Trees are not the whole climate solution, but they are part of it
The Aug. 3 news article Planting a trillion trees would do little to curb global warming largely neglected the indisputable value of our future forests as a tool in the fight against climate change. A trillion trees alone cannot solve climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said we cannot limit global warming below the dangerous threshold of 2 degrees Celsius without sharp emissions cuts and carbon removal. Conserving forests is just as important as adding new ones. Thats why my organization and others work to protect existing forests, manage forestlands for climate resilience and long-term health, and restore burned and damaged forests. The assertion that a tree planted today would do little to reduce emissions over the next crucial decades is incorrect. One acre of newly planted Douglas fir trees in the Pacific Northwest sequesters 52.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide in the first two decades and more for decades after. U.S. forests currently sequester more than 16 percent of the countrys annual carbon dioxide emissions . Peer-reviewed science has found that reforesting the 148 million acres of eligible lands across the United States could increase the carbon captured each year by about half . We need the public, private and nonprofit sectors to do everything they can to minimize climate change. We cannot win on climate with forests alone, but we cannot win without them. Brian Kittler , Cornelius, Ore. The writer is the forest restoration lead with American Forests. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy recently proposed to plant 1 trillion trees to reduce carbon pollution. However, he frequently has voted to allow more logging of healthy, old-growth trees that store more carbon than newly planted saplings. The California Republican supported more old-growth logging in the Tongass and other national forests . The Tongass is a vital carbon sink. The conservation organization Americas Salmon Forest reports that the Tongass can absorb and store the annual carbon emissions of more than 882,850 United States citizens. Cutting Tongass trees while planting saplings would escalate carbon pollution levels. In light of his pro-logging record, Mr. McCarthys tree proposal is redwood-size chutzpah. This summers record heat and storms are yet another 10-alarm warning that we must cut carbon pollution and fast. Mr. McCarthys hypocritical actions would increase, not reduce, the existential threat posed by climate change. Dan Weiss , Washington Science shows that reforestation is the single largest potential source of natural climate mitigation. But even with an increasing number of commitments to reduce emissions, we still face a gap in our ability to keep our planet below a rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Pursuing all options energy and technology solutions, planting trees and other nature-based solutions such as improved forest management will help achieve the climate mitigation needed before 2050. The most immediate path to those solutions is through comprehensive policy such as the Inflation Reduction Act. We are already seeing a diverse group of landowners, communities and organizations stepping up to enhance forest management practices even as we find ways to plant more trees in areas that make the most climate sense. To meet this moment, we must act now, and every solution must be at our disposal. Our focus should remain steadfast on unlocking and leveraging the Inflation Reduction Acts historic investment in our planet and the communities that live on it. Rita Hite , Washington The writer is president and chief executive of the American Forest Foundation.