Planting of millions of trees

[rov1200]

Does the planting of masses of trees help with global warming?

I have heard so many conflicting arguments about this I no longer know what to believe. The world is pleading with Brazil to keep its forests and is on the agenda for the world conference on global warming in Copenhagan.

If trees are beneficial why doesn't Brown encourage more planting in the UK?

[Gromit]

I would imagine it will help a little, but the main problem is burning fossil fuels (Coal, gas oil). The carbon has been locked away underground for millions of years. By burning it we are transferring carbon from underground were it is harmless to the atmosphere were it adds to the greenhouse effect.

By growning trees, they take carbon out of the atmosphere, and if you were to then burn it for fuel, you would be releasing that carbon back, so the net effect would be, no more carbon.

It would be impossible to grow enough trees to take the fossil fuel carbon out of the atmosphere.

[jno]

it's more than just global warming; a substantial chunk of land risks widespread soil erosion; at worst they could end up with desert. There's a lot of facts (and some propaganda) here

http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm

[jake-the-peg]

Trees in the UK are grown and then used for wood or paper or burnt as a result the CO2 just goes back into the atmosphere.

In rainforests they die and are submerged and can become peat and eventually coal.

It all depends on what happens to the products. In fact it can be worse in the UK as the leaves falling rot and produce methane which is a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide

[Dolly1308]

Jake can you give me a link to information re ; falling leaves creating methane ,please ? I was not aware of this fact . TIA

[Gromit]

Falling leaves do not create methane. For methane to be produced from decomposition, a lack of oxygen is needed. There is plenty of oxygen on the ground surrounding a tree, so no methane is produced.

You can produced methane gas from organic material (including leaves) for power, but that involves putting it in a oxygen-free digester.

Of course, trees produce far more oxygen as a by product than any greenhouse gases.

[jake-the-peg]

The methane issue is a bit of an aside

The work was done by the Max Plank institute, who had to issue a clarification after a bunch of journalists jumped on it and started blaming trees for global warming.

http://www.mpg.de/eng...ressRelease200601131/

It's only a few percent over the lifetime of the tree - however the point still stands that the important thing is what happens to the carbon tied up in the tree.

If it ends up being burnt or rotting down you have not removed CO2

[rov1200]

I've slightly lost the plot in this discussion. If a tree lasts 100 years and every year sprouts green foliage will this not help us until the next century?

[Gromit]

rov1200

It is like If your boat is sinking, and you have a cup to bail out water, it is an help, but will not achieve stopping your boat from sinking.

The benefit of trees is only very slight. It will not solve anything.

jake-the-peg

i think you have epitomised why scientists are losing the Climate Change argument in some quarters. You state that rotting leaves give off methane which is a major greenhouse gas. All very alarmist and frightening.

Next you post a link that totally contradicts that assertion, which concludes that:

//the climatic benefits gained through carbon sequestration by reforestation far exceed the relatively small negative effect.//

In essence, scientists are often very poor at communicating a complex story so that the general population can understand it. It does not help when they try to scare rather that supply accurate clear information.

[jake-the-peg]

And I think you've demonstrated why non-scientists should be a little more circumspect about the depth of their understanding

What happened to "falling leaves do not create methane"

[tamborine]

wots the difference in growing trees or growing sugar cane & corn as in Brazil. Brazil cant stand still while its population grows. Global economy demands industrialisation for all who want a share of it.

Our local council has covered our high street with brickwork & marble....not a blade of grass for a greenfly.

[rov1200]

Fallen leaves when they decompose do create methane according to this article..

http://www.dailymail....leaves-make-logs.html

But this bright inventor sweeps them up and makes leaf bricks.

[Gromit]

jake-the-peg

//What happened to "falling leaves do not create methane"//

they don't, I'm afraid your information is out of date.

http://freerepublic.c.../f-news/2166276/posts