Carbon capture and storage

Be kind to the trees, they are busy saving the world

Time is running out to avoid breaching the 2° Celsius global warming limit. Trees are essential for mitigating climate change by reducing the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide.

Last week, Rep. Bruce Westerman wrote a sneaky story about trees. Some is good, but our “honorable” congressman knows more about timber than planting trees. His story, “Trees are the answer,” says trees are “about 50 percent carbon by dry weight and can significantly offset man-made carbon emissions. Once carbon is stored in a tree, even if that tree is cut down and used in timber products, it will continue storing that carbon indefinitely.” This is true, but trees stop capturing carbon when cut down, and clearcutting forests creates permanent damage. Replacing forests with tree plantations degrades the carbon sequestration capacity.

Westerman’s One Trillion Tree Act is not what the worldwide initiative is about. You have to read his opinion piece carefully and understand his bias. He sees planting trees as an opportunity to sell timber.

First amendment to the Act

As one of many Arkansas constituents, here are some suggestions to the Act. Mitigating climate change is an existential emergency and we cannot continue to ignore it. Let’s talk about the facts, and what every American needs to do to keep transparency and accountability.

1. The climate emergency is undeniable as demonstrated by extreme weather events and explained by climate science. The purpose of the Act is to capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, not to create new timber markets.
2. The Act is about planting new trees, not cutting down existing forests to clear the land. Existing forests do not count towards the goal, let them grow for as long as they are healthy, with care and respect, as you would like to be treated by your friends and family.
3. Burning trees releases, in a few minutes, the carbon captured and stored during their lifetime.
4. A safe climate will create a safe economy with quality jobs for everyone. The Act is not an economic recovery or jobs program.
5. Experts in soil, regenerative agriculture, hydrology, and biology will provide advice.
6. Best practices should be used to plant the trees. Native trees are best, we need to avoid invasive species. Planting seedlings is not an easy task. What, when, and how are some of the questions to be defined. Monoculture and tree plantations are not forests.
7. Trees are not renewable resources. Trees in a forest are part of a web connecting all the plants and animals. Like in a community, each one has a special and unique role.
8. For the act to work, everyone needs to think in a new way. This is about protecting the forests, sequestering carbon, and mitigating the climate. Existing tree plantations may be used to provide timber to meet market requirements. Forests should not be seen as timber resources.
9. The act will not replace forest carbon credits, carbon fee and dividends, and other climate initiatives.
10. The Act will exclude the use of carbon-neutral, bioenergy, biomass, sustainable forest management, and other controversial terms.

The act is about creating forests

There are many types of forests with different types of trees and wildlife. Forests provide shelter, shade, peace, and joy.

Forests are resilient biodiverse communities where trees and other plants and animals develop symbiotic relationships to survive and thrive.

Stopping deforestation and forest degradation conserves water resources, prevents flooding, reduces run-off, controls soil erosion, protects rivers and fisheries, preserves biodiversity, and preserves cultures and traditions.

With all the gifts and beauty forests provide both to humanity and the natural world, and all that is at stake, it is clear forests are more important left standing than cut.

The new act is something that we have never tried before and we cannot afford to fail. The amendment and other provisions must be included with public input to have a solid plan that will be executed for many years.

Call your representatives and discuss the proposed amendment to the act, along with your thoughts.

Dr. Luis Contreras