carbon & tree facts
Carbon Facts
- CO2 concentrations have risen by 25% to possibly over 39% over the last century.
- CO2 can be neutralized by trees.
- CO2 is fixed in trees and vegetation through photosynthesis.
- CO2 makes plants more resistant to extreme weather.
- CO2 makes trees healthier and easier to manage.
- Increased CO2 levels can help trees, that are properly managed, grow in drought conditions by increasing photosynthesis.
- 100 metric tons of CO2 can accumulate in one acre of forest over time.
- Each person generates approximately 2.3 tons of CO2 per year.
- The carbon footprints of 18 average Americans can be neutralized by one acre of hardwood trees.
- Managed forests accumulate more carbon per acre than unmanaged forests.
Tree Facts
- A single tree can absorb CO2 at a rate of 48 lb. per year.
- Trees act as natural pollutionfilters by absorbing pollutants through the stomates in leaf surfaces.
- Trees lower temperature by transpiring water and shading surfaces.
- Trees reduce heat sinks. Heat sinks are 6-19 degrees F warmer than the surrounding area.
- Trees reduce erosion.
- An acre of trees absorbs enough CO2 over one year to equal the amount produced by driving a car 26,000 miles.
- Trees provide food and wildlife habitats.
- Planting trees remains one of the cheapest, most effective means of drawing excess CO2 from the atmosphere.
- Trees recharge ground water and sustain stream flow.
- One large tree strategically placed in a yard can replace 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours per day.
"The future is literally in our hands to mold as we like. But we cannot wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow is now."
--Eleanor Roosevelt
Our lifestyle change over the decades is one of the causes of this problem. And there has never been a better time to make changes today to bring the increased CO2 percentages down.
AEA projects are designed to bring balance back to our eco-system by using the increased levels of CO2 to the Earth's advantage.
AEA projects:
- Plant thousands of acres of trees and plants
- Practice sound management practices to preserve the soil, sustain growth, and sequester CO2
- Promote conservation to reduce carbon emissions
- Diligently move toward our goal of renewable energy sources
- Reclaim and restore degraded open space
