- Mar 30, 2007
- 151,216
- 202,642
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
It's even simpler than creating carbon neutral fuel:
Trees
Trees are without a doubt the best carbon capture technology in the world. When they perform photosynthesis, they pull carbon dioxide out of the air, bind it up in sugar, and release oxygen. Trees use sugar to build wood, branches, and roots. Wood is an incredible carbon sink because it is mostly made of carbon (about 50%), it lasts for years as a standing tree, and takes years to break down after the tree dies. While trees mainly store carbon, they do release some carbon, such as when their leaves decompose, or their roots burn sugar to capture nutrients and water.
Let's look at a real example. A white oak can live for 200 years; all that time it is pulling carbon out of the air and storing it. After several outbreaks of anthracnose, the tree dies, but it takes decades for the tree to rot. While it is slowly breaking down, the rotten tree is still keeping carbon out of the atmosphere. If the white oak were to be harvested and made into long-lived wood products, the carbon stored in the wood product is often preserved for a longer time than if it were left to decompose in the forest.