Quote:
Originally Posted by 420
IDid you know trees caused climate change in the past? Decomposing trees that released huge amounts of carbon dioxide. Does it really matter who or what is causing the changes now?"
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A tree, when it is alive, absorbs CO2 from the air and puts it in the ground. Trees live for decades and even hundreds of years, absorbing CO2 for its entire life.
When a tree dies, it releases some CO2, but left alone, it slowly sinks into the ground like other biomass. Much of the oil we burn today is from plants and trees, not dinosaurs.
When a tree is burned, it releases all of its stored CO2 into the air at once. Deforestation dumps millions of tonnes of CO2 into the air, and makes that space useless for further CO2 absorption in the future.
More about trees at
Top Ten Reasons Why Trees Are Important