MCC Daily Tribune

The Need For More Trees

There exists no naturally occurring force on Earth that absorbs carbon than trees, so it stands to reason that the more trees we plant and nurture, the more man-made carbon emissions we can remove from out atmosphere. The problem is, with global population growth on the rise combined with increased deforestation due to expansions of population, the timber industry and agriculture, the number of trees we require to offset our carbon footprint is woefully inadequate. While it is prudent to focus on the reduction of our carbon footprint both individually and collectively, the need for reforestation efforts is paramount to our environmental well-being.

Planting trees along with our efforts to protect our public lands such as parks, wetlands, and forests are crucial components to the reduction of the damage caused by climate change. The question is, how can we maximize our efforts in this endeavor and encourage others to do the same. Here are a few actions we all can take to not only plant more trees but to reforest areas on a global scale to repair the damage done through the harvesting of timber, the clearing of forested areas for agricultural means, and the clearing of forested areas for housing purposes.

A simple Google search for opportunities to forest and reforest areas in need of carbon reducing trees will lead you to environmentally friendly groups such as Climate Action Now, PlantD, Sierra Club, and others who will provide you with opportunities to play a critical role in assuring trees get planted and areas stripped due to logging and production of items such as Palm Oil are returned to their original majestically green colored glory.  

Trees are essential to our Earths abilities to heal itself from the damage poor environmental policies and actions have forced upon her. The combination of sound environmental policy, the transition to clean sustainable energy, and the regenerative properties of reforestation will go a long way towards repairing the damage and reducing the adverse effects of climate change. I encourage you to join the fight and see how you can participate in these reforestation efforts. You can never plant enough trees.

Chuck DiSalvo
Sustainability Committee
02/10/2025