Climate change: the trouble with trees
Summary
TLDRThe video script highlights the urgent issue of deforestation and its impact on climate change, emphasizing the limitations of tree planting as a sole solution. It showcases the success of 'wilding'—a hands-off approach to forest restoration—and the importance of local community involvement in sustainable forestry. Monoculture plantations are critiqued for their short-term carbon storage and ecological impacts. The script calls for a balanced view of tree planting, recognizing its role in climate change mitigation but not as a substitute for reducing fossil fuel emissions.
Takeaways
- 🔥 In Summer 2019, over 38,000 fires occurred in the Amazon, largely due to human activities, highlighting the severity of deforestation.
- 🌳 Nearly 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been cleared in the past 50 years, indicating a significant loss of one of the world's largest ecosystems.
- 🌐 Global deforestation rates have doubled in just five years, underscoring the urgency of addressing this environmental crisis.
- 🌳 Since the beginning of human civilization, the global tree population has declined by nearly half, emphasizing the long-term impact of deforestation.
- 🌱 Clearing forests increases carbon dioxide levels, but planting trees can help sequester carbon, suggesting a potential solution to climate change.
- 🌿 Tree planting is often seen as a panacea for climate change, but it's not without its drawbacks, as monoculture plantations can have negative environmental impacts.
- 🌲 Isabella Tree's approach of 'wilding'—letting nature take over farmland—has doubled carbon sequestration in the soil in 20 years, illustrating a hands-off method of combating climate change.
- 🌳 To stabilize the climate, global carbon emissions need to reach net zero by 2050, and tree planting is one way to achieve this goal.
- 🌳 Despite ambitious global tree planting pledges, nearly half of the committed areas are monoculture plantations, which are less effective at carbon storage compared to natural forests.
- 🌳 Monoculture tree plantations, such as eucalyptus, grow quickly but release carbon back into the atmosphere when harvested, reducing their long-term carbon storage potential.
- 🌳 Genuine community involvement in tree planting, as demonstrated by Green Ethiopia, can lead to more sustainable and beneficial outcomes for both the environment and local communities.
Q & A
How many fires were reported in the Amazon during Summer 2019?
-In Summer 2019, more than 38,000 fires were reported across the Amazon.
What percentage of the world's largest rainforest has been cleared over the past 50 years?
-Almost 17% of the world's largest rainforest, the Amazon, has been cleared over the past 50 years.
How has global deforestation changed in the last five years?
-Global deforestation has almost doubled in just five years.
What is the estimated reduction in the number of trees worldwide since the start of human civilization?
-Since the start of human civilization, it is estimated that the number of trees around the world has fallen by almost half.
What is the impact of clearing forests on carbon-dioxide levels?
-Clearing forests increases carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
What is the concept of 'wilding' as described in the script?
-'Wilding' is a hands-off approach to land management, allowing nature to take over and promote the growth of freely regenerating trees.
How much carbon has been sequestered in the soil in the 20 years since the Sussex farmland was returned to nature?
-Within 20 years, the carbon sequestered in the soil of the Sussex farmland has doubled.
What is the global goal for carbon emissions by 2050 to stabilize the climate?
-To stabilize the climate, global carbon emissions need to drop to net zero by 2050.
What is the issue with monoculture tree plantations in terms of carbon storage?
-Monoculture tree plantations, such as those of eucalyptus, store only around one-fortieth of the carbon that natural forests do over the long term, as they are harvested every ten years or so, releasing carbon back into the atmosphere.
What was the outcome of Ethiopia's initiative to plant trees in a single day?
-Ethiopia set a record by planting over 350 million trees in a single day.
Why might planting forests be seen as a way to avoid penalties for missing EU targets?
-Planting forests might help countries like Ireland avoid penalties for missing EU targets because the potential carbon these forests could store in the future can be counted as a carbon credit today.
What is the main challenge with natural regeneration of forests compared to monoculture plantations?
-The main challenge with natural regeneration is that it is difficult to secure funding, as it does not guarantee specific targets or numbers of trees, unlike monoculture plantations which are preferred for their profitability and ability to meet funding targets.
What is the potential solution proposed for making natural forests more profitable than plantations?
-Some experts propose that carbon payments could create financial incentives for natural forests, making them more profitable than plantations if carbon becomes a more important commodity.
Why is tree planting not considered a complete solution to climate change?
-Tree planting is not a complete solution to climate change because there is not enough land in the world to plant enough trees to offset all the carbon emissions from fossil fuels, and it should not be used as an excuse to avoid cutting fossil-fuel emissions.
