BLOGS
Forests As One Way Against Climate Change
We only have one place to live, the planet Earth. It has been years since our fight against climate change started. This crisis has been going on for some time; we are still lost and unsure of our next step. What can we do as individuals and as citizens to help prevent climate change? Forests and trees are the cornerstones of addressing climate change. How can we be a part of this movement?
Have you noticed how our weather can easily change from hot to cold or cold to hot? According to NASA, since 1880, the Earth’s temperature has risen by 0.14o F or 0.08o C per decade, but as we approached 1981, the rate of warming has doubled, reaching up to 0.32o F or 0.18o C per decade. It isn’t new to anyone that our planet has been fighting global warming and climate change for years. This is why everyone is encouraged to do their part in the different movements and organizations for this climate crisis.
Going deeper into this matter, we can see that one of the proposed solutions involves trees, forests, and the whole plant ecosystem. Trees are one of the most popular weapons for fighting global warming. And where are trees abundant? In the forests! However, despite the abundance of forests on our planet, we are making little progress in controlling our carbon emissions. How do trees and forests affect the planet earth, and how can we improve this plan to help our environment better? How can we prevent climate change?
Trees as Carbon Absorber
One of the main roles of trees is to absorb and sink the carbon which contributes to the heating of our environment. When they do photosynthesis, they use carbon dioxide and water to create glucose or energy for their cells. Ultimately, they end up feeding themselves with the carbon we need to get into the atmosphere.
Let’s make it a point to implement tree-planting programs properly. Trees could help us buy precious time as we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and find cleaner sources of energy like renewable energy. Maximizing this knowledge can help reduce more than one-third of the total carbon dioxide circulating in our atmosphere and can help decrease global warming to below 2oC by 2030. This can affect greater change than we can imagine.
Forests and their Importance
Now that we have discussed the roles of trees in climate change, we will look at the bigger picture. In reality, a few trees won’t make much but if we put them together, like in our forests, more changes can happen. According to the IPCC, we need to increase our forest area by 1 billion ha to limit global warming to 1.5oC by 2050. Forests have a lot of potentials to prevent climate change. Forests and trees are the cornerstone of addressing climate change. However, this can only happen if you and everyone else do their part in planting trees.
Forests absorb greenhouse gas emissions, regulate water flows and protect communities from sudden changes in the weather. As we all know, when there is an abrupt increase in the atmosphere’s temperature, sea levels rise, possibly endangering those living near the coastal area.
If you listen to the news, you may see glacial ice melting in places such as Alaska and Antarctica, known as cold places. Many countries, such as the United States, India, South Africa, and even the Philippines, experience weather disruption. The patterns of extreme weather events are changing, becoming more intensive and aggressive. This might mean more storms, floods, cyclones, and droughts in the next few years. The effects of climate change are drastic, so we must act now.
Forests cover 30% of the planet’s land surface. They’re important not just in addressing our problem on climate change but also in the quality of the air that we breathe. In the cities, carbon emissions, including greenhouse gas emissions, and the use of fossil fuels contribute a lot to the state of the atmosphere. As compared to places where forests are abundant, cities are more affected by the effects of climate change because there are no trees and forests to act as carbon sponges. However, even in places with forests, it is still up to us to keep the balance in place.
Scientific American says that protecting forests can help us fulfil the Paris Agreement by 37%. The long-term goals of the agreement include the following:
- substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to limit the global temperature increase in this century to 2 degrees Celsius while pursuing efforts to limit the increase even further to 1.5 degrees;
- review countries’ commitments every five years;
- provide financing to developing countries to mitigate climate change, strengthen resilience and enhance abilities to adapt to climate impacts
However, to prevent climate change, we must remember that even without this agreement, we each have a role to play in protecting mother earth.
Protecting the Forests
What can you do to help protect the forests? You can start with yourself. First, follow a more sustainable path by avoiding harmful products like disposable plastics. Support your local stores which sell nature-friendly products. This is just like the supply and demand equation. If more people will decide to reduce their carbon footprint by supporting reusable products, there will be less demand on disposable ones. Thus, spreading this to your family and friends will be a great help too.
If you have extra time, you can also join different organizations. Involve political leaders and use your voice and influence to facilitate change. Try to positively impact your organization and your society by developing projects and ideas that can help fight climate change.
Other Ways to Help
Aside from being part of organizations and reducing your carbon footprint, other ways to help prevent climate change is to live in a location where sustainability and nature is one of the top priorities. When it comes to this, Brittany Corporation has a lot to offer.
If you want to be away from the pollution of the city but still be in the heart of it, you can choose to find a home that is accessible without compromising the quality of the property. You can also opt to stay in a place where the cold wind will wake you up, and the breeze of the fresh pine trees will accompany you every day. If you want to be closer to nature, this home can bring you nearer to Mt. Makiling, its beauty, and all the majestic wildlife accompanying it.
Here, you can learn more about climate change and how choosing a home can affect our fight against this climate crisis and help prevent it.
Final Words
If we act now and start planting trees, the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can be cut by up to 25 percent. Even though it may take some time for this effect to be felt, it is never too late to act. Planting trees is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to help; you can immediately be a part of it. There are many benefits if you choose to plant trees in your yard or your area. You will get to prevent climate change and, at the same time, make your home more beautiful.
Aside from that, if you are looking for a place to stay for good and want to help our environment, Brittany Corporation offers a wide range of properties that can help get you started. Imagine yourself living in a peaceful and nature-friendly environment as you check this link and have an idea of Brittany’s beauty.
Choose a sustainable and nature-friendly lifestyle in a home where your family can enjoy their everyday life. Book an appointment now.
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