significant effects on the ecosystem.
Therefore, planting trees is a proven method for reducing carbon emissions.
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Trees can save energy
Another way through which planting trees can help to reduce carbon emissions is through its ability to save energy. In an urban area, trees can play a powerful role by providing shades that will help to save energy.
While providing the needed shades, trees will also release water vapor that will make the temperature cooler. As stated by the EPA, shades, and vapor provided by trees can lower peak temperatures by around 11 to 25°C (about 20 - 45°F).
As a home or office is shaded by trees, there can be a drop of around 8 to 10°F in the internal temperatures. It has even be estimated that a single tree can provide enough shade to save the amount of energy required to operate 10 room-sized air-conditioning units for 20 hours daily. This tells you how powerful planting trees can be to any individual or organization that wants to save energy.
But how does this reduce carbon emissions? Of course, the production of electricity required to power your air conditioners is responsible for a substantial percentage of carbon emissions in most countries around the world. For instance, in the USA, energy production is responsible for about 33% of all carbon emissions in the country. Therefore, planting shades around homes and offices can make a big difference in the amount of carbon emissions.
Notably, this doesn't only reduce carbon emissions, but it can also lower your heating and cooling costs by almost half.
The aforementioned points are supported by The Global Tree Restoration Potential Study, which was published in the Journal Science. The study highlighted that planting more trees could go a long way in ensuring that climate change is stopped. By planting more trees now, it is possible to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide on the planet by as much as 25%; thus, ensuring that living things are safer than now. Being the most effective way for halting climate change, the study even stated some of the potential sites for tree restoration to save the planet.
As shown above, planting trees is one of the best ways to combat climate change and ensure that we get enough clean air to breathe in. Other ways include creating technologies that can help to reduce climate change and improve the ecosystem. Themis Ecosystem and Roberto Hroval are already committed to working around the clock to develop the world-class technologies required for this to happen.
Various other challenges to consider about planting trees for reduced carbon emissions
While it is undeniable that planting trees can reduce carbon emissions, it is worthwhile to note that everything is not as straightforward as it sounds. Foremost, it is not yet clear how long it will take to plant trees before any noticeable difference can be seen in the amount of carbon dioxide available in the atmosphere. Also, there are issues on whether grasslands and savannas can support such a significant increase in the number of tree covers. Besides, there are questions about whether an increase in tree cover will impact the resilience of the ecosystem or not. In addition, there may be an inverse relationship between planting trees for reducing carbon emissions and dealing with the huge demand for the production of food.
Nonetheless, it is clear that planting trees may be a life-saving option for reducing carbon emissions on the planet. This option is not only effective and easy to achieve, but it is also more affordable than most of its alternatives. However, there is a need for more studies to be carried out to understand how planting can stop climate change and lower carbon emissions without disrupting other processes required by the ecosystem.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of sciencetimes.com
