A recent study conducted at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Zurich shares how forest restoration can possibly be the best solution to slowing down global warming.
Industrial activities and automotive emissions contribute to about 24 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year around the globe, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). This can cause several species to die, biodiversity to reduce and pollute our earth significantly.
Tom Crowther from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Zurich and his team analyzed about 80 000 satellite photo measurements of the trees that exist worldwide. They then used data from other geological databases that examined climate conditions to examine which areas of the earth could hold more trees. They then deduced an approximate figure of how many trees the earth could support.
The results showed about 0.9 billion hectares of land exist around the world that could be used to build forestry. The growth of trees in these areas can create 205 gigatons of carbon that can be contained and consequently slow down global warming significantly.
This will have a positive impact on our future climate conditions and reduce chances of climatic disasters, such as tsunamis and earthquakes. If we as citizens don’t protect our earth now by reducing our carbon emissions and planting more trees, even developed countries may experience serious disasters such as water shortage and drought.
As forest restoration grows around the world, this reduces the need to employ more expensive carbon sequestration procedures.
The idea of ocean fertilization and the need to purchase special machines that filter out carbon dioxide from our atmosphere is of big discussion today. From more people being supportive of forest restoration, this can not only save the government tons of money each year but increase biodiversity.
From increasing the number of trees we plant, we can bring more wildlife to our earth and even provide valuable resources such as medicine and food.
In contrast, according to Robin Chazdon, the rapid speed of climate change can overthrow the benefits of forest restoration. Climate change can prevent many trees from growing normally and can cause an uneven distribution of trees in tropical areas.
In addition, some worry that forest restoration can reduce agricultural space used for farming and other human activities. This can have a negative impact on industrial spaces and prevent cities from generating income.
Moreover, it is recommended that politicians and scientists tighten their bond and create public initiatives that promote solutions for climate change and create awareness of the negative effects it has on our planet.
SOURCES
Moreover, it is recommended that politicians and scientists tighten their bond and create public initiatives that promote solutions for climate change and create awareness of the negative effects it has on our planet.
SOURCES
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