Green Paw Earth Conservation Project

The deforestation issue our planet faces

Although the accurate figure is near impossible to calculate, studies estimate that the current rate of deforestation is around a football field of forest lost every single second. That’s approximately an average of 28 million hectares that have been cut down every year. This is undoubtedly one of the most catastrophic issues the world faces today, and in the future.

What are the main causes of deforestation?

It varies from forest to forest, from country to country, but studies suggest that around 50-90% of each forest is cut down to pave the way for agriculture. Trees are predominantly cleared for cattle and cattle feed. As the human population rises, tree population and the wildlife that live within them decrease. Other reasons for deforestation include:

Logging
Build; roadways, train lines and homes
Mining
Wildfires from ever increasing heated planet

Why is deforestation catastrophic for our planet?

The exponential loss of trees has many adverse effects on our planet;

Accelerates climate change
Increased levels of greenhouse gases heating our planet
Causes the ice to melt resulting in rising sea levels
Causes soil erosion
Desertification
Flooding
The loss of wildlife – numbers depleting
Biodiversity loss – 1000s of wildlife species going extinct every year

How much Co2 do humans produce a year?

Studies suggest the average C02 we collectively produce is 30 to 38 billion tonnes a year.

At what rate is C02 rising?

Exponentially! The diagram shows the number of Carbon atoms per million. In 1980 there were 350 particles of C02 per 1,000,000 particles. In 2020 there were 410 per 1,000,000 particles.

What does the rise mean to the planet?

C02 is the primary greenhouse gas. Rising C02 causes the planet to heat up and accelerate climate change.

What can you do to help?

There are several actions you can undertake to reduce your Carbon Footprint

Use less fossil fuels
Move towards plant based foods
Buy produce locally
Grow your own food if possible
Conserve water
Move away from single use plastics
Consider where your clothes come from, move away from fast fashion
Be conscious at home with heating and electricity
Fly and drive as little as possible
Plant trees in your garden, or rewild your garden
Invest in Carbon Balancing/Sequestration
Support Green Paw Project

The Process of Carbon Sequestration

Trees and plants take in carbon dioxide (CO2) and use it during photosynthesis to store carbon (C) and release oxygen (O2).
Trees are able to store carbon (C) over a long period of time while producing oxygen (O2) for us to breathe.
The scientific community talks about this process in terms of carbon stored in the tree or ecosystem. But when people talk about offsetting it is expressed as the CO2 equivalent (how much CO2 is taken in by trees to offset emissions).

Other environmental benefits of tree planting and rewilding

As well as capturing and storing CO2, tree planting and rewilding improves biodiversity, the natural landscape, flood management and air & water quality. In planting a woodland or rewilding you will be:

Creating habitats and providing a food source for wildlife.
Increasing air quality through trapping harmful pollutants, such as nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide.
Reducing the risk of flooding by slowing down the speed that water drains off the land.
Protecting habitats and preventing soil erosion through new root networks.

How much C02 does an average UK citizen produce each year?

The average person in the UK produces between 8 and 15 tonnes of C02 a year.

How many trees to plant to offset the Carbon of an average UK citizen?

With an average lifespan of 40 years per tree.
Average of 20KG of Carbon absorbed each year per year.
8 to 15 tonnes = 8,000 to 15,000KG per year.
So for one person 400 to 750 trees are needed to be planted every 40 years.
The trees must have enough growing space to keep absorbing C02 for the 40 years.