Trees Fight Climate Change
Trees help reduce the greenhouse effect by capturing carbon dioxide from the air and reducing our energy needs. Over a 50-year life span, a single tree can generate $32,000 worth of oxygen, help with $62,000 worth of air pollution control, prevent $37,500 worth of water runoff, and control $31,000 worth of soil erosion. That’s one valuable tree!
What is the Greenhouse Effect?
Heat from the sun reaches the Earth, and some escapes back into the atmosphere, but some is trapped. The greenhouse effect occurs when too much heat gets trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere by gases like carbon dioxide (CO2). Too much CO2 traps too much heat. It’s like putting too many blankets on Earth, making it warmer than it should be. This is known as global warming.
Trees Capture Carbon
Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air during photosynthesis – that’s how they make their food. They use the carbon to grow and release oxygen into the air. About half of the greenhouse effect is caused by CO2, and trees help to lessen this effect by taking carbon out of the atmosphere. Scientists call this “sequestering” carbon.
Planting 100 million trees could remove 18 million tons of CO2 yearly and save $4 billion in energy bills
Trees Provide Shade
Buildings that are shaded by trees are cooler, reducing the need for air conditioning. This means we don’t have to turn on the AC as much, saving energy and money (up to 30%!).
Generally, we burn fossil fuels to create electricity. When we use less electricity, we burn less fossil fuels, which are a significant source of carbon dioxide.
If every American family planted just one tree, it would remove 1 billion pounds of CO2 from the air each year
Trees Remove Other Air Pollutants
Trees also help by cleaning other harmful gases from the air. They take in these pollutants through tiny holes in their leaves called stomata.
These gases include:
- Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) – Comes mainly from burning coal for power and heat
- Ozone (O3) – Comes from car and industrial pollution, mixing with sunlight
- Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) – Created primarily by car engines
- Particulates – Tiny particles in smoke from burning fuel (primarily diesel) that can damage lungs
Just one urban park was recorded to remove 48 pounds of particulates, 9 pounds of nitrogen dioxide, 6 pounds of sulfur dioxide, 11 pounds of carbon monoxide, and 100 pounds of carbon from the air each day. Imagine how cleaner the air in your community could be!
U.S. Forests & Carbon Pollution Removal
From 1952 to 1992, forests across the U.S. removed 309 million tons of carbon annually (Source: U.S. Forest Service). That’s enough to cancel out 25% of the carbon pollution caused by humans during the time.
Planting trees is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most powerful ways to improve air quality around us. Whether you live in a big city or a small town, every tree makes a difference.
