What: The most efficient way to tackle climate change? Plant a trillion trees.
What is it about:
Tom Crowther's team at ETH Zurich has found that there are already around 3 trillion trees growing on planet Earth, contrary to NASA estimates of around 400 billion. Calculations by the ETH showed that there is enough room for an additional 1.2 trillion and that planting these very trees would bring considerable benefits in terms of absorbing CO2 - the main factor in climate change.
At present, the exact effect of the trees cannot yet be quantified, as the figures are currently being verified. However, the effect is said to be significantly higher than the most effective solution to date, the elimination of CFC gas emissions.
Felix Finkbeiner, who founded the "Plant for the Planet" foundation in 2007 when he was nine years old and is now a PhD student in Tom Crowther's team, points out that 15 billion trees have already been planted, partly with the help of various governments, including India, where over 2 billion trees have been planted alone.
One way to achieve the goal, according to PFTP Chair Sagar Aryal, is to work with the private sector.
While walking through the neighbourhood in Basel, we discovered a lovely initiative - the tree sponsorship of the Stadtgärtnerei Basel. If every city copied this model, that would be a few more trees, wouldn't it?
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source: english article on CNN (refer to link), Photo: Ozan Alaca
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