“We are currently in the middle of the sixth mass extinction with around 180 species going extinct every day”, “We only have 9 years to stop catastrophic, runaway climate change”, “CO2 levels are the highest they’ve been in 650,000 years”.
We read these headlines every day and the problem can seem overwhelming and unsolvable. We look down at our sustainably sourced coffee in our reusable cup and wonder what more we can do when it all seems so futile.
We try to do what we can. We make small changes to our everyday life. We eat less meat. We cycle to work. We take a carrier bag to the supermarket. What more can we do? Well, we can support reforestation. In 2019, just one month after JUST ONE Tree was founded, scientists concluded that planting a trillion trees could draw down enough carbon to combat climate change. These researchers (at The Crowther Lab in Zurich) mapped out the entire planet and confirmed that there is enough land to accommodate all these trees. Since then there has been a rush of carbon offsetting companies making that happen.
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But, after a media frenzy, claiming that they had found the silver (or green) bullet to fight climate change, the Crowther Lab’s claims came under scrutiny from the scientific community. In their haste to publish the research, they had forgotten to mention the key caveat – the right trees must be planted in the right places, by the right people, and at the right time! Most importantly of all, this must go hand in hand with reducing our emissions and bringing an end to our dependence on fossil fuels.
THE RIGHT TREES IN THE RIGHT PLACES
The Flow Country is a beautiful and rugged landscape of peatlands, mountains and streams in Northern Scotland. Wetlands like the Flow Country are heavy-weight carbon sinks. Despite only covering 3% of land on Earth, wetlands store twice as much carbon as all of the forests. |
Photo: Eleanor Bentall (rspb-images.com)
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In the 1980s, well-meaning environmentalists had a drive for tree planting. This led to the planting of fast-growing trees over vast swathes of wetland in the Flow Country. The destruction of this wetland actually led to an overall increase of greenhouse gas emissions. Examples like this one show the importance of planting the right trees in the right places.
In a rush to capture carbon, companies have fallen into the trap of planting as many trees as possible, as fast as possible. This can lead to hectares upon hectares of a single fast-growing tree species. Where native forests once stood, rich with the chorus of biodiversity, monoculture plantations stand in deathly silence.
In some areas, these trees are not protected and are later cut down for paper or coal production, negating their value for carbon storage. What’s more, local communities have lost the benefits of a healthy ecosystem like clean water and soil fertility. Monoculture forests are also quick to ignite and wildfires can rapidly spread out of control.
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This is not restoration and does little to help our planet. It is the richness of biodiversity that restores ecosystems and ultimately, unlocks the key to our future.
Thirdly, it’s important to consider the species of trees being planted. As anyone who’s ever tried to travel to Australia with an apple will know, introducing non-native species can disrupt a whole ecosystem. Plus, different species serve different purposes.
Boreal forests, found in the Northern hemisphere store a lot of carbon but they are also quite dark in colour and so absorb a lot of heat that would otherwise be reflected by the white snow below. This is known as the albedo effect - the more reflective the Earth’s surface, the more the planet can cool.
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Tropical forests, on the other hand, grow incredibly fast because of their nutrient rich soil and access to sunlight, and they have a high rate of evaporation. This evaporation forms clouds above the forests which (again with the albedo) help to reflect the sunlight and cool the Earth. This is one of the many reasons why JUST ONE Tree predominantly plants in the tropics. For each pound donated we can maximise forest regeneration and store carbon.
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THE RIGHT PEOPLE, THE RIGHT QUANTITY OF TREES, THE RIGHT MISSION
At JUST ONE Tree, we emphasise that planting trees isn’t just about buying up as much land as we can and planting the largest quantity of trees. Doing something to benefit the planet means doing something that is beneficial to everyone. This means supporting communities and working closely with our expert partners on the ground.
At JUST ONE Tree, we emphasise that planting trees isn’t just about buying up as much land as we can and planting the largest quantity of trees. Doing something to benefit the planet means doing something that is beneficial to everyone. This means supporting communities and working closely with our expert partners on the ground.
Whether it’s in Kenya where our partners are helping to support female leaders, or in Zambia where we are helping wider biodiversity goals by building beehives in the forests, we try and look at the bigger picture. We’re not about aiming to get the highest tree count for each pound.
Tree planting initiatives run the risk of a kind of post-colonialist ‘green grabbing’ where wealthy countries buy up land in the Global South and plant trees to soothe their guilt for overconsumption. However, the countries we’re planting in are already being hit the hardest by climate change. Therefore, it’s essential we create the right balance, where tree planting can help reverse some of the damage caused by over-consumption, and the projects are led by people who can benefit the most from the regenerated forests.
These benefits (like multiple income streams for local people) ensure the longevity of the forests as the trees hold value beyond their existence as part of the ecosystem. In short, to be effective, people need to be at the heart of reforestation. |
BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
To stop global heating from exceeding 2°C, we need to reach ‘net negative’ emissions. This means pulling more carbon out of the atmosphere than we’re putting into it. Carbon neutral is no longer enough. To achieve net negative, we must enter an era of restoration. The UN has even declared the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.
To stop global heating from exceeding 2°C, we need to reach ‘net negative’ emissions. This means pulling more carbon out of the atmosphere than we’re putting into it. Carbon neutral is no longer enough. To achieve net negative, we must enter an era of restoration. The UN has even declared the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.
Reforestation, like the work of JUST ONE Tree and our partners, has to go hand-in-hand with a global effort to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels. This means flying less, eating less meat and buying in a less wasteful way. And of course, restoration as nature intended - planting the right trees, in the right place, with the right people and in the right time.
Let’s stop the damage and start the repair.