Go hug a tree

Well, first go read my latest post over at Nice Shoes, Wanna Fock? about the health of forests worldwide.

Then, realize that those freakin' trees are everywhere, and more of them are being planted and being allowed to grow all the time. The study that I wrote about in that post analyzed forest survey data from across the world and organized it into a coherent picture of forest health. They concluded that, among the 50 countries with the most forest, 22 of them are experiencing net forest growth every year, and many more are poised to make the transition to net growth. These forests are all sequestering carbon, lessening the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In the United States, for example, the amount of carbon sequestered in forests increases half a percent every year. That's good news. And even though the net trend worldwide is to decreasing forests (thanks to the horrible environmental practices of countries like Brazil), the research suggests that forests can be brought back with a combination of sound policy, enforcement of logging regulations, and sensible practices by lumber companies (like establishing tree plantations).

After reading about that, then it's time to hug a tree. Let it know you appreciate all that carbon sequestered in its beautiful leaves. Go nuts.

Tags: environmentalism, forests, forest identity, treehuggers