Well, this is really more of a joke that's between my friends and ex-English teacher, but it does make some sense.
Right, we all know of Al Gore and global warming, and of the deforestation of the world and the growing levels of greenhouse gases and all that jazz. Well, my friends and class in general were discussing and joking about it, when I thought of the simple idea of making tress grow faster, and just planting more and more of them.
We (humanity) already (well, we're supposed to) plant more then one seed for every tree cut down, but that doesn't seem to be working, and it seems to be taking too long. If we could accelerate the growth of trees until they reached full maturity (and therefore took the greatest amount of gases from the atmosphere), wouldn't that solve so many problems?
Oxygen was one of the gases that contributed to the cooling of the Earth. Trees make oxygen. More trees = more oxygen. More oxygen = cooler temps. So one could argue less trees = more CO2 + less oxygen = hotter temps.
Granted, trees are an integral part of the Earth's ecosystem, but I don't think that genetically (or otherwise) inducing them to grow faster would be a good idea. Even ignoring all the problems attempting to do that could create (if genetically) or the energy required to speed their growth in another matter. As far as oxygen goes, most of it doesn't come from trees anyways. The majority of the Earth's oxygen comes from marine plants i.e. algae.
But what if we could make 'tree farms'? We can put trees in giant greenhouses in places like the Siberian plains. Specialized membranes would only allow Carbon dioxide and small amounts of oxygen in and the trees would suck up that carbon dioxide and release oxygen, then the oxygen is released back into the world. This would be a very good idea for places where trees don't normally grow. And what if we build giant atmospheric scrubbers that suck up the carbon dioxide? The carbon dioxide inside the scrubbers would then be placed into tree farms where the carbon dioxide is then released converting it to Oxygen.
We'd have to think about the worst possible circumstance - the human race slowly dying because of too much carbon dioxide in the air... we have to do all we can to stop this from happening...
it's a witty plan, and I acknowladge that if someone could do it than al gore would have to shutup and deal, but that would create another problem.
If we planted MORE trees than we are now and they grew faster than we'd have to cut them faster, which to some extent could be a problem (all the materials needed to make axes and other tools and maintaining them ); besides that problem, if we couldn't cut them down fast enough we'd be faced with the reverse Global Cooling; Also we'd have to worry about the offspring of these super-trees growing faster and faster and blah blah blah.
So, in theory it would be better to keep the planting rate the same, and just make them grow fast enough until they are equal with rates,
But surely with that many trees we would still get massive forest fires which is a major factor in global warming?? so no matter how fast we grow them, the faster global warming actually impacts the earth?
I mean, with all these factors and after watching "an inconvenient truth" I have thought about what if we tried to counter act such a thing....
but since the beginning of time.. life has found a way.. one way or another..
I mean, there are even theories out there like with good timing, a volcano explosion big enough, could counter act global warming, cool down everything or worse send us into another ice age.
In my theory global warming increasing this much in the last 30 years is so dangerous and stupid of us to be messing with nature's way and cause so much pollution too the atmosphere but what if it actually saves us from another ice age..
As far as I know there are trees somewhere in Italy that are planted only to be cutted down in the near future, because they are some special sort of trees that grow extremely fast! I think that using that sort of trees or even better (in the sense of fast growth) would make a difference...
But surely with that many trees we would still get massive forest fires which is a major factor in global warming?? so no matter how fast we grow them, the faster global warming actually impacts the earth?
Before there was massive deforestation, forests seemed to do fine. Besides, what causes those fires in the first place?
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forest fires which is a major factor in global warming??
No.
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so no matter how fast we grow them, the faster global warming actually impacts the earth?
Not really, I said:
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Oxygen was one of the gases that contributed to the cooling of the Earth. Trees make oxygen. More trees = more oxygen. More oxygen = cooler temps. So one could argue less trees = more CO2 + less oxygen = hotter temps.
So according to that simple equation, more trees would make less CO2 and make more O2 = lower temps. I'm not proposing major tree overgrowth, but instead to bring trees nearer to natural amounts.
