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Disclaimer: the following response text was generated by AI Search Engine: https://phind.com
The AI search engine for developers.
Made with ❤️ in San Francisco. © Hello Cognition, Inc. 2023
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The question asked in the phind.com search prompt on its main web site page:
how many trees must be planted to offset co2 {Enter} [Link]
The number of trees that must be planted to offset CO2 emissions depends on several factors, including the amount of emissions, the type of trees planted, the location of the planting, and the growth rate of the trees. Here are some key points to consider:
- The average American emits about 16.5 tons of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to the emissions from about 46 barrels of oil or approximately 22,046 pounds of coal. To offset this amount of CO2, one person would need to plant 725 to 1,000 trees per year.
- However, the number of trees needed to offset emissions varies depending on the type of trees planted and their location. For example, trees planted in tropical and subtropical regions tend to sequester more carbon dioxide than those planted in other regions.
- Not all trees sequester the same amount of carbon dioxide from the air. Some trees are better than others at storing carbon. A carbon offset tree planting calculator can provide specific information about the number of trees needed to remove carbon emissions for any action.
- The cost of planting trees also varies depending on the project. On average, land and tree planting costs vary from project to project, but average $4.50 per ton.
- Planting new trees is not the only solution to offsetting carbon emissions. Preserving existing forests is often a more efficient way to have a larger effect for the same effort. Trees also need nutrients from the soil like nitrogen and phosphorus to grow, and if the soil does not have enough, that could curtail how much new CO2 a tree is able to store.
- While planting trees is part of the solution to climate change, there are more important ones. For example, reducing carbon emissions from transportation, industry, and energy production are critical to mitigating climate change.
In summary, the number of trees needed to offset CO2 emissions depends on several factors, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. A carbon offset tree planting calculator can provide specific information about the number of trees needed to remove carbon emissions for any action. However, planting new trees is not the only solution to offsetting carbon emissions, and it is important to focus on preserving existing forests as well as reducing carbon emissions from various sources.
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Web Links [1 or 3 pages]
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jamess: After providing that very comprehensive answer, this internet consolidation tool politely suggested some “followup questions” — based on my previous query:
jamess: Think I’ll choose that 4th option, given that it takes a generation for new trees to reach their potential CO2 scrubbing benefits ...
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What other climate change mitigation methods should be prioritized in addition to tree planting?
In addition to tree planting, there are several climate change mitigation methods that should be prioritized. One of the most important methods is reducing greenhouse gas emissions from various sources such as transportation, industry, and energy production. This can be done by increasing the use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, improving energy efficiency, and reducing the use of fossil fuels. Another important method is protecting and preserving existing forests and other ecosystems, which are natural carbon sinks. This can be done by reducing deforestation and promoting sustainable land use practices. Additionally, promoting sustainable agriculture and reducing food waste can also help mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sequestration in soils. Finally, promoting public awareness and education about climate change and its impacts can help encourage individuals to take action to reduce their own carbon footprint and advocate for climate-friendly policies.
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Web Links [1 or 3 pages]
Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
https://climate.nasa.gov/solutions/adaptation-mitigation +
Mitigation – reducing climate change – involves reducing the flow of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, either by reducing sources of these gases (for example, the burning of fossil ...
Tree planting 'has mind-blowing potential' to tackle climate crisis
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/04/planting-billions-trees-best... +
New research estimates that a worldwide planting programme could remove just under one-third of all the emissions from human activities that remain in the atmosphere today, a figure the... ...
Can Tree Planting Really Help Mitigate Climate Change? - Eos
https://eos.org/research-spotlights/can-tree-planting-really-help-mitigate-climate-change
Furthermore, they found two ways to maximize the benefits of afforestation: planting trees as densely as possible and harvesting trees once they surpass their peak rate of carbon sequestration.... ...
5 things to know about fighting climate change by planting trees
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/controversy-fighting-climate-change-planting-trees
Here are five takeaways from the debate, and where that leaves us when it comes to tree planting. 1. Tree planting is not the one big solution for the climate …
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jamess: Not bad, for a mere “search engine.” (… on steroids.)
Given my own internal sense of urgency, and the magnitude of the underlying problem, and the built-in lag effect of any large-scale societal actions — and given my own propensity to “turn to science” to solve BIG problems … I dared to ask the internet, this following last-ditch “scientific” question:
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are there catalysts that can split CO2? {Enter} [Link]
Yes, there are catalysts that can split CO2. Here are some examples:
- EPFL scientists have developed a low-cost system for splitting CO2 into carbon monoxide and oxygen using an Earth-abundant catalyst based on copper-oxide nanowires modified with tin oxide. The system can split CO2 with an efficiency of 13.4% and can be powered by solar energy. The catalyst is made by depositing an atomic layer of tin oxide on copper oxide nanowires. By using such Earth-abundant materials, the design keeps the cost of the catalyst low while significantly increasing the yield of CO, as opposed to the other products that are generated from CO2 electrocatalysis. The catalyst was integrated into a CO2 electrolysis system and linked to a triple-junction solar cell to make a CO2 electrolyzer. The system uses the catalyst as a bifunctional electrode that both reduces CO2 into CO and produces oxygen through what is known as the "oxygen evolution" reaction. The two products are separated with a bipolar membrane. The system was able to selectively convert CO2 to CO with an efficiency of 13.4%, and do so with a Faradaic efficiency up to 90%. The work sets a new benchmark for solar-driven CO2 reduction.
