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Trees are only sequestering the CO2, not removing it, so this seems like a bad solution at solving our removal of CO2. Also, for a densely populated area, wher

by proee 10y ago

Trees are only sequestering the CO2, not removing it, so this seems like a bad solution at solving our removal of CO2. Also, for a densely populated area, where do you propose people go to plant said trees where they can survive without major care? What is the mortality rate of these trees over time considering weeds, water, bugs etc.

jeffwass 10y ago
>"Trees are only sequestering the CO2, not removing it, so this seems like a bad solution at solving our removal of CO2" I don't follow your logic here. All of the atmospheric CO2 produced from fossil fuel combustion had been previously "sequestered" in the form of petroleum-based hydrocarbons before it was burned by humans. Why do you feel that extracting atmospheric CO2 by building polysaccharide chains (aka wood) via photosynthesis in trees would be worse than having left it in its prior hydrocarbon form if we had never burned it in the first place?
- clock_tower 10y ago
  I'd guess he's worried about the wood rotting, and the decay process venting CO2 (and, worse, methane) back into the atmosphere.
- undersuit 10y ago
  >Why do you feel that... As a dead tree decomposes the heterotrophic organisms eating it release a large amount of the stored carbon back into the atmosphere as CO2 as we heterotrophs are want to do. That's where a lot of people stop and give up. What I think a lot of people forget is that plants naturally spread. If you plant a tree and it survives for 50 years, it's producing seedlings for up to 90% of it's lifetime. If even two seedlings can become trees you have removed the CO2 from the air rather permanently.
  - abraae 10y ago
    Trees do spread naturally. We're revegetating 10 acres of land with native plants and its amazing to see the spread every year. But that's not relevant in a situation where you're planting them for an end result like sequestering carbon (e.g. a renewable pine plantation). Then you obtain the land, plant the heck out of it with seedlings, then thin them out http://www.gfc.state.ga.us/resources/publications/PineThinning.pdf http://www.gfc.state.ga.us/resources/publications/PineThinni... at regular intervals. Way more bang for the buck than planting a few and hoping for natural propagation.

by proee 10y ago

jeffwass 10y ago

>"Trees are only sequestering the CO2, not removing it, so this seems like a bad solution at solving our removal of CO2" I don't follow your logic here. All of the atmospheric CO2 produced from fossil fuel combustion had been previously "sequestered" in the form of petroleum-based hydrocarbons before it was burned by humans. Why do you feel that extracting atmospheric CO2 by building polysaccharide chains (aka wood) via photosynthesis in trees would be worse than having left it in its prior hydrocarbon form if we had never burned it in the first place?

clock_tower 10y ago
I'd guess he's worried about the wood rotting, and the decay process venting CO2 (and, worse, methane) back into the atmosphere.
undersuit 10y ago
>Why do you feel that... As a dead tree decomposes the heterotrophic organisms eating it release a large amount of the stored carbon back into the atmosphere as CO2 as we heterotrophs are want to do. That's where a lot of people stop and give up. What I think a lot of people forget is that plants naturally spread. If you plant a tree and it survives for 50 years, it's producing seedlings for up to 90% of it's lifetime. If even two seedlings can become trees you have removed the CO2 from the air rather permanently.
- abraae 10y ago
  Trees do spread naturally. We're revegetating 10 acres of land with native plants and its amazing to see the spread every year. But that's not relevant in a situation where you're planting them for an end result like sequestering carbon (e.g. a renewable pine plantation). Then you obtain the land, plant the heck out of it with seedlings, then thin them out http://www.gfc.state.ga.us/resources/publications/PineThinning.pdf http://www.gfc.state.ga.us/resources/publications/PineThinni... at regular intervals. Way more bang for the buck than planting a few and hoping for natural propagation.