For years, tree planting has been the feel-good fix for climate change. It’s fun believing the idea that we can offset the tons of carbon we’re putting in the atmosphere with a few evergreens here and there. It satisfies our deep psychological need to solve major problems with as little discomfort as humanly possible. But a new study tosses that illusion into a woodchipper.
The research, published in Communications Earth & Environment, says that even if we blanketed the entirety of North and Central America in trees, it wouldn’t be nearly enough to offset the emissions from the fossil fuel reserves of the world’s top 200 oil, gas, and coal companies.
To offset all the carbon those companies are collectively putting out, we would need more land than planet Earth has to offer and more money than those companies are worth.
The research suggests that even if these companies attempted to “erase” their future carbon emissions via tree planting, it would cost $10.8 trillion. Surely, these oil and gas, and coal companies have way more than 10.8 trillion combined, right? Nope! The market evaluation of the entire industry is $7.01 trillion. They’d still be short $3.8 trillion.
Offsetting carbon emissions by planting trees is an especially beloved and particularly weak form of appeasement put out by major oil companies who want to convince us that “nature-based solutions” will save us all when, in actuality, weaning ourselves off our dependence on their industry is the true answer. Never trust a multi-trillion-dollar industry when they offer solutions on how to eliminate the harm caused by their own multi-trillion-dollar industry.
No one is arguing that planting trees is bad. The exact opposite. There’s so much good to come from planting trees, from encouraging biodiversity, fighting against food insecurity, and yes, fighting against climate change. The problem is trying to convince people that planting a tree negates all or even just most of the toxins we’re pumping into our atmosphere. We have to dismantle our dependency on oil, coal, and gas.
The study’s co-author, Nina Friggens, put it best while speaking with the AP’s Melina Walling. Friggens said, “Trees are the sponges and the mops we use to clean up the mess. But if the taps are still running and the water’s pouring out over the edges of your bathtub, destroying your bathroom and your home, maybe you’ve got to learn to turn off the taps too.”
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