Climate Change:
it’s all cool until it’s not

If you’re reading this, you’re probably concerned for the future of our planet. If so, we feel you. So do we. We all love our planet, we all understand the importance of preserving our ecosystem, of reducing gas emissions.

Due to human practices, the combined land and ocean temperature has increased at an average rate of 0.07°C per decade.

But to change for the better is no easy task. There’s no magic wand to help us. No superhero (but how cool would that be?). And as much as planting trees seems to be the most efficient way to help restore the planet, the path is still long and hard to follow.

Shifting weather patterns are gravely affecting food production across geographies. Rising sea levels are responsible for catastrophic floods. The impact of climate change is global, unprecedented, and real. The time is now. We need to take fast and concrete steps towards restoring our marvellous ecosystem.

That’s why Forestmatic is here. And that’s probably why you’re here too. To look for a solution. To play your role. To contribute with real actions. At Forestmatic, our actions translate into reforestation, as trees hold the power to restore and preserve our land and air.

Forests don’t only absorb CO2, they also hold the ability to reduce the risk of drought, preserve soil from degradation, decrease floods and improve the quality of air and water.

Thomas Crowther, one of the leading experts in ecosystem ecology, explained that most solutions put in place to reduce emissions, “from electricity generation, to transport, food, education and land use – have one thing in common: primarily, that they only prevent future emissions. To stop climate change, we must draw down the carbon already emitted into the atmosphere. [...] and ecologically speaking, trees are the most effective means to capture and store carbon.”

But not all that shines is gold. Many studies suggest that the biomass needed to significantly mitigate our carbon dioxide emissions is overwhelming and would demand unsustainable human and environmental costs. Moreover, when fertilisers are used to help trees grow, they release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Not exactly what we we’re looking for, right?

In fact, plantations could also put more pressure on already scarce water resources. Clearly, planting trees could be “the most important and cheapest tool” for fighting climate change, but this is not enough when it’s not followed by a rigorous scientific approach that takes into account all variables in the equation.

Perhaps the “easiest” and “faster” measures to counter these effects is to stop deforestation of Earth’s ‘green lungs’: The Amazon, Africa and Asia. The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) states that around 5 million hectares of forest are destroyed every year. By restoring those areas, we might be on the best path to achieve great results. And we need to act together. For together, we are stronger.