There is now widespread agreement that GHG emissions need to be in immediate, steep decline. Trees take time to grow, and some people argue that time is something we don’t have.
That is why the focus must remain on emissions reduction first and foremost. However, planting trees engages people on the subject of their environmental impact.
We hope that by carrying out the symbolic act of creating new woodland for the future, people will be driven to address the main cause of climate change, which is the consumption of fossil fuels.
Trees will, in time, absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. On a much shorter timescale, they:
- provide habitat for wildlife,
- improve water and air quality,
- stabilize and protect fragile soils,
- help regulate air temperature, and
- offer protection against wind, flood and storm damage.
Many of these benefits are directly related to climate change impacts.
Planting trees gets people thinking about how they can reduce their carbon footprint in a way that few other activities can.
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