Outlines
🌳 Amazon Deforestation and Tree Planting Dilemma
The script begins by highlighting the alarming rate of deforestation in the Amazon, with over 38,000 fires in Summer 2019 alone, largely caused by human activities. It discusses the significant impact of deforestation on global carbon dioxide levels and the climate crisis. The narrative then shifts to the concept of tree planting as a potential solution, yet it points out the limitations and misconceptions about its effectiveness. The story of Isabella Tree, who allowed her farmland to return to nature, is used to illustrate the benefits of a hands-off approach to reforestation, which has led to a significant increase in carbon sequestration in the soil. The script also touches on the global ambition to plant trees, with pledges from 51 countries to increase forest cover, but it cautions about the prevalence of monoculture plantations, which may not be as effective in long-term carbon storage as natural forests.
🌿 The Impact of Monoculture Plantations and the Need for Community Engagement
This paragraph delves into the consequences of monoculture tree plantations, focusing on Ireland's efforts to increase forest cover, which are primarily conifer monocultures. The script critiques these plantations for their negative environmental impacts, such as the use of fertilizers contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and their detrimental effects on biodiversity and local communities. It contrasts this with the Green Ethiopia project, which emphasizes the importance of community involvement and mixed-tree planting for sustainable reforestation. The paragraph also discusses the challenges of natural regeneration, including difficulty in securing funding due to the focus on targets and numbers rather than the quality of the forest. The script concludes by emphasizing that while tree planting is beneficial, it is not a substitute for reducing fossil fuel emissions and that there is a need to balance tree planting with other climate change mitigation strategies.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Deforestation
💡Carbon Sequestration
💡Monoculture Plantations
💡Carbon Credits
💡Climate Change
💡Wilding
💡Carbon Emissions
💡Biodiversity
💡Greenhouse Gases
💡Natural Forests
💡Sustainability
Highlights
In Summer 2019, over 38,000 fires were reported in the Amazon, largely man-made.
In the past 50 years, nearly 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been cleared.
Global deforestation rates have nearly doubled in just five years.
Since the start of human civilization, the global tree population has decreased by almost 50%.
Clearing forests increases carbon dioxide levels, but planting trees can help sequester carbon.
Some view tree planting as a solution to climate change, but it is not universally beneficial.
Isabella Tree restored 1,400 hectares of farmland in Sussex by allowing nature to take over.
Wilding, a hands-off approach, has doubled carbon sequestration in the soil in 20 years.
Global carbon emissions need to reach net zero by 2050 to stabilize the climate.
Simon Lewis suggests planting trees as a cost-effective way to remove carbon from the atmosphere.
In 2014, 51 countries committed to planting over 3.5 million square kilometers of forest by 2030.
Ethiopia set a record by planting over 350 million trees in a single day.
Nearly half of the pledged forest area is from monoculture plantations, which are less effective at carbon storage.
Monoculture plantations release much of their stored carbon back into the atmosphere when harvested.
Simon Lewis' analysis shows that current pledges will store 26 billion fewer tons of carbon than natural forests.
Ireland's tree planting efforts may be motivated by avoiding EU penalty for missing emission targets.
Monoculture plantations in Ireland are criticized for their impact on biodiversity and local communities.
Green Ethiopia demonstrates successful tree planting with community involvement in Ethiopia.
Natural regeneration of forests can be more sustainable but is challenging to fund.
Carbon payments could potentially incentivize natural forest conservation over monoculture plantations.
There is not enough land to plant enough trees to offset all carbon emissions from fossil fuels.
Tree planting is not a substitute for reducing fossil fuel emissions.
Transcripts
Summer 2019
More than 38,000 fires raged across the Amazon...
...fires that were man-made
Over the past 50 years...
...almost 17% of the world’s largest rainforest has been cleared
And globally deforestation has almost doubled in just five years
Since the start of human civilisation...
...it’s estimated that the number of trees around the world...
...has fallen by almost half
Clearing forests increases carbon-dioxide levels...
...but planting them could store away...
...some of the carbon already in the atmosphere
Everyone is looking for a silver bullet...
...to get our way out of this really difficult problem of climate change
Some people have latched on to tree planting as a kind of panacea
But the reality is tree planting is not always good
This woman runs safaris...
...in England
Guests are not only here to see wild animals...
...they’re here to see wild trees
If you could imagine when we were farming...
...back in the 1980s, through the 90s...
...this would have been a field of one particular crop as far as the eye can see
Almost 20 years ago Isabella Tree—yes that is her real name...
...handed 1,400 hectares of Sussex farmland back to nature...
...by doing, well nothing
She thinks this is the best way to use the land to help tackle climate change
Wilding is a hands-off approach
It’s become a sort of environment that is a nursery...
...for open-grown, freely regenerating trees
Within 20 years we have doubled our carbon sequestered in the soil
We’ve got the scrub, we’ve got the grasses, we’ve got the trees...
...all that will be contributing to this carbon sink
To stabilise the climate global carbon emissions...
