March 31, 2018 by admin

Mass Planting of Trees

To plant multiple trees usually depends on a large amount of people, the use of technology, or a combination of both. These routes will be looked at here, first looking at India.

In India last year, 1.5 million volunteers planted 66 million trees in 12 hours, which is most likely a new record. Saplings of 20 different species were place along the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh. This is an example which shows what can be done with political will and a recognition of what is needed in this time of anthropogenic climate change. India is third in the world for carbon emissions.

1.5 million volunteers making a great change.

Another route being explored for mass planting is the use of drones. The startup Biocarbon Engineering uses drone technology to fire seed pods into the ground, with follow-up care done by local communities. A hectare of planting can be covered in 15 minutes, with preferred projects of 100 hectares. One hundred thousand pods can be planted in a day. This technological route bodes well for the future, although care is still needed to make a seed grow into a tree.

A drone linked to mapping technology can plant a hectare of seed pods in 15 minutes. [Biocarbon Engineering]

A third route, is to combine humans and technology to achieve large scale planting. This is what we are working on at Teratrees, which also has the advantage of connecting young people to Nature. We believe through many humans and the internet, many projects can be initiated, and we continue to work towards this goal.

A team of students surveying their handiwork in a local London park.

March 30, 2016 by admin

Keeping it in the Ground

With crude oil sitting at $40/barrel, many oil industry investments are suffering. None more so than the capital intensive tar sand projects in Alberta, Canada. Oil majors, however, have usually planned scenarios looking up to 30 years ahead. Multi-billion dollar projects have commitment to ride through the tough times and operational projects have a huge cost in decommissioning and re-starting, and thus gain a silent momentum, despite cutting jobs across the sector.

The natural beauty of Alberta, Canada.

Tar or oil sand is a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, minerals and bitumen. Vast areas of trees and soil (called ‘overburden’ by the industry) need to be removed before this glutinous sand is accessed. Bitumen contains long chain carbon molecules and needs a lot of pre-treating before it ends up in your car engine, thereby making it one of the dirtiest and most carbon-intensive fuels on the planet.

Currently the tar sands industry has greenhouse gas emissions greater than New Zealand and Kenya combined, and if all the bitumen could be extracted and turned to oil, another 240 billion tons of carbon would be added to the atmosphere. This by itself would raise the planet’s temperature by 0.4 C. This increase, from one province of Canada, cannot be afforded.

Extraction of tar sands is a vast operation

This is simple arithmetic, yet where is the incentive for this project to stop operating? Even with oil prices at record lows, long term planning by companies is sure to yield a profit. It is in these cases that people bring a myopic view to the market. But let us not point a lazy finger at the market, but rather at people’s intentions which are not connected to a broader view of life on this planet.

What can be done to counter this behaviour and keep it in the ground?

A carbon tax is one measure, and has been argued for previously by myself. A carbon tax will be introduced at $20 per ton of CO₂ for Albert in 2017, but that is too low to be a significant short term disincentive. It will rise to $30 in 2018, with the money being spent on pollution reducing measures. Transparency will be needed with this spending. It is a step in the right direction, but at the current levels it will not keep this oil in the ground.

Two other methods of dissuasion need considering, and these are discussed by Naomi Klein in her book on climate change called This Changes Everything. They broadly fall under community action.

The first one is examining land rights as many of the areas are inhabited by indigenous Canadian communities. These rights are real and carry weight. These communities have been affected by toxic wastewater discharged into rivers – one study indicated a 30 % rise in cancers in the community of Fort Chipewyan from 1995 to 2006. Caribou herds have also been decimated – as much as 75 % since 1998 in the area of the Beaver Lake Cree First Nation. The argument here is that no previously agreed treaty gave the Canadian government licence to destroy the indigenous communities’ environment.

Water resources are being contaminated (Athabasca river)

Secondly, one can target the money. These projects require billions of dollars of shareholders’ money, so one can apply pressure to shareholders via moral argument to divest. Students have been pro-active here, with the fight still ongoing with the Harvard Endowment Fund, for example. This method of action has also been championed by 350.org, the organisation spearheaded by Bill McKibben. In London last year, student pressure led to the University of London’s School of African Studies (SOAS) announcing their commitment to fossil fuel divestment of their £32m fund. These victories are small considering fossil fuel companies invested $670 bn in exploration of new reserves in 2013, but the noise is growing louder.

Pressure to divest from Oxford University students

What is asked for in keeping carbon in the ground, is not only the arguments of science and arithmetic e.g. the Bank of England governor Mark Carney at the 2015 World Bank seminar stating “The vast majority of reserves are unburnable” if global temperatures are to be limited to below a 2 °C rise. What is asked for is that that we remember what has real value, before it is too late. This is perhaps said best by the Cree proverb “When the last tree has been cut down, the last fish caught, the last river poisoned, only then will we realise we cannot eat money”.