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In my theory global warming increasing this much in the last 30 years is so dangerous and stupid of us to be messing with nature's way and cause so much pollution too the atmosphere but what if it actually saves us from another ice age
It's a regular pattern, and to try to stop it would be foolish.
I have watched "An Inconvenient Truth" recently and I must say I have been impressed by who big our problem is (becoming). As a result I have decided to change (as much I can) my lifestyle with emphasis on turning off the lights and being much more careful with using paper. I don't know how much I will be able to resist, but it is the first time I actually took some action rather then complain about global warming and doing nothing. Grow trees faster... It may actually be possible with the development of genetic manipulation, but I'm not sure it will ever compensate (in terms of amount) to what we cut down. A normal tree takes a decade or two to grow enough to make a difference in Oxygen/CO2 ratio. Lowering that 10 times (don't think that is possible even with genetic modifications and great growing conditions) is still not near enough. the horrible truth is that it is far more easier to destroy something then actually building it. Man now has the tools (and the need) to cut a forest that has grown in (most cases) hundreds of years, if not thousands in 1 year maybe even less. More important this is something that requires time, time which unfortunately we no longer have. On the long term and with a drastic reduction in deforestation it could be a potential solution.
PS: Regarding the global warming issue I have found a video on youtube that is really interesting. Some of you may have already seen it... I like it because he putsit so plain and simply. No need for fancy demonstrations, just a simple game with odds! CLICK HERE!
Trees help us breathe and provide a home for quite a few diverse kinds of animals and insects. They are the largest and longest living organisms on earth. To grow tall the tree has become a miracle of engineering and a complex chemical factory. It is able to take water and salts out of the earth and lift them up to the leaves, sometimes over 400 ft above. By means of photosynthesis the leaves combine the water and salts with carbon dioxide from the air to produce the nutrients which feed the tree. In this process, as well as wood, trees create many chemicals, seeds and fruit of great utility to man. Also, trees provide refreshing shade and also it will be nice for our near generation as trees are the best things of nature
Notice from truefusion:
Seems to be a paraphrase of what can be found here
Its easy for you to cut down trees, perhaps for just a few seconds to minutes. But to grow a tree. JUST ONE tree, it would take months, and some years. We're not getting trees at all now. I hope scientists would invent a like super fast growing seed Seriously, we need more trees. Or humans are going down.
Maybe is the solution for some problems but dont you think that this is being used now? I mean if the paper industry knows about a method to grow the trees faster and make a lot of money more they maybe would use this method now. I think that your idea is logic but maybe you are short with the logic when you think that the world is only people and nature. The is people and corporations and if the corporations knew about this I can sure you that this technique maybe was in use now. Maybe the trees is not the solution to the global warming the solution is the use of electricity to the car industry but the oil is being used over and over again because if the oil is the hand of the world it can be protected by the goverments, corporation and people who make money with the oil. So maybe your idea is good for being a joke but in the real world are only theories that can be refuted easily. But only because you have this idea I will plant three trees in my house in the hacienda when I go there. So thank you for your ideas and I wait that you continue giving more ideas to this devasted world. Bye.
it's a witty plan, and I acknowladge that if someone could do it than al gore would have to shutup and deal, but that would create another problem.
If we planted MORE trees than we are now and they grew faster than we'd have to cut them faster, which to some extent could be a problem (all the materials needed to make axes and other tools and maintaining them ); besides that problem, if we couldn't cut them down fast enough we'd be faced with the reverse Global Cooling; Also we'd have to worry about the offspring of these super-trees growing faster and faster and blah blah blah.
So, in theory it would be better to keep the planting rate the same, and just make them grow fast enough until they are equal with rates,
LOL . Nice thought. I don't think that it will lead to the other way round thing as man and greed are into each other big time. More trees will be there people will cut them more and then everything will be wood. All things whihc are now metal instead wood to save wood will go abck to wood. Wood here wood there. So i don't think global cooling. Well i personally think that growing trees fast is going around in some scientists mind and lab right now. It is going to happen i think in future. All the genetics and stuff. And yes they will have side effects
); besides that problem, if we couldn't cut them down fast enough we'd be faced with the reverse Global Cooling; Also we'd have to worry about the offspring of these super-trees growing faster and faster and blah blah blah.
