torsdag 6 januari 2011

Possible to reverse the Green House effect by planting trees?

I claim that we could assimilate all the CO2 emitted by all cars in the world by investing 2 percent of the world's common military budget.

All countries in the world engaged in active forest management contributes to binding CO2, but the big potential lies in reforest areas which previously were forest, but have been degenerated.

The world's common military budget is said to be 1 200 billion Euros. If we were to cut two percent of this, we have 24 billion to buy and plant seedlings for. We make a rough estimate that it costs 1 € to bring down a plant in the soil wherever it is possible to cultivate forest. So we have the money to plant 24 billion seedlings. And there are huge areas around the globe that can be reforested. If plant the same amount of new trees for the coming 80 years we would assimilate enormous amounts of CO2.

A fully grown trees of approximately 80 years, has converted around 4000-5000 kg of CO2 into wood. When the trees are small it converts small amounts so there will be a slightly slow start in our assimilation project. After only 10-15 years, we have converted the same amount of CO2 that the world all cars emit in a year. After 80 years, all these trees have tied all CO2 that all cars in the world have emitted during the same period. Given that the car's increase, but emissions per car decreases.

The example above shows that it is possible with a fraction of some given annual costs to tie much of the CO2 in the atmosphere. I am aware of the importance to reduce all kind of emissions, but there are relatively quick ways to convert parts of the CO2 now liberated into new biomass.

By for now

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