This article can also be found in SALT magazine.

October 26, 2015 by admin

A Single Cell to a Tree

Life began on this planet about 3.8 billion year ago, starting precariously as single-celled prokaryotes. It took a further billion years for photosynthesis to develop, producing oxygen as a waste product which was absorbed by the oceans. The moon was much closer then and huge tides washed the Earth. A billion years passed and more complex cells appeared in the form of eukaryotes, and about 600 million years later simple multi-cellular organisms appeared, such as red algae. With the passing of another 700 million years the first phyla of animals appeared during the Cambrian explosion, with great diversification happening in the seas.

Life began precariously from single celled organisms

This preamble leads up to the Devonian period, 350 to 420 million years ago. The Earth was arid and warm, and most likely lacked glaciers with ocean temperatures of 30 °C. In the midst of this period an interesting event occurred. The first plant with a woody stem appeared – the first tree. Wattieza grew to a height of around 8m with frond-like leaves and reproduced by spores. This was a momentous occasion for the planet as now plants could compete for light both vertically and horizontally, and convert CO₂ at higher rates. The first forests developed and were buried over time, removing CO₂ from the atmosphere in the form of wood. This caused cooling of the planet and altered soil chemistry, while leaf litter fed streams – it is no surprise that there was an explosion of fresh water fish at this time.

Artists impression of Devonian Period [Eduard Riou (1838-1900)]

About 200 000 years ago Homo sapiens (Latin for “wise person”) appeared on the planet in East Africa, a species which has now been around for 0.004 % of the Earth’s history.

The arrival of humans

In September this year, Yale researchers reported in Nature that the planet has approximately 3 trillion trees, which is about half since the spread of human civilization began. This very young species has now drastically altered the planet, and is decreasing tree populations by 15 billion per year via deforestation, forestry and land-use practices. Not only in our ‘wisdom’ are we making space for ourselves, but we are decreasing the ability for the planet to process carbon dioxide, produce oxygen and control warming, as seen during the cooling of the Devonian period. This is also ignoring the ecosystems and habitats that trees and forests provide, which is significant.

We are losing 10 billion trees per year (net)

This loss is very worrying, but in that Nature article is also a green shoot of hope. Humans are planting approximately 5 billion trees per year, so although a net loss of 10 billion trees, it shows that there is potential to plant trees in large numbers. This is something entirely capable by our species, and there is no reason why we should not be able to produce a surplus each year. While protection of forests is vital and areas such as the Amazon are an international concern, on the individual level in our green spaces and spare land, many trees can still be planted. It is not argued here that planting trees is the solution to our problems, but rather a solution, one of many that we need to enact.

Life has come a long way from this planet being a molten ball of rock 4.5 billion years ago. Ironically, it is only our species on the planet who can comprehend this. At the current rate of tree loss there will not be a single tree in 300 years. Last year we lost acres of trees equivalent to the size of two Portugals. It is up to us to live up to our species name as ‘wise person’ and get on with the job that lies before us.

This article appeared in SALT magazine

April 3, 2013 by Ryan

Deforestation: Above and Below the Waterline

A multi-faceted approach is needed in tackling the effect of human activity on the climate and natural world. A reduction in industrial emissions through better practice, technology and efficiency is key, coupled with protection of carbon sinks, namely the forests and the oceans.

Seagrass meadows play a critical role in the carbon cycle (photo: M. Sanfélix)

The oceans are the largest carbon sinks in the world storing 93 % of carbon in the form of algae, vegetation and coral, and sequestering 20 to 35 % of anthropogenic emissions. However, there is evidence to suggest that the oceans are becoming less efficient since around the year 2000 in absorbing these emissions¹. Further, since the 1940’s, marine carbon sinks have been suffering with a loss of 30 % of mangroves, 25 % of salt marshes and over 30 % of seagrass meadows². These are being lost at a faster rate than the rain forests.

Coastal development, aquaculture operations and timber removal are destroying these marine ecosystems, and thus there is a connection between the destruction of forests on land and under water. Deforestation through clearing and burning also generates 17 % of global carbon emissions, more than from all the world’s air, road, rail and shipping traffic combined. The highest rates of deforestation are taking place in the regions where illegal logging is at its worst – the Amazon Basin, Central Africa and Southeast Asia³. These are areas where there is a lack of forest governance and where accountability and transparency are often in short supply.

Mangrove forests are threatened by coastal development (Source: www.sundarban.org)

Illegal logging actually floods the market with cheaper wood, which suppresses global timber prices between 7 and 16 per cent³. It is estimated that legal timber companies are being denied US$30 billion per year from these activities.

