Conserving and restoring forests could sequester 226 gigatons of carbon, study suggests

Conserving and restoring forests could sequester 226 gigatonnes of carbon, study finds https://t.co/wblKWdq9wV

— Guardian Environment (@guardianeco) November 13, 2023

By allowing existing trees to age in healthy ecosystems and restoring degraded areas, scientists say 226 gigatons of carbon could be sequestered, the equivalent of nearly 50 years of US emissions by 2022.

But experts warn that mass planting and clearing of monoculture tree plantations will not help forests realize their full potential.

What is carbon sequestration?

Carbon sequestration refers to the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere in order to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and mitigate the effects of global warming. This is done through a variety of techniques, including storage in geological reservoirs, use in industrial processes and agriculture, and capture and storage in forests and oceans.

Humans have destroyed about half of Earth's forests and continue to destroy places like the Amazon rainforest and the Congo basin, which play crucial roles in regulating the planet's atmosphere.

The investigation, published this Monday (13) in the journal Nature as part of a collaboration between hundreds of ecologists, estimates that areas with low human footprints – where forests exist naturally – could extract large amounts of carbon.

Amid concerns surrounding the greenwashing In measures to mitigate the climate crisis, researchers highlighted the importance of biodiversity for forests to reach their carbon reduction potential, warning that planting large numbers of single species does not helparia and that cuts in fossil fuel emissions are urgently needed.

Greenwashing: what does this term mean?

Greenwashing is a deceptive marketing strategy used by companies to present themselves as more environmentally responsible than they really are. This deceptive practice is used to capitalize on the public's growing concern about environmental issues. The goal of greenwashing is to present the company as environmentally friendly, while in reality, the company may not take significant steps to reduce its environmental impact.

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What is reforestation?

Reforestation is a practice of recovering and restoring degraded areas through the planting of trees, aiming to reestablish forest cover and its environmental benefits. It consists of the process of reintroducing trees into areas that have been deforested, burned, affected by human activities or natural events, such as fires or landslides.

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