...need to drop to net zero by 2050
Of course not all sectors are going to get down to zero emissions by 2050
Simon Lewis is a professor of global change science
We need to take some carbon out of the atmosphere...
...and one of the cheapest and easiest ways is to plant trees
Around half the dry weight of a tree is carbon
As trees grow they take carbon out of the atmosphere...
...and store it in their trunks, leaves and roots...
...which helps slow the rate of climate change
And there’s never been more global ambition to plant trees
In 2014, 51 countries pledged to plant...
...over 3.5m square kilometres of forest by 2030...
...an area slightly larger than India
Ethiopia has made its mark in the record books...
...by planting over 350m trees in a single day
The 2030 target looks likely to be met
But there’s a catch…
When you dig down into the numbers of these forests...
...almost half the area pledged so far by countries...
...is actually from monoculture plantations
And that means a single species planted over...
...thousands and thousands of hectares
Monoculture tree plantations like eucalyptus grow quickly...
...but the trees are harvested every ten or so years...
...releasing much of the carbon stored in the tree...
...back into the atmosphere...
...which means that, according to some studies...
...they’ll store only around one-fortieth of the carbon...
...natural forests do over the long term
It’s made into short-term products like paper...
...and then when that paper is used and then discarded...
...it decomposes and that carbon goes back into the atmosphere
Simon analysed pledges from 43 countries in the tropics and sub-tropics
These big announcements are not going to deliver...
...on the carbon capture that we’re expecting
If they were all natural forests we would sequester...
...42bn tonnes of carbon this century
In fact, those pledges to plant millions of trees...
...actually promise to store 26bn tonnes less carbon than they could
Sometimes the motives for planting forests...
...are less green than they might appear
By 2020 Ireland ought to have cut greenhouse-gas emissions...
...by 20% below 2005 levels
But at current rates it will have reduced them by only 5%
Planting forests might help Ireland avoid massive penalties...
...for missing EU targets...
...because the potential carbon these forests could store in the future...
...can be counted as a carbon credit today
In the 1920s Ireland had the lowest forest cover in Europe at around 1%
That’s now risen to 11% and the government has set a target...
...to cover 18% of the land with forest by 2046
In Ireland, they’re rapidly increasing the amount of forest cover
But it’s overwhelmingly going towards monoculture plantations of conifers
And now local community groups are protesting against...
...these monoculture tree plantations
They say they’re doing more harm than good
Because these monoculture plantations are about getting...
...the maximum yield as fast as possible they often apply fertilisers...
...which contribute to greenhouse gas nitrous oxide
Conifer plantations are very densely stocked...
...so cut out almost all the light...
...are very poor for biodiversity and can really affect people living nearby
Tree-planting programmes invariably have an impact...
...on the people living nearby
In east Africa one project is demonstrating what can be achieved...
...when there’s genuine buy-in from the local communities
Green Ethiopia is a mixed-tree planting charity
We plant seedlings in rural areas of Ethiopia...
...that is heavily affected by degradation due to deforestation
The land is communally owned...
...and co-operatives of local women receive benefits for planting trees...
...which are protected from being harvested
Empowering the local community on tree planting...
...contributes a lot for the sustainability of our forestation activities...
...because it creates a sense of ownership
The local communities strongly participate...
...in planting, managing and conserving the sites
Here conserving is just as important as planting
Green Ethiopia assesses whether the condition of the land...
...is good enough to regenerate by itself
When it is—on about a third of the area the charity runs...
...they leave it alone
Just like Isabella Tree, back in England
Perhaps the right way to think about tree planting is...
...just leave the land and it can do it spontaneously itself
There is no need for interventions by humans in most cases
But this approach brings its own challenges
The problem with this kind of natural regeneration is that...
...it’s very difficult to get funding
The funding is all driven by targets...
...the numbers game
In a regenerated landscape like this...
...we can’t have any idea of how many oaks there’ll be...
...or how many crab apples will come
Monoculture plantations are often preferred because they make money
So some experts are looking to a future where...
...carbon payments could create financial incentives for natural forests
If carbon becomes much more important as a commodity...
...then perhaps these natural forests would become...
...more profitable than plantations
There’s a real opportunity here to shift the incentives...
...towards getting benefits for the climate...
...and benefits for local people and benefits for local wildlife
Ultimately though, the trouble with trees tackling climate change is space
There’s just not enough land in the world to plant enough trees...
...to offset all the carbon emissions from fossil fuels
We could say let’s restore forest on every single piece of land...
...that used to have forest on from before agriculture
And if we did that it would be about 200bn tonnes of carbon
Now that sounds a lot but to put it in context...
...that’s about 20 years’ worth of emissions at present rates
Tree planting might be looked at as a saviour
But it’s not
It’s not an excuse not to cut fossil-fuel emissions
Ver Más Videos Relacionados
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)