It looks good, but do you know where it was sourced?

As can be imagined, protecting forests and marine ecosystems require political and economic solutions, as well as enforcement of law. And as an end user of timber products we have a deep responsibility to ensure that our furniture, floors and wooden features in our homes and businesses are from sustainable and legal timber. We are all part of the solution.

References

Khatiwala et al. (2009). Reconstruction of the history of anthropogenic CO₂ concentrations in the ocean. Nature 462, 346-349
Blue Carbon – The Role of Healthy Oceans in Binding Carbon. Rapid Response Assessment by GRID-Arendal and UNEP. 14 October 2009
Davyth Stewart. Combating illegal logging key to saving our forests and preventing climate change. Project LEAF (Interpol), 21 March 2013

January 20, 2013 by Ryan

The Boreal Forest (Taiga)

Rainforests gain a lot of attention due to the amount and variety of species they support, but the world’s largest land-based biome is the Boreal Forest, aptly named after Boreas, the Greek God of the North wind. Also known as Taiga, from Russian, this concentration of trees covers much of Russia, most of Canada, Alaska, Sweden, Finland and Norway, coastal Iceland, and the northern parts of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the U.S. and Japan representing 29 % of the world’s forest cover.

Distribution of the Boreal Forest (Wikipedia)

Largely comprised of coniferous trees, this forest supports 85 species of mammals, 130 species of fish, 300 species of birds and approximately 32,000 species of insects. Life is hard here with temperatures ranging from -65 °F (-54 °C) to 86 °F (30 °C), low precipitation (200 – 750 mm/year), 50 – 120 frost free days per year and acidic, low nutrient soils.

Alaskan spruce

Canadian wetland systems

The region also contains vast areas of wetland, bogs and fen, and the Canadian boreal region contains more rivers and lakes than any similar sized landmass in the world. Fire is a natural part of regeneration, and some trees like the lodgepole and jack pines have resin sealed cones which rely on fire to open and spread their seed.

Fire is a natural part of the regeneration cycle

This forest provides humans with enormous amounts of lumber and supports 1,400 communities in industrial activity. However, forestry practices are often still primitive in their approach, for example the practice of clearcutting in Canada removes most trees in an area only to be replanted as a monocrop (a singular species), which does not emulate a fire and is often followed by an increase in erosion.

Vast terrain with subterranean peat in western Siberia

Deforestation and oil exploration along with the processing of tar sands pose significant threats, however, climate change is the main threat to this region. The boreal forests stores huge amounts of carbon, possibly more than the temperate and tropical forests combined, with much of it in the form of peat. The boreal zone of latitude has experienced some of the greatest increase in temperatures on Earth over the last 25 years, with greater relative increases in winter temperatures than those in summer. The release of carbon, mostly in the form of methane, greatly adds to a feedback cycle of warming.

Attacks visible by the mountain pine beetle (Lorraine Maclauchlan)

Furthermore, the warmer winters lead to an increased survival of tree-damaging insects and recent years have seen forest destroying plagues of the spruce-bark beetle, the mountain pine beetle, the aspen leaf-miner, the larch sawfly, the spruce budworm and spruce coneworm. In Siberia, the boreal forest is changing from predominantly deciduous larch trees to evergreen conifers; this is also likely to accelerate warming as evergreen trees absorb more of the sun’s rays. These signs indicate that serious change is already underfoot.

But this does not mean that we should bury our heads in the sand, or imagine our individual actions to be inconsequential. Anthropomorphic warming of this planet is comprised of the activity of individuals and human minds. There may be perceptions of fear or paralysis in the comprehension of the enormity of the task required, but this is the time to act – there is no other.

November 16, 2012 by Ryan

Man of the Trees

We take the ideas of conservation and reforestation for granted, and putting them into practice varies around the world. These ideas have not always been present and they did not arrive spontaneously. One man whom we are indebted too is Richard St. Barbe Baker.

Richard St. Barbe Baker (1889 – 1982) initiated international reforestation and conservation.

Returning to Britain after working as a missionary in Canada, he started studying divinity at Cambridge, but was interrupted by the Great War to serve in the Royal Horse Artillery regiment in France and was seriously wounded twice. Perhaps this changed his perspective, as well as his observations of the soil loss resulting from deforestation, as upon returning to Cambridge he took up a Diploma in Forestry. After graduation he joined the Colonial Office and was sent as a Forestry Officer to Kenya. There he witnessed centuries of land mismanagement from the wheat farming of the Romans to the grazing of goats introduced by the Arabs. Determined to halt deforestation he formed an organisation called ‘Watu wa Miti’ with the local Kikuyu people – this translates as ‘Men of the Trees’, and would form the basis of an international organisation.