- Other methods of splitting CO2 are also being explored, such as using new chemical catalysts or photocatalysts to trigger chemical reactions that can break apart CO2 without applying high heat. Some of these methods are actually low-carbon. For example, scientists are exploring a new thermal chemical reactor that would use solar energy to split CO2 molecules. The reactor would mimic photosynthesis by using concentrated solar thermal energy, water, and CO2 captured from smokestacks, to produce liquid, energy-dense hydrocarbon fuels.
- Splitting CO2 creates a financial incentive for pulling excess CO2 out of the atmosphere or capturing it from smokestacks, since the captured CO2 can be used to create marketable products. For example, the split CO2 molecules might be used to create cleaner high-energy fuels, such as methanol, low sulfur diesel, butane, propane, and jet fuel, and even building supplies. There is a $20 million XPrize competition that funds projects that can turn CO2 into usable products.
Overall, while splitting CO2 is promising, the current process for doing so requires high temperatures and is energy-intensive. However, scientists are exploring low-carbon ways of splitting CO2 using new chemical catalysts or photocatalysts, as well as solar energy.
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Web Links [1 or 3 pages]
Splitting carbon dioxide using low-cost catalyst materials
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170605110809.htm +
A solar-driven system setup using this catalyst was able to split CO 2 with an efficiency of 13.4%. The work is published in Nature Energy, and is expected to help ...
This Low-Cost Carbon Dioxide Splitter Just Changed The ... - ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/the-first-low-cost-carbon-dioxide-splitter-means-a...
As well as reducing CO2 levels, if this splitting system can be developed, it helps with the problem of storing energy from renewable sources by turning it straight into liquid …
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jamess: After making me realize that there are some “significant challenges” to my CO2 “quick-fix” question, this probabilistic web-sweeping tool, again suggested some “followup questions” — just in case my hopes weren’t totally dashed:
jamess: Weary of this dreary winter, and nostalgic for the the lush forests of prior Climate-stable times, I decided to take a different tact:
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How about some photos of Old Growth Forests {Enter} [Link]
As an AI language model, I cannot display photos. However, I can provide information about old-growth forests and their significance. Old-growth forests are characterized by large and old trees, standing dead trees, multilayered canopies with gaps, and coarse woody debris on the forest floor. These forests tend to have minimal signs of human disturbance and manifest as mixed-age stands with canopy openings resulting from tree falls. Old-growth forests are valuable habitats for numerous plant and animal species that depend on the stable environmental conditions created by these forests. These forests also store large amounts of carbon above and below the ground and contribute to mitigating climate change. Destruction of these forests releases carbon as greenhouse gases, increasing the risk of global climate change. Old-growth forests are not protected by international treaties, as it is generally thought that aging forests cease to accumulate carbon. However, in forests between 15 and 800 years of age, net ecosystem productivity is usually positive; old-growth forests accumulate carbon for centuries and contain large quantities of it.
In recent years, there has been an increased understanding of forest dynamics, leading the scientific community to identify a need to inventory, understand, manage, and conserve representative examples of old-growth forests with their associated characteristics and values. The literature around old-growth and its management is inconclusive about the best way to capture the true essence of an old-growth stand. However, the managed natural disturbance approach to biodiversity conservation recognizes ecological processes and provides for a dynamic distribution of old-growth across the landscape.
Conservation photography is a powerful tool in building broad-based awareness of the threats that old-growth forests still face. A conservation photographer, TJ Watt, has been documenting the loss of old trees in British Columbia, Canada, for over a decade. His photo series aims to turn the world's eyes on what is happening to old-growth forests, especially since most people will never stand among the trees to witness their beauty firsthand. The destruction of old-growth forests often takes place in remote and difficult to access regions, making conservation photography a powerful tool to help build broad-based awareness of the threats they still face.
Old-growth forests are under threat from climate change, bringing higher risk from wildfire, drought, excessive heat, more powerful storms, and pest invasions. Despite this, old-growth forests are still being logged in countries across the globe, including the United States, Alaska, Brazil, and Indonesia. On April 22, 2022, to mark Earth Day, President Joe Biden came to Seward Park, a city park in Seattle that's home to some remnants of old-growth forest, to sign an executive order mandating the first inventory of the nation's mature and old-growth forests. The order requires federal scientists to detail the specific threats posed to each forest.
The Pacific Northwest old-growth forests, which stretch for hundreds of miles through parts of Northern California up to southeast Alaska, are home to trees that scientists believe may date back to around the time of Jesus. These forests are characterized by Western hemlocks, Sitka spruces, and Douglas firs, with some examples reaching nearly 300 feet tall. There are also countless animals, insects, and birds calling the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest home, including the northern spotted owl. In total, approximately 40 species of animals that are either endangered or threatened rely on the old-growth forests in the northwest corner of the country. The exact definition of an old-growth forest varies, but a general consensus among environmental groups defines them as a forest that's more than 150 years old, consisting of both living and dead trees, with a diverse ecosystem free of clear visible human influences.
