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  • Essay / Trees are overrated when it comes to controlling climate change

    Following the recent turn of events regarding climate change, an outcry among environmental scientists around the world has spurred the world into action . The idea most currently supported by the general public is to plant trees in order to reduce the growing tide of Co2 emissions. Although a virtuous notion, planting trees is not actually a very effective way to control climate change, and might even contribute to it. Planting trees is not an appropriate long-term solution to climate change. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay As good as the prospects may seem, planting trees is not as effective as protecting existing ones. Nearly two million trees are destroyed every day due to deforestation, leading to a silent genocide that further spreads the planet's climate change. Not only would it be simpler and more cost effective to prevent these trees from being cut down, but it would also allow these already existing tree populations to spread. The felling of trees releases the Co2 manifested in their physical being into the atmosphere; by cutting down trees, we release this hidden reservoir. Trees may also contribute to global temperature change in a more negative way than might have originally been predicted. It is common knowledge that materials of darker composition tend to absorb more energy when exposed to light. This phenomenon is no different when comparing the energy absorbed and deflected by tree leaves. Being white, snow reflects energy much more than its green counterparts. By planting trees at higher latitudes, more heat is absorbed rather than diverted into the atmosphere; this negates the potential gains from planting them in the first place. Planting trees is highly implausible in the long term due to the sheer volume we need to plant in order to compensate for the damage already caused by humans. The entire continental United States would need to be completely filled with trees in order to offset 10% of our annual carbon emissions. It would be completely impossible to completely reverse the role played by human industry simply with trees. Without sacrificing a large portion of agricultural space or residential areas, this simply could not happen. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Planting trees is not a suitable long-term solution to deal with climate change. Even if she's in a good mood, this approach just isn't effective enough. Given the large number of plants that must be created, combined with the fact that instantiating them in the first place can be counterproductive, this notion can be dispelled simply by considering the arduous task that must be undertaken. Additionally, a much simpler alternative to creating new trees is to preserve existing ones. Not only is this solution cheaper, but it also avoids the reintroduction of existing Co2 reserves into the atmosphere. Despite good intentions, planting trees simply won't be enough.