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posted June 3, 2009, from March/April 2009 issue
cartoon by Dan McConnell
We Need a Two-Pronged Approach to Climate Change
Cutting emissions isn’t enough
by David Zink
Editor’s note:
Whether or not you’re convinced about climate change, it’s good
to be prepared for the possibility, just as it’s always good to live
lightly on the Earth. After all, climate is not only an issue of how many pounds
of carbon we emit. It’s also related to how well we preserve undeveloped
areas.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is responsible for about half of the greenhouse effect threatening Earth. Plants are the lungs of our planet. In photosynthesis, they breathe in CO2 , removing it from the atmosphere, and then split the molecule. Carbon is added to (“sequestered by”) the plant’s biomass of wood, bark, roots, leaves, etc. Oxygen is released to the environment. A tree can absorb up to 48 lbs of carbon per year, and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support two human beings.
Trees help in other ways. They remove other pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels from the air. Trees also provide shade in the summer: having a tree or two around your house can reduce air conditioning needs by up to 30 percent, saving both energy and money.
Carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases play a major role in climate change, but there is more to fighting climate change than trying to reduce emissions. This impending crisis calls for a coordinated 2-prong approach. We must significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as protect forests, wetlands, and other vegetated lands that sequester carbon. Both aspects are crucial.
Across our state, enormous amounts of photosynthetic surface (forests, meadows, wetlands, etc.) are being bulldozed and replaced with malls, housing, parking lots, and other development. Every day, we are losing an appalling amount of oxygen-producing land to sprawl. This is not sustainable.
Sprawl and other deforestation intensifies global climate change, reduces air quality, ruins wildlife habitat, and cripples nature’s ability to filter carbon from the air. If people don’t start seeing the connections between these things, we’ll never come to grips with the challenges we face.
In the accompanying tables (see below), my starting point is the productivity of some ecosystems found in Washington State. These figures are available in many introductory ecology textbooks.
Cutting back on emissions
from industry and transportation is crucial to slowing climate
change. But it’s also crucial to stop sprawl. Let nature help heal
the damage we’ve done. Protect the trees, wetlands, and wild areas.
Now that you know, tell your neighbors, and city, county, and state
planners. Now is the time to act decisively for our earth and our future.
David Zink works in the WA State Dept. of Ecology in hazardous waste management.
How much carbon does an acre absorb
out of the air? (Mean annual carbon sequestration. See Terrestrial Ecosystems,
2nd edition. Aber, John, and Melillo, Jerry. Academic Press, London,
2001.)
What is this carbon absorption
worth in US dollars? Value of annual carbon sequestration per average
acre of various ecosystems. (Range reflects the Pew Center on Global
Climate Change’s evaluation of $70 per ton, and the Natural Resources
Defense Fund’s evaluation of $100 per ton, see www.env-econ.net/2007/
Average annual oxygen generation
of various Washington State ecosystems per acre.
How many people does this keep
alive? Average number of adult humans that can be supplied by the oxygen
produced by one acre per year.
What is this oxygen worth in US
dollars? Cost of mean net oxygen generated per acre by various ecosystems.
(Aaro Medical Supply, a major medical supply company in Olympia, WA,
charges $19 for a 4-hour supply tank of oxygen. Six are needed
for a one-day supply for a human adult. The cost is $41, 496 annually.)