To prevent the most catastrophic consequences of climate change, we must dramatically reduce new carbon emissions, while we also remove the 300 billion tons of carbon that have already been released into earth’s atmosphere. There are different ways to do this, but the most effective one is in plain sight – trees. Trees are the perfect carbon capturing system. They draw in CO2 from the atmosphere and produce oxygen. They also store carbon internally and sequester it in the soil. It’s estimated that if we added 1.6 billion trees to the 3 billion that exist globally, we could reduce existing carbon in the atmosphere by 2/3s. Planting trees and preserving existing forests is critical to slowing climate change. You can help by planting trees where you live – and by supporting organizations that are working to preserve forests, prevent deforestation – and plant more trees.
