Reply #2: Planting trees probably won't hurt

[OKIsItJustMe]

I'm a big fan of planting trees.

However, how fast did you want to lower atmospheric carbon levels?

The last time the ecosystem lowered atmospheric CO₂ levels from about 280ppm to about 180ppm it took about 100,000 years.


(Let's call it about 1ppm/millennium.)

Current levels are above 380ppm, and they're increasing at more than 1ppm/year.


Some scientists say we need to get levels http://arxiv.org/abs/0804.1126">below 350ppm and soon. “If the present overshoot of this target CO₂ is not brief, there is a possibility of seeding irreversible catastrophic effects.”

Assuming we stop all of our emissions immediately, and assuming we had a fully intact ecosystem, that would take roughly 30,000 years.

By all means, plant trees, but, please, don't fool yourself…