Farms & f orests can have big effect on carbon emissions

Green Matters - According to a study led by The Nature Conservancy, forest restoration projects and improving how we farm could lead up to a 30 percent overall decrease in carbon emissions. Should we aim toward these goals, there’s a much better chance of containing global warming.

Natural solutions to eliminate carbon emissions have a similar impact to removing cars off the road. According to the study released in October, the combination of reforestation and limiting human impact in cutting trees down would be the equivalent of removing 1.27 billion cars annually. Adding the next-biggest solution of maintaining these forests better, that would eliminate 7 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions.

A way we can control deforestation is looking toward alternative products. Similar materials that could replace wood altogether include hemp, bamboo, soy, and composite lumber. Usually, these alternative options will last longer and requires less maintenance, but they are more expensive.

Another way we can limit global warming is better agricultural practices with chemical fertilizers. Not only would this improve the growth of our crops, but it would remove nitrous oxide emissions. According to the study, these are 300 times more potent than CO2 emissions, and enforcing these practices would be equivalent to removing 522 million cars off the road.