St Barbe Baker mobilising The Green Front

He joined the Bahá’í Faith after Kenya and continued to do forestry work in Nigeria, Australia and Palestine, uniting different faiths to work on the common goal of reforestation. He crossed the U.S. and toured the Redwood groves of California, and in the 1930’s he worked with President Franklin D. Roosevelt to establish the Civilian Conservation Corps. He was a popular speaker now and continued to grow chapters of his organisation, which became known as the International Tree Foundation. After World War II he toured through Europe and launched the idea of an international Green Front to promote reforestation, and ambitiously launched a project to reclaim the Sahara desert after a 25 000 mile journey around the perimeter.

His organisation and those he assisted planted many millions of trees and he was seen as one of the fathers of the organic agriculture movement.

His autobiography entitled “My life, my trees” was published in 1970 and in 1972, the board of directors of Friends of Nature (USA) awarded Dr Baker their Conservation Award, for “being the foremost world citizen to stress the importance of maintaining tree cover for the continued existence of life”¹. He was presented an OBE by the Queen in 1978 and up until his ninety-third year he was still travelling the world and died on 9th June 1982, whilst visiting Canada.

“Planting and growing increasing quantities of trees is the scientific solution to Earth’s environmental dilemma.” ~ Richard St. Barbe Baker

1. http://www.menofthetrees.org.au/about-us/

October 3, 2012 by Ryan

Inhibiting the Mafia and the Prevention of Illegal Logging

The value of rare wood attracts petty thieves, government officials and the Mafia. In fact, a new report from the United Nations finds that up to 90 % of tropical deforestation can be attributed to organised crime which controls 30 % of the global timber trade. Unfortunately illegal logging rates have actually been rising, with many ploys being initiated such as fake permits, bribed officials, hacked databases and mixing illegal timber amongst common stock.

The theft of tropical wood. Photo source: see ref (1)

Last month, Hang Serei Oudom, a Cambodian journalist who exposed illegal logging and corrupt officials involved in forest crimes was found murdered in the boot of his car. In April this year, tireless campaigner Chhut Vuthy, was shot dead by a Cambodian military policeman after refusing to hand over photographs showing illegal logging in the southwestern Koh Kong province. Or that’s the official version – his family insist a third person was involved. According to the UN, Cambodia’s forest cover has decreased from 73 per cent in 1990 to 57 per cent in 2010.

Chhut Vuthy, killed in April. (The Economist)

This destruction of natural habitat is with a double-edged sword, not only are threatened forests and their creatures destroyed, but deforestation followed by burning, largely of tropical rainforests, is responsible for an estimated 17 per cent of all man-made emissions (50 per cent more than that from ships, aviation and land transport combined)¹. As the UN report notes, today only one-tenth of primary forest cover remains on the globe.

Project LEAF, an Interpol and UN collaboration

Unlike with drugs or ivory, shipping timber is still legal. However, Interpol recently stepped into the logging foray this year in June with the creation of LEAF (Law Enforcement Assistance for Forests). This is a combined effort by the UN and Interpol funded by the Norwegian government. The project’s objectives are:

Providing an overview and review of extent, primary geographic locations, routes, causes and structure of networks involved in illegal logging, corruption, fraud, laundering and smuggling of wood products;
Supporting countries in improved enforcement efforts;
Providing training and operational support;
Providing insights into the way organized criminals organize their activities;
Developing best practices for combating REDD-related and forest-related corruption.

While it is certainly positive that this initiative has been launched, enforcement is difficult when dealing with governments who are involved in the profits, and illegal logging is often taking place in countries with lesser degrees of law and order. This suggests to me that a combined use of tracking technology and enforcement would aid this project.

RFID tag, commonly attached to goods we buy. (BBC)

Radio chip tracking technologies are already on the increase by global brands to monitor products and customer behaviour, and some environmental use has started. The Instituto Ação Verde (The Green Action Institute) is using thumb-sized RFID devices to track over 2,500 Amazon trees. The Fraunhofer Institute is even working on a RFID tag comprised mostly of wood, to prevent adding impurities and extra labour in downstream processing, thus overcoming some objections from timber companies.

Perhaps LEAF is looking at this line of thought already, but it seems to me a global database of tree RFID tags allowing effective tracking would make Interpol’s and the UN’s life easier. These could be created by LEAF and given to local enforcement and forestry agencies, with initial supervision of their attachment to the tree or/and shipment of trees leaving ports and harbours. An international legal requirement of tracking timber shipments would be a further boon.

1. Green Carbon, Black Trade: Illegal Logging, Tax Fraud and Laundering in the World’s Tropical Forests. UNEP and Interpol. 2012. http://dev.grida.no/logging/layout/RRAlogging_english_scr.pdf