Comments on: Three trees to offset my carbon output http://www.squarecirclez.com/blog/three-trees-to-offset-my-carbon-output/494 Mathematics, learning, computing, travel - and whatever... Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:48:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: zac http://www.squarecirclez.com/blog/three-trees-to-offset-my-carbon-output/494/comment-page-1#comment-4259 zac Sat, 23 Dec 2006 10:05:39 +0000 http://www.squarecirclez.com/blog/three-trees-to-offset-my-carbon-output/494#comment-4259 Hi Alan - thanks for your comment. Actually, the \"advice\" is quite sketchy, isn\'t it? The type of tree, its lifespan, its growth rate and lots of other things come into play in determining whether it will effectively offset my own CO<sub>2</sub> output. In my part of the world, palm oil production has become a very lucrative business, especially with higher oil prices. The Indonesians are very happy to burn thousands of square km of rainforest to make way for palm oil plantations. So you\'re right, planted trees have little hope with so many competing pressures. Hi Alan – thanks for your comment.

Actually, the \”advice\” is quite sketchy, isn\’t it? The type of tree, its lifespan, its growth rate and lots of other things come into play in determining whether it will effectively offset my own CO2 output.

In my part of the world, palm oil production has become a very lucrative business, especially with higher oil prices. The Indonesians are very happy to burn thousands of square km of rainforest to make way for palm oil plantations. So you\’re right, planted trees have little hope with so many competing pressures.

]]> By: Alan Cooper http://www.squarecirclez.com/blog/three-trees-to-offset-my-carbon-output/494/comment-page-1#comment-4258 Alan Cooper Sat, 23 Dec 2006 09:49:24 +0000 http://www.squarecirclez.com/blog/three-trees-to-offset-my-carbon-output/494#comment-4258 I'm guessing that it's the entire lifetime carbon sequestration of the trees that offsets your one year of CO2 production rather than just one year's growth. If so, you actually need to plant three trees every year and make sure that they all grow to maturity and are never used for fuel (or consumed by forest fires). Unfortunately, many of the places where tree planting appears most needed are also places where trees are least likely to survive and most likely to end up as fuel. I’m guessing that it’s the entire lifetime carbon sequestration of the trees that offsets your one year of CO2 production rather than just one year’s growth. If so, you actually need to plant three trees every year and make sure that they all grow to maturity and are never used for fuel (or consumed by forest fires). Unfortunately, many of the places where tree planting appears most needed are also places where trees are least likely to survive and most likely to end up as fuel.

]]>