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Web Links [1 or 3 pages]
Photos Document the Last Remaining Old-Growth Pine Forests of the ...
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/photos-capture-longleaf-pine-forests-american... +
Photos Document the Last Remaining Old-Growth Pine Forests of the American South In his forthcoming book, photographer Chuck Hemard delves deep into what remains of the longleaf pine forests of... ...
Why old-growth forests matter - Environment
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/why-old-growth-forests-matter +
The Hoh Rainforest of Olympic National Park in Washington State is an example of an old-growth forest and its rich biodiversity. Photograph by Jamie Pham, Alamy Stock Photo They hold ...
Before-and-After Photos Reveal the Destruction of Ancient Forests
https://petapixel.com/2021/12/29/before-and-after-photos-reveal-the-destruction-of... +
This is in response to years of public pressure, fueled in large part by viral images we have shared of giant trees and giant stumps. “Permanent protection is ultimately necessary ...
Old-growth forest - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old-growth_forest +
Typical characteristics of old-growth forest include presence of older trees, minimal signs of human disturbance, mixed-age stands, presence of canopy openings due to tree falls, pit-and-mound topogra ...
Visit the World’s Most Amazing Old-Growth Forests - Smithsonian Magazine
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/amazing-old-growth-forests-world-180956083
There are trees in some parts of the United States that are older than William Shakespeare. The Pacific Northwest old-growth forests, which stretch for hundreds of miles through parts of …
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jamess: Not exactly what I was looking for. But then again, this mere “search engine” has only been trained to “phind” the right words — and not necessarily the right photos:
“As an AI language model, I cannot display photos. However, I can provide information about old-growth forests and their significance.”
jamess: That’s OK buddy, we all got our limits. Let me see if I can lend you a hand:
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Not bad, for a Lifetime memory-consolidating machine, eh?
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PS. To answer the question posed in this post’s title — in a word: It’s complicated.
Here’s how MIT Climate Portal answers the question:
(from 2nd link in first section above)
[...]
It’s tempting to think that a back-of-the-envelope calculation can deliver a ballpark answer. For example, studies have estimated an average American’s carbon footprint at around 16 tons of CO2 annually, one of the highest figures for any country because of the energy-intensive American lifestyle. A single mature tree, meanwhile, may take in about 50 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.1 At this rate, it would take 640 trees per person to account for all American emissions, which adds up to more than 200 billion trees. (A recent study estimated there are about 3 trillion trees on Earth right now.2) So that’s the answer, right?
The short answer is, no. In reality, the carbon math is much messier. As part of the planet’s natural carbon cycle, carbon sinks such as the forests and oceans absorb an enormous amount of naturally emitted CO2 as well as much of what humans create. Humanity’s emissions have tipped that natural cycle out of balance. And the enormous complexity of this system makes it perhaps impossible to say for sure how many new trees would be required to bring it back into balance.
[...]
It is also not clear that trees could continue to soak up CO2 indefinitely if humans continue our emissions unabated. Trees need not only carbon dioxide but also nutrients from the soil like nitrogen and phosphorus to grow. [...]
For all these reasons, Harvey says, a society could get more bang for its buck by focusing on preserving existing forests rather than prioritizing new growth as a way to offset emissions.
“Planting trees where they aren't is often a good idea, and that will take up CO2,” Harvey says. “But a much more efficient thing to do, to have a larger effect for the same effort, is to stop cutting down trees. It's almost silly to think about [planting a huge number of new trees] while we're just burning and destroying them everywhere, releasing carbon at rates that are much higher than what new growth would take up.”
Silly me, for wondering …
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PSS: By the way, 200,000,000,000 / 3,000,000,000,000 amounts to a mere increase needed of 6.7%.
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https://phind.com/search?q=how+to+plant+trees+on+public+land
how to plant trees on public land
Plant-A-Tree Program | US Forest Service
https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/donations/plant-a-tree +
Donated funds will be used to plant trees on National Forests throughout the United States. Trees will be of a size and species suitable to the location. The number of …
Plant Trees in National Forests | One Tree Planted
https://onetreeplanted.org/products/national-forests +
One Dollar. One Tree. One Tree Planted is partnering with the National Forest Service, which manages 150 national forests across 43 states. Join us in planting more trees on more ...
Forest Landowners Guide to Tree Planting Success - Penn State Extension
https://extension.psu.edu/forest-landowners-guide-to-tree-planting-success
Desired results are often evident in as little as 5 years following planting; the planted area will begin to transform into a forest. The most immediate benefits are food and …
Tree Planting | Wisconsin DNR
Reforestation in Wisconsin. Wisconsin's reforestation program grows high-quality native tree seedlings and shrubs to plant on private and public lands for conservation. Our reasonably priced nursery stock will provide future ...
Plant a Billion Trees | Plant a Tree With The Nature Conservancy!
https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/plant-a-billion
The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees campaign is a major forest restoration program. Our goal is to plant a billion trees across the planet to slow the connected crises …
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