Author: vandy

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Keeping Mature Forests Intact Is Key to the Climate Fight

Drs. Moomaw, Masino, and Faison coined the term “proforestation” in a 2019 paper. They say that keeping existing forests intact and growing them to their ecological potential is a more effective, immediate, and low-cost approach that could be mobilized across suitable forests of all types. They conclude that proforestation serves the greatest public good by maximizing co-benefits such as nature-based biological carbon sequestration and unparalleled ecosystem services such as biodiversity enhancement, water and air quality, flood and erosion control, public health benefits, low impact recreation, and scenic beauty.

 Forests annually sequester large quantities of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), and store carbon above and below ground for long periods of time. Intact forests—largely free from human intervention except primarily for trails and hazard removals—are the most carbon-dense and biodiverse terrestrial ecosystems, with additional benefits to society and the economy.

Read the full paper here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2019.00027/full

Read the interview with Dr. Moomar by Yale 360: https://e360.yale.edu/features/why-keeping-mature-forests-intact-is-key-to-the-climate-fight

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Sleeping Bear Tree Farm Participates in Minnesota CO2 Study

A recent study by the USDA Forest Servce (https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/59852) estimates that US forests represent the largest net carbon sink in the United States. They offset more that 11 percent of total green house gas emissions annually.

From the University of Minnesota :

Trees and climate change

Trees are a natural climate solution, absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it as wood. This means that healthy growing trees increase carbon sequestration and help offset greenhouse gas emissions. 

According to recent estimates in the United States, forests remove about 11% of total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the atmosphere. This is a motivation for keeping healthy trees and forests on the landscape! Minnesota woodland owners own 40% of the state’s forests or about 6.8 million acres.

The American Forest Foundation estimates that across all forest ownerships, private woodland owners have the greatest opportunity to mitigate the effects of future climate change through storing and sequestering carbon in their trees and woodlands.

In Minnesota this is especially true: our diverse forests from the North Woods in northern Minnesota to the Blufflands in southeastern Minnesota present a rich opportunity to contribute to natural climate solutions.

The Sleeping Bear Tree Farm will participate in current and future CO2 studies.

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New IPCC climate report: Massive change is already here

The IPCC released a report today stating that climate change is having a staggering effect on our oceans and ice-covered areas of the earth. More than 100 scientists from around the world contributed to the latest report by the IPCC, which found that profound and potentially devastating consequences lie ahead for marine life, Arctic ecosystems and entire human societies if climate change continues unabated. Read the report here: https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/home/

“As a result of excess greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the ocean today is higher, warmer, more acidic, less productive and holds less oxygen,” said Jane Lubchenco, a former administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “The conclusion is inescapable: The impacts of climate change on the ocean are well underway. Unless we take very serious action very soon, these impacts will get worse — much, much worse.”

“The climate emergency is a race we are losing — but it is a race we can win if we change our ways now,” U.N. Secretary General António Guterres told world leaders Tuesday in his latest attempt to spur action. “Even our language has to adapt: What once was called ‘climate change’ is now truly a ‘climate crisis.’ … We are seeing unprecedented temperatures, unrelenting storms and undeniable science.”

Read the Washington Post Summary here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/09/25/new-un-climate-report-massive-change-already-here-worlds-oceans-frozen-regions/

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What is this IPCC that Greta Thunberg is talking about?

You have likely seen Greta Thunberg on TV or the internet this week. She testified before the US Congress and the United Nations. She is remarkably consistent in referring policy and law makers to an IPCC report.

First, who is the IPCC? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. The IPCC was created to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options.

The report that Ms. Thunberg references can be found here: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/SR15_SPM_version_report_LR.pdf

The 2018 report is a comprehensive summary of the science behind climate change, potential impacts and an assessment of the risks.

I encourage you to read the summary and see why Ms. Thunberg is pleading with policy and law makers to read the report.

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100 million tons a day vs 4,000 tons a year

The Sleeping Bear Tree Farm captures approximately 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. That seems like a lot of carbon until you know that world-wide, 100,000,000 tons of man-made green-house gases are released every day.

Trees are very good at carbon capture. An average tree captures over 40 pounds of carbon dioxide a day. Scientists are now saying that planting trees can be part of the climate crisis solution, but creation of man-made green-house gases must stop.

Use your voice. Use your vote. Take action.

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If Climate Change is so urgent, why is it not on the front page of the paper?

It is. This week there are multiple front page stories:

The Amazon, Siberia, Indonesia: A world of fire https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/climate/fire-amazon-africa-siberia-worldwide.html

EPA to Roll Back Regulations on Methane, a Potent Greenhouse Gas https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/29/climate/epa-methane-greenhouse-gas.html

Trump pushes to allow new logging in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/trump-pushes-to-allow-new-logging-in-alaskas-tongass-national-forest/2019/08/27/b4ca78d6-c832-11e9-be05-f76ac4ec618c_story.html

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“This is extraordinarily harmful”

“This is extraordinarily harmful.” Rachel Kyte, the United Nations special representative on sustainable energy, said today.

The NY Times reported that the Trump administration will announce that it will “sharply curtail the regulation of methane emissions….” The EPA will will eliminate federal requirements that oil and gas companies install technology to inspect for and fix methane leaks from wells, pipelines and storage facilities.

Exxon and BP America are opposed to the rule change. Susan Dio, the Chair of BP America wrote an op-ed article in March 2019 saying that “regulating methane is the right thing to do for the planet.”

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“The World’s Lungs are Burning”

There is a 79% increase in fires in the Amazon rain forest from the same time period in 2018.

Deforestation caused the loss of 8.9 million acres of primary rain forest, an area equal to the size of Belgium. If enough rain forest is lost and can’t be restored, it will become a savanna, loosing much of its carbon storing ability.

The Amazon rain forest produces over 20% of the world’s oxygen supply. It stores over 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year.

Survival of the Amazon rain forest is key to reducing the global climate crisis.

For more information on this topic:

The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/world/amp-stories/amazon-fires-causes-rainforest-climate-change/?noredirect=on

The New York Times https://nyti.ms/2ZwdB9i

The Telegraph (UK) https://youtu.be/MSL4fr6mOh4