Working to protect and advocate for trees in urban Washington County
Trees and Climate Change
Using trees to sequester carbon to reduce GHG emissions is one of the most efficient
and least costly ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
Trees are our planet’s natural air purifiers—the single most effective “device” we have to pull carbon out of the atmosphere. Scientists say the pace of climate change is accelerating into the realm of emergency, but many researchers see trees as our first line of defense.
For trees to sequester a lot of carbon, they need to live long and healthy lives according to Peter Del Tredici, senior research scientist emeritus at the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University. So long as a tree lives, that carbon stays within it – and trees can live for decades or centuries.
Location matters! A tree that casts shade on your house in the summer or helps insulate in the winter can lower utility bills and, quite likely, carbon emissions, so strategically planting is important.
Treekeepers of Washington County is dedicated to preserving, maintaining and increasing the county's precious trees to help mitigate increasing temperatures caused by climate change. every single tree still counts. They all sequester carbon.
Forestry view on Build Back Better (naturalresourcereport.com) FRIDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2021
The Build Back Better Act’s $40 billion investment in forestry represents, among other things:
Trees for everyone. Trees are our best natural defense against heat and air pollution, reducing temperatures underneath as much as 45 degrees Fahrenheit. As shown by American Forests’ Tree Equity Score, communities of color have 33 percent less tree canopy, on average, and lower-income communities have 41 percent less. Build Back Better responds to this public health and environmental equity crisis with unprecedented resources to bring vital tree cover to communities that need it most.
