Right now, 80 percent of the earth’s biodiversity is protected by indigenous communities who make up only 5 percent of the human population.
The most current report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommends adding a billion hectares of additional forests to the earth’s surface to help slow the runaway train of atmospheric degradation.
Now, new research conducted by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich finds that we have enough space to plant a trillion trees, or 0.9 billion hectares of forests, an area roughly the size of the United States, without even infringing upon existing urban centers or farmlands.
The nations with the most room for reforesting projects are, not surprisingly, those with an abundance of landmass: China, Russia, the US, Canada, Australia, and Brazil.
Crowther calls it “by far—by thousands of times—the cheapest climate change solution”, and the most effective one. Current trends forecast a rise of 1.5° C to arrive by 2030. Restoring a billion hectares of forest could help postpone that until 2050. It’s not a substitute for reducing fossil fuel emissions, but it will buy us some time. “None of this works without emissions cuts.”
“Even if current targets are met, tens of millions will be impoverished, leading to widespread displacement and hunger,” said Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. “Climate change threatens to undo the last 50 years of progress in development, global health, and poverty reduction,” Alston said. “It could push more than 120 million more people into poverty by 2030 and will have the most severe impact in poor countries, regions, and the places poor people live